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From healthforthewholeself.com |
In case you've never heard of it, Chobani is a locally-operated producer of high quality Greek-style yogurt. It happens to be de-lish. They're notorious for two things: #1) Donating lots and lots of their yogurt to great causes; just two that I'm aware of were for the runners and walkers at this year's "Heart Run and Walk" and to my high school (both to send to a school in Louisiana for a cultural exchange as well as to our school for the kids
Clearly I'm excited about the stuff. I tend to purchase the large (32 oz.) container of strawberry (classic), which I bring to school and toss with Kashi Go Lean Crunch (thanks for teaching me about it, Missy!). Delicious.
So, why am I so upset? I was frustrated to see that the usual $1 price for a 6 oz. container of Chobani (they have so many delicious flavors!!!) has been boosted, not by a few pennies, but to $1.19. A 19% increase?!?! Man! I used to grab the occasional blueberry for Dave to enjoy (gotta be nice to our spouses, y'know...especially when we're in the doghouse ;-D j/k)...now it's going to have to be a huge special occasion to do so.
It became immediately clear to me what caused the jump in price: the Hannaford brand, Taste of Inspiration, had released a new Greek-style yogurt - priced at $.85. Not only did they introduce competition at an already-lower price, but they upped the always-steady $1 price of the Chobani product. Call me Communist, but this bugged the heck out of me.
I understand the concept behind competition. Well, sure, I may understand a lot of things. The rise of big business. The shift from rural to urban lifestyles. The advancement of technology. Yep, I get it all...but it doesn't mean that I agree with it. And this is one of those cases.
A local product made by honest folks who have gotten tons of press nationally that you couldn't keep on your shelves, and you, Hannaford, simply had to get in on the action. Seriously, there's a sign...wait, it looks kinda like this:
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| From mealsandmovesblog.com |
This stuff is popular, as it should be. Good people doing good things, providing healthy, high-quality goods. Gee. There must be money to be made off of it. *grumbles* Sorry, that's not a professional way to vent, but sometimes "GRRR" is all one can say.
How can I (or we?) combat it? I don't really see a way, other than continuing to purchase my luckily-same-priced 32-oz. stuff, and possibly the occasional "whooooaaaaa, that's 'spensive!" 6-oz. stuff (with, perhaps, the odd coupon here and there, nudge-nudge, wink-wink). There's a little part of me that says "Hey, cool, there's a cheaper option for folks who can't afford it", but the sentiment behind what Chobani does is much grander, in my mind, than that. Hopefully the genuine fervor which has skyrocketed the company to such great heights won't wane with the introduction of new competition. Here's hoping!
And, if you don't have Chobani in your stores yet, talk to the manager and write a letter to Chobani. It's spreading like wildfire, so be proactive and a part of the "movement". Support any company that cares about its customers and gives us high-quality, all-natural options. (Jumps off soapbox.)
I know it probably goes against all that is good in the world, but Wal-Mart does carry Chobani and they have it for $1 a unit. :-) Might be worth the incursion to Wally World, if only for the yogurt.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's contradictory to all that I hold sacred. ;-) I've gotten used to paying the occasional higher price at Hannaford; I may have to just bite the bullet (if for no other reason but to "vote" each time I buy a small Chobani). :-)
ReplyDeleteIf you love Chobani then you will really LOVE Fage. The big H store used to carry it but it is seldom found there now. This 'true' Greek style yogurt is also made locally in Johnstown, NY. A quick look at google maps shows it is even closer to Herkimer than the Chobani factory. It is however, more expensive than Chobani but in the vein of keeping spouses happy well worth it. LOL Norm (how come I can't post this with my Facebook id?)
ReplyDeleteYou can blame the shortage of Chobani on Chris and I ;^D
ReplyDeleteI don't mind a shortage, as long as there's SOMETHING on the shelf when I go to buy some. ;-) I love that even the folks in Maine are diggin' this stuff! (You HAVE to try pomegranate...even if it is zero fat. Too tasty not to try once.)
ReplyDeleteI've always been picky about yogurt and had never liked "non-fat" anything before. It always had that AbSoLuTeLy Horrible Splenda taste. I will give the non-fat a shot on your behalf. 8^D
ReplyDeleteSar, I'm tellin' ya it tastes completely natural. Hopefully it works out for you! Let me know how your experimentation goes. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the pineapple flavor! If I were lost on a deserted island with only one food to eat for the rest of my life, I'd want it to be Chobani's pineapple yogurt. This would beat out chocolate anyday, and that's saying something! I've tried the "other" greek yogurts only to find that they don't hold a candle to Chobani. By the way, I bought the kids' Chobani for my daughter but found it is different in texture from the regular ones. It is grainier (if that's a word). My daughter loves yougurt, too, but not the kids' version.
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