Going to the grocery store is something that most people do on a weekly basis. While you may spend more than an hour going through the aisles and picking out your favorite foods, many people do not take the time to think about where the food is coming from. Depending on where you shop for your food, the food that you buy could end up coming from a wide variety of different places that serve the industry.
Specialty Distributors
For many products that you see on the shelves at your store, the food likely came from a specialty distributor. Today, there are several different major distributors that service many of the top grocery store chains across the country. While there used to be more distributors in the past, they have mainly consolidated over the past few years. Going through a distributor to get food is often very beneficial for a grocery store as it is efficient, reliable, and can result in lower food costs. These costs are then passed on to the consumer.
Local Farms
While many of the top grocery stores get the majority of their food from national distributors, there are still many grocery store chains that focus on buying a lot of local product. Depending on where you live in the grocery store is located, it is very common to get produce, beef, and other types of products directly from local farms. In many situations, locally sourced food is located in a specific area of the grocery store and you may end up paying a premium for this product.
Produced in the Store
One of the fastest growing trends for grocery stores across the country today is to create and produce some of their own food. While grocery stores may not necessarily have their own farm, they all typically have at least a bakery and other services that can provide fresh food to customers. This food is often it’s really popular with customers as it is fresh and frequently organic.
Health and Fitness Supplement Providers
Many three stores today have an entire aisle that is dedicated to health and fitness supplements. These supplements often include vitamins, protein supplements, and other health foods. Often times, when wondering is carrageenan safe, as well as other supplements, people think about where theses supplements and health foods come from. Many times, they come from a few different manufacturers that specialize only in producing supplements such as these.
Direct from the Brand
Another way that grocery stores are able to get products is when they buy directly from the brand. Today, there are a few major food companies that produce the majority of the food and beverages that you seen on the shelves. However, there are still many different smaller food companies that sell direct to the grocery stores. These companies often sell a limited supply of specialty products and compete heavily for shelf space in the store.
International Distributors
With a growing level of diversity across the country, and more interest in trying unique foods, there is a growing demand for international foods in most grocery stores. Because of this, many grocery stores now have relationships with international distributors that are able to get them a wide variety of products including coffee, specialty treats, wine, and many other foods that are unique to certain areas of the world. This has also helped to expand more knowledge of other food types as grocery stores have continued to try and promote their increased product line to all customers that come into their stores.
When you are going to your local grocery store, you should spend more time thinking about where your food actually comes from. If you cannot determine where something comes from, it might be a good idea to speak with a store manager. These professionals should be able to provide you with more detail about the source of the food.
