Dear Grocery Store Chains,

Moms spend $2.1 trillion dollars annually on consumer goods and services {via BSM Media}. Of course, part of those trillions go to YOU – the local grocer. Food is a necessity and thus moms will come to you – regardless of the various “amenities” that you offer.

That said, moms do have a choice where they shop. There are two grocery stores in my immediate area and I would gladly become a staunchly loyal customer to just one of them if any or all of the following measures were put into place:

• Excellent customer service: Is it too much to expect smiling, focused employees who ask if you need help before you need it?
• Produce Expert with corresponding demonstrations: Grocery stores should consider hiring a designated “Produce Expert” who answers questions like…”How do I know if a watermelon is ripe?” “Where can I find shallots and what are they used for?” Etc. This person would also do live demonstrations of healthful cooking – roasting potatoes, steaming asparagus, cutting onions without crying, etc.
• Free snack packs and stickers for toddlers: As parents step into the grocery store, the greeter would provide tots and younger kids with an individually-wrapped goldfish pack and a smiley face sticker. Or a pack of organic graham cracker bites.
  
• Free birthday cake, cupcake, or cookie on child’s birthday: Some stores do this for a child’s 1st birthday (which is a start…). It would be fun if any birthday child received a cupcake or cookie on his/her special day. Perhaps the store could even start a Birthday Club.
• Private nursing lounge/area: New moms often have only one thing on their mind as they enter any establishment – “What will I do/where will I go if my baby gets hungry?” A grocery store chain would truly stand out if they offered a small private (and clean!) nursing lounge or area…perhaps adjacent to the women’s restroom…with a comfortable couch/chair and changing area.
• Organics line: Kudos to grocers who have already started their own organic product lines and/or who have been mindful about the ingredients in their products. I’d like to see more of the same.
• Make-Ahead Meal Station: Essentially, moms could come to the store and prepare a meal with already prepped ingredients. They could then take the baking dish home and eat it that night…or stick it in the freezer. A new meal/menu could be offered once a day or once a week.
• More coupons for fresh ingredients: I believe in coupons, BUT I notice that the coupons in the Sunday paper are often for processed, canned, and frozen foods (which my family *tries* not to buy). I’d love to see more coupons for blueberries, sweet potatoes, squash, homemade bread from the bakery, etc.
• On-site “restaurant” with seating area: Nothing fancy. Just a small place to order a smoothie, a sandwich, an ice cream cone, or a burrito – at rock-bottom prices. 
  
• Grocery Delivery Service: Sometimes a mom just wants to stay home and let someone else do the shopping. I know I would pay “extra” for this amenity. Anything to avoid the car, the crowds, and the possibility of a crying babe.

Thank you for your consideration,

Stephanie (a mom who contributes her fair share of that $2.1 trillion – especially for groceries)

YOUR TURN: What’s your favorite grocery store chain and why? What “amenities” would you like grocery stores to offer?