Organic Non-Organic Fuji Apples………$2.19/lbs……………….$1.69/lbs Blueberries……..$4.99/6 oz……………..$3.69/6 oz Avocados…………$1.29 each…………….$1.29each Baby Carrots…….$1.99/lbs………………$1.59/lbs Cucumbers………$1.29/lbs……………….$0.59 each Tomatoes………..$2.99/pint…………….$1.29/pint Celery………………$2.99/lbs……………….$1.99/lbs Salad………………..$3.99/5 oz…………….$2.99/ 5 oz Mushrooms…….$3.29/8 oz……………..$2.19/ 8 oz |
I was very surprised with my discoveries because a couple of the produce prices were not that different as in the case of the avocados and the baby carrots (which were $0.10 cheaper organically because they were on sale for $1.49). As I observed how people chose their produce I kept an eye out for who bought produce. In the hour that I was there I observed six individuals approach and purchase organic products out of approximately 100 individuals. These individuals, who picked out produce, were usually young or middle age women and about half were Asians. I don’t know if this is just by chance or if they just try to eat healthier but that is what I observed. I watched as women, husband and wives, and a couple families walked through to purchase a selection of produce. One family, consisting of a mother and husband and son, were walking through, the husband and son were on their cell phones while the mom picked out the food. Pretty typical, I would say. There were very few men by themselves picking out produce and most, that I observed, where older men (probably above 50 years). The ratio of women to men in the produce area was approximately 10: 3 in the time I was there. There were two male clerks stocking bananas and salad while were there. The man stocking bananas had mentioned to one of the customers that bananas go really fast on Saturdays so he is always stocking them.
I was thinking of the way I buy things when I am at the store and then comparing it to the way other chose their produce. I am one to compare prices of items I want and may need and then decide what I will buy for the week. I usually make my grocery list based on what items are for sale or may be a little cheaper. I usually take my time at the grocery store making the produce section my first stop so that I can chose what I want from there and base my meals off of it. Individuals I saw walk through there went directly for an item debated which one looked the tastiest, bagged it up and when to choose the next item on their list. There wasn’t much price comparing going on. The customers generally knew exactly what they wanted, which you could tell by the look on their face and there “don’t get in my way” type of walk. It was the same thing in the organic section. If someone wanted organic items they knew it. They would walk straight there, pick the item they wanted and leave. There were very few who actually do what I do. I began to wonder whether location of store items affect what people purchase. Would people look more at organic items if they were right next to the non-organic equivalent? The way the store was set up the organic items were more difficult to find because they were off in the corner where apples and oranges, bananas, and potatoes all had their own table to be displayed. Is it done this way because it has been tested that these have always been purchased the most, therefore, you have it on its own table easily displayed because a lot of people will purchase these items? Is it possible that if they displayed their organic produce in a more noticeable spot that more people would purchase them?
Lastly, I wanted to observe how the produce area was decorated and designed. The produce area was located in the back right corner of the store. Brightly colored decorations hung from the ceiling and bright fruits and vegetables were painted around the area. The vegetables lined the outer edge of the area where they could be kept moist by the misting heads while apples, bananas, ground vegetables and several other items were stacked on the center produce racks. The brighter fruits and vegetables were scattered throughout the area maybe to help catch people’s attention. There was a rack of seeds in the area for those who would like to grow their own vegetables. I found this interesting because I don’t often see this in a grocery store or maybe I just never observed it.
This whole experience was very interesting to me. It makes me wonder how it will be different in Bylakuppe. I imagine there will be more organic crops with how big organic farming is there. As I continue this same project in Bylakuppe I hope that I will be able to first observe how things work and then maybe talk to a store clerk. At Macy’s I was able to talk to a clerk for a little while. He was getting curious about what we were doing so I explained that it was for a school project. He mentioned that some stores have scouts come out and compare prices to other stores and he thought we may be doing that. Other than him we didn’t have people getting suspicious of anything because the turnover rate in the produce area was about every 10 minutes. This made me realize that although I probably don’t need to explain to customers about my studies but I should probably mention it to the store owner or manager so that I don’t seem suspicious of anything strange.
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