Has anyone tried contacting their local supermarkets and asking them to carry products like Full fat yogurt, cottage cheese, ice cream, nitrate free bacon etc.

I'd like to put a list together of products we should ask them to carry and see if we can have some influence as a group.

Any ideas on this subject?

Vonnovich - (low carb activist in training)

hi Vonnovich,

I moved your post to the General Lowcarb forum where interested folks will find it.

Many groceries will make an effort to stock items if enough people ask for them, especially if you're a regular customer.

Good luck!

Doreen

Lobbying is a good idea, but large chains are slow to react.

Have you checked out any natural foods stores in your area? They usually carry everything listed above plus lots more like nut butters, fresher nuts, interesting oils, etc.

Karen

Natural food stores, like Whole Foods carry everything you mentioned...

In Chicago, even the larger chains in up-scale neighborhoods also carry much of your list.

I think in CA you should have no problems...

Good luck to you!

Donald

I work for a grocery store. I suggest that you make the request through the company's corporate office. I know that in our company, the individual stores don't have the authority to "add" a new product- the decision has to come from corporate. I would call or write and be sure to let them know which of their stores you shop at.

Don't forget, grocery stores are in this business for the money--not only ours, but the large food producer' money. I read that the companies must "pay" for the prime spots on the shelves and even if a product is popular in a store, if another company is willing to pay more for the space, they will drop the popular version.

If you take notice, the big names are the ones that are on the most accessable shelves. For instance, I used to eat rice cakes. The one store carried Quaker rice cakes in all varieties. They sold alot of them because often the stocks were low. All of a sudden, that brand disappeared from the shelves and a more pricey one took it's place. The Giant, a large chain, doesn't even carry rice cakes. They carry only corn. I've asked over and over again for the rice cakes, but they never got them. BTW, I don't eat rice cakes anymore, this is just an example.

Another thing, you may find your favorite product among the missing and ask about it and they will tell you it's been discontinued. When you continue to see it in another store, you will realize that it was just discontinued in that one store.

I know this info didn't help you find what you are looking for, but maybe it helps to explain why.

Carol

A while back I and some of my fellow low carbers in the area sent an e-mail to the largest grocery chain in our city asking them to carry more low carb products. Guess what? They did! I've also made requests to a few other stores that I shop in after being asked "Did you find everything you were looking for?" and they have started carrying more low carb products as well. It never hurts to ask. If stores know that there is a market for a particular product, they will carry it. The more people that ask, the more likely they are to start carrying the products being requested, so there is strength in numbers. They are, after all, in business to make money and so it helps to carry products that their customers are looking for or they know their customers will take their business elsewhere. I still do a lot of shopping at my local health food store, but their hours aren't always convenient for me so it helps to know that there are other stores where I can get what I need too.