Natural Grocers lends hand as shoppers grapple with high food prices

Natural Grocers is doing its part to help customers as the nation continues to experience elevated food pricing from persistent high inflation.

Lakewood, Colo.-based Natural Grocers said yesterday that shoppers can take advantage of a mix of offerings at the specialty supermarket chain to save on their food shopping bill, as well as promote their health and wellness. Solutions range from opting for store-brand products and special “meal deals” to participating in the retailer’s loyalty program and nutrition services.

Through Good4u Meal Deals, Npower loyalty program members each month get discounted prices and recipes to prepare meals for a family of four or more.

And it’s likely that many customers are looking for a helping hand with grocery pricing. Earlier this month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that April’s food-at-home Consumer Price Index climbed 10.8% year over year, surpassing the 10% uptick in March, which marked the largest 12-month increase since March 1981. Monthly gains in the food-at-home index also have remained sharp thus far in 2022, rising 0.9% in April after gains of 1.5% in March, 1.4% in February and 1% in January.

“‘Always Affordable Pricing’ is one of our ‘Five Founding Principles’ to which we have stayed committed for over 67 years,” Heather Isely, executive vice president at Natural Grocers, said in a statement. “We work hard to generate long-term relationships with vendors and farmers to secure the best possible pricing on wholesome natural foods and supplements. These types of partnerships have historically helped us to maintain premium quality and offer accessibly priced nutritious foods and vitamins, even when families have been impacted by inflation.”

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Natural Grocers said ways that customers can save at its 162 stores in 20 states, as well as online, include the following:

Natural Grocers noted that its wide assortment of store-brand groceries serve up everyday savings. (Photo courtesy of Natural Grocers)

• Natural Grocers-brand products. The store brand encompasses about 1,000 items — from the bulk line (refrigerated for freshness and prepackaged for sanitation purposes) to grocery and household essentials to vitamins and supplements — provides shoppers with affordable, premium-quality options, the retailer noted.

• Free {N}power loyalty program. Through {N}power, shoppers get access to exclusive discounts, newsletters, members-only features and other benefits.

• Good4u Meal Deals. Each month, {N}power members receive discounted prices and recipes to prepare healthy meals for their family of four or more at a price tag that averages around $14, Natural Grocers said.

Related:Ease in April CPI does little for food shoppers

• Natural Grocers Nutrition Center. Describing itself as “America’s Nutrition Education Experts,” Natural Grocers provides free nutritional health coaching, in-store nutrition classes and recipe demos. Its Nutritional Health Coaches are required to complete 164 hours of continuing education annually.

• Keep up to date on savings offers. Natural Grocers noted that customers can check out the latest deals on food and grocerys, vitamins and supplements, and organic products at naturalgrocers.com, as well as through the retailer’s social media channels.

“Our parents founded Natural Grocers in 1955 with the belief that everyone should have access to affordable healthy natural and organic foods, nutrition education and live in a thriving, regenerative environment. This includes the food we all put on our tables,” Isely commented.

Looking ahead, consumer packaged goods and retail market researcher IRI expects additional inflation in the CPG arena. Chicago-based IRI forecasts an additional 3% inflation atop the current 8% in edible CPG categories for the multi-outlet retail channel in 2022, according to the researcher’s 2022 “Revenue Management in an Inflationary Environment” report, released earlier this month. Also for 2022, IRI projects another 2% inflation on top of the current 7% in perimeter categories and an extra 2% atop the current 4% price inflation in nonedible categories.