Give the Customer What She Wants

There's an interesting article in this month's Atlantic about changes Walmart has made to its produce section. Of course, as a corporation, Walmart has chosen to supply what is demanded.  In this case, that equals more local and organic produce.

The author did a blind taste test here in Austin at Fino using meals cooked with all ingredients from Walmart and our snazzy downtown Whole Foods.  Here's what ensued:

...16 critics, bloggers, and general food lovers gathered around a long, high table at the restaurant. Stubbs passed out scoring sheets with bullets for grades of one (worst) to five (best) for each of the four courses, and lines for comments. 

The first course, bowls of almonds and pieces of fried goat cheese with red-onion jam and honey, was a clear win for Walmart. The Walmart almonds were described as “aromatic,” “mellow,” “pure,” and “yummy,” the Whole Foods almonds as “raw,” though also more “natural”; they were in fact fresher, though duller in flavor. (Like the best of the food I saw at the Austin Walmart, the packaging for the almonds had a homegrown Mexican look.) The second course, mixed spring greens in a sherry vinaigrette, was another Walmart win: only a few tasters preferred the Whole Foods greens, calling them fresher and heartier-flavored. And only one noticed the little brown age spots on a few Walmart leaves, but she was a ringer—Carol Ann Sayle, a local farmer famous for her greens.

So far Walmart was ahead. But then came the chicken, served with a poached egg on a bed of spinach and golden raisins. A woman whose taste I already thought uncanny—she works as an aromatherapist—compared the broth-infused meat to something out of a hospital cafeteria: “It’s like they injected it with something to make it taste like fast food.” I thought it was salty, damp, and dismal. The spinach, though, was another story: even the most ardent brothy-breast haters thought the Walmart spinach was fresher.

Dessert was the most puzzling. I had thought that Walmart’s locally sourced milk and exotic-looking vanilla would be the gold standard, but the Whole Foods house brands slaughtered them (“Kicks A’s ass,” one taster wrote). People couldn’t find enough words to diss the Walmart panna cotta (“artificial, thin”) and praise the Whole Foods one (“like a good Christmas”). I wished I’d bought the identical Promised Land milk at Whole Foods, to see if there is in fact a difference in the branded food products that suppliers give Walmart, as there is in the case of other branded products. The pomegranate seeds, sadly, were wan, with barely any flavor, particularly compared with the garnet gems from Whole Foods. But Walmart got points from the chef, and from me, for carrying pomegranates at all. 

As I had been in my own kitchen, the tasters were surprised when the results were unblinded at the end of the meal and they learned that in a number of instances they had adamantly preferred Walmart produce. And they weren’t entirely happy.

I'm not saying that I prefer Walmart or Whole Foods or anything else.  I'm just saying that more competition in organic and natural food sales can't hurt anyone.  I haven't been to a Walmart in years, but I am glad there is enough financial incentive for them to begin providing more healthy and responsible food options at decent prices.  Think about how many small towns with Walmart as their only option can benefit from these changes.  I know that when I lived on the Tex-Mex border, I did have to rely on Walmart more than I would have liked.  My uncle owned a IGA (Independent Grocers of America) grocery store in south Louisiana for years, and he decided to close it after Hurricane Rita and Walmart both came to visit his small town.  This has happened all over the country and isn't going to change, so at least Walmart is expanding their selection of quality food.  That has huge ramifications for rural America. 

On a related note, I've been enjoying Newflower Farmers Market in my work neighborhood of Bee Cave (there's also one in south Austin, but I haven't been there).  It's probably one of the closest things we have to glorious Trader Joe's in that it actually has some affordable stuff.  It has a good bulk selection and the household and personal products actually go on sale*, unlike at Central Market and Whole Foods.  When it comes to things (that I can control) that go on my body or in my lungs, I'm a real stickler for chem-free.  I've always sucked up the higher prices on these things, but that could be a thing of the past as more competitors enter our local market. 

On another related note, check out Johnson's Backyard Garden of east Austin.  They deliver vegetables to families all over Austin, but they also have a volunteer program.. You can work in their garden for four hours and get a big box of their veggies in return.  My buddy did it last week and had a blast.  I need to play hooky one day so I can join in (main volunteer days are Wednesdays and Fridays).

*Their entire line of Kiss My Face is 30% off this week :)!