COLUMBUS, Ohio – It is a common lament to anyone who has tried to buy more healthy, natural or organic food for their family: Those versions are always much higher-priced than the, pardon the pun, garden-variety food.
Now, the nation’s largest grocery chain is trying to close the price gap between healthy and natural foods and cheaper, processed items.
Prices will be lowered on thousands of grocery, general merchandise and natural food items, said Mary Ellen Adcock, vice president of merchandising for the Columbus division.
The new effort to make healthier foods more affordable targets meats, natural foods and produce, Adcock said. She says research indicates 98 percent of U.S. households are buying natural and organic products, prompting the retailer to invest in the trend.
For example, she says, organic broccoli priced at $2.69 per pound has been reduced to $1.79; a 16-ounces package of mini-peeled carrots was reduced to 99 cents from $1.49.
Kroger has reduced pricing on 2,700 of its natural food products, including select varieties of Tazo Tea, Kashi, and Earth’s Best products.
Reductions in the meat department will include popular selections like baby back ribs and chicken breast, Adcock said.