Groceries hire chefs to give ‘foodies’ tips

Stiffening competition from warehouse clubs and supercenters, such as Costco and Wal-Mart, are forcing prices lower. It has led to consolidation - the number of grocers has fallen 3 percent since 2005 - and squeezed margins. Industry profitability is expected to be 1.6 percent this year, down from 1.7 percent five years ago, according to IBIS World

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Supermarket chains such as Giant Eagle and Wegmans are looking to distinguish their stores as places not to just buy and consume food, but where customers can immerse themselves in “foodie” culture - and spend more for the opportunity.

“The hope is that, rather than getting the customer who spends $1,800 a year in a supermarket… they’re hoping to get the customer that spends $10,000, because it is a destination attraction,” said Burt Flickinger, managing director of Strategic Resource Group, a New York retail consulting firm.

A recent survey by retail consultant LoyaltyOne found that 69 percent of consumers said an expert session with a chef or nutritionist would motivate them to shop more with a grocer.

Giant Eagle has recruited food experts for its Market District stores, a relatively new but growing store model based on making high-end taste accessible. They are stores where customers can eat a meal at an in-store cafe; buy hot prepared dinners of baked cod or Pan Asian dishes with Jasmine rice and Naan; see cooking demonstrations; and drink a craft beer in the bar, but also buy staples like laundry detergent and milk.

There are five Market District stores in the Pittsburgh area, and another scheduled to open in Fox Chapel next year.

Giant Eagle is following in the footsteps of Wegmans in trying to strike a balance of being a store where customers can do their weekly shopping and go to learn about food, Flickinger said. These extras not only give shoppers a reason to spend money, but serve as a recruiting tool.

“It’s very difficult from a recruiting perspective because a lot of culinary schools don’t think of grocery stores,” said Glenda Pavelski, human resources coordinator for Wegmans in Pennsylvania. “Having the pub in our stores has been a good gateway for us because that’s something that culinary students are familiar with.”

In hiring staff, grocers are looking for people with culinary skills and a passion for talking about food. At a Giant Eagle job fair in Monroeville recently, banners around the convention center floor advertised “Find Your Foodie Career” and “#Foodie jobs.”