Foodland makes buying 'local' easier
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
Will Hawai'i folks buy local even if, sometimes, the price is a little more, or the item is new to them?
Jenai Sullivan Wall and her employees at Foodland and Sack 'n Save stores think so, and today they launch "From the Islands," a new labeling program to identify Hawai'i-grown and Hawai"i-made products throughout their 29 stores.
Every such item will be identified with a shelf tag showing its island of origin, employing the island's traditional flower: 'ilima for O'ahu, lokelani for Maui, kukui for Moloka'i, mokihana for Kaua'i and lehua for the Big Island.
In the July issue of the company's Maika'i Rewards newsletter, Wall places the program in the context of recent debate on what makes companies "local." "At Foodland, we think local is less about what you say than it is about what you do ... having your actions show that you care about Hawai'i." She says that, since they believe many customers make a conscious effort to support local companies, the labels are meant to make that choice easier.
Customer Sandy Kanemitsu, whose regular grocery store is the Foodland on Beretania Street in Honolulu, said she liked the idea but wasn't sure it would always sway her shopping decisions. "If it's something where I don't have a particular brand that I like, yeah, that might make a difference, knowing it was from here, or if it's something that I think ought to be local, like tropical fruit," said Kanemitsu. "But for me, we're on a budget, so price is important, too."
But price will not always be a barrier. Right now, for example, Tommy Atkins mangos grown in Waialua are cheaper at Foodland than the Mexican imports, according to director of produce Harold Uchino.
These mangos are an excellent example of how stores have to adjust in order to carry out a commitment to buying local produce: Tommy Atkins mangos are a solid green, without the high blush color that consumers are accustomed to. Another variety he's hoping to bring in, the Keitt mango, is immense (2 1/2 to 3 pounds each) and also doesn't have the locally traditional appearance.
The prevailing philosophy in produce buying has been that customers "shop with their eyes," and buyers should stick close to a conventional template: unblemished round oranges, bright red apples with high arched shoulders, mangos with an orangy-red blush. But once he tasted these odd-looking mangos, Uchino knew he could sell them.
"It's a better-tasting mango. We just have to give out more samples. Once people taste it, they buy it," he said of the Tommy Atkins, which has sparked quite a number of phone calls from customers who wanted to know more about the fruit. Sampling makes work and mess for produce departments, but can pay off in the end, he said.
The produce department — which at Foodland handles not just fresh fruit and vegetables but also such chilled items as tofu and kim chee — purchases more than 200 locally produced items in the course of the year. At any given time, Uchino said, more than 120 items will require tags.
Uchino has been in the produce business for more than 40 years and has seen the produce mix in the average supermarket go from 10 percent local produce to today's average at Foodland of about 40 percent local.
As with a number of local supermarkets in the post-plantation era, Foodland has sent its produce buyers out to taste locally grown fruits and vegetables, and has contracted for exclusive supplies with various farms or for various special items in recent years, he said. "We are actively looking for farmers now, all the time," said Uchino.
Customers have come to expect 'Ewa-grown corn — fresher and juicier than that from the Mainland — and heirloom tomatoes in season. This week, Foodland has contracted for icebox watermelons from Larry Jeft's Farm in Kunia. This red-fleshed fruit is so called because it's small enough to fit in the refrigerator and satisfy a small family but is still sweet, he said.
