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Whole Foods Market serves up Thanksgiving Day turkey insurance

Specialty grocer partners with Progressive for ‘bird blunder’ coverage

Russell Redman

November 10, 2020

2 Min Read
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Whole Foods' TurkeyProtectionPlan.com website features a video spot with actor Jim Cashman, known for his role as “Jamie” in Progressive’s humorous TV commercials.Whole Foods Market

Whole Foods Market is offering a helping of Thanksgiving Day peace of mind with what it calls the first-ever turkey insurance.

In a partnership with insurer Progressive, Whole Foods on Tuesday unveiled the Thanksgiving Turkey Protection Plan, which offers customers buying their turkey at Whole Foods Market a $35 store gift card in case they “commit a turkey cooking fail,” such as an overcooked, undercooked, dry or burnt bird.

The Austin, Texas-based specialty grocer said the plan provides a safeguard for consumers “hosting Thanksgiving for the first time” or “scarred from a previous bird blunder.”

“As we anticipate more smaller Thanksgiving gatherings and first-time cooks tackling turkey preparation this year, the Thanksgiving Turkey Protection Plan allows customers the freedom of culinary exploration, knowing all is not lost should their cooking go astray,” Theo Weening, vice president of meat and poultry at Whole Foods. “We want to help customers rise to the occasion and take on that turkey with confidence for less-stressed Thanksgiving meal preparation.”

To be eligible for the Thanksgiving Turkey Protection Plan, shoppers must buy and obtain their Whole Foods Market-brand turkey — via an in-store purchase, online pickup or home delivery — between Nov. 11 and 22. If their cooked turkey turns out to be an unsuccessful endeavor, they go to TurkeyProtectionPlan.com for details on how to submit a claim.

Related:Survey: Thanksgiving grocery shopping plans unshaken by pandemic

Claims must be submitted between Nov. 26 and 27 and include the receipt for the turkey, a photo of the “failed” turkey and a brief description of what went wrong, according to Whole Foods. The offer is limited to the first 1,000 claims, capped at one claim per customer.

The TurkeyProtectionPlan.com website features a video spot with actor Jim Cashman, known for his role as “Jamie” in Progressive’s humorous television commercials. In the segment, Jamie describes the Thanksgiving Turkey Protection Plan and shows off some outlandish Thanksgiving Day turkey recipes. The site also includes links to turkey cooking tips, a turkey buying guide, ordering a Whole Foods turkey for pickup or delivery, and Progressive insurance products.

Whole Foods said that, starting on Nov. 11, it’s offering Whole Foods Market-brand uncooked organic and classic turkeys for $3.49 and $2.49 per pound, respectively. Between Nov. 11 and 22, Amazon Prime members can get extra savings for those turkeys, at $2.99 per pound for organic and $1.99 for classic, while supplies last. Whole Foods also offers Prime members free two-hour grocery delivery in more than 2,000 cities and towns across 90 major metropolitan areas, as well as free one-hour pickup from all of Whole Foods’ 487 U.S. locations.

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About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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