Retail Watchers

Super S wrote: ↑April 27th, 2021, 9:33 am I sometimes wonder how well the Thrifty ice cream would sell if supermarkets carried it. While there are great regional brands (such as Tillamook and Umpqua locally) their price point is high, especially when Tillamook recently shrunk their container size but kept pricing the same. Rite Aid isn't exactly a store I think about for ice cream, especially when stores like WinCo are in close proximity.

Tillamook is fairly wide spread - at least one chain here in NY has it, and just looking quickly it looked to be linked to both Walmart and Target websites.

BillyGr wrote: ↑April 27th, 2021, 11:36 am

Super S wrote: ↑April 27th, 2021, 9:33 am I sometimes wonder how well the Thrifty ice cream would sell if supermarkets carried it. While there are great regional brands (such as Tillamook and Umpqua locally) their price point is high, especially when Tillamook recently shrunk their container size but kept pricing the same. Rite Aid isn't exactly a store I think about for ice cream, especially when stores like WinCo are in close proximity.

Tillamook is fairly wide spread - at least one chain here in NY has it, and just looking quickly it looked to be linked to both Walmart and Target websites.

Tillamook is now a billion dollar brand sold nationally. It's not a regional brand anymore. They've taken a lot of market share from Kraft.in the cheese aisle and others elsewhere.

I think Tillamook is nothing more than west coast Cabot...local co-op with a good reputation for cheese.

Here in the midwest, the analogous companies are Prairie Farms and Land 'o Lakes (which are far more fluid-milk centric than T'ook or Cabot)

Romr123 wrote: ↑April 27th, 2021, 12:39 pm I think Tillamook is nothing more than west coast Cabot...local co-op with a good reputation for cheese.

Here in the midwest, the analogous companies are Prairie Farms and Land 'o Lakes (which are far more fluid-milk centric than T'ook or Cabot)

Land o lakes isn't a regional company either. They're $15 billion in size with plants around the country.

Land O Lakes also owns the Purina livestock feed operation (which is separate from the pet food lines owned by Nestle)

retailfanmitchell019 wrote: ↑April 27th, 2021, 9:39 am

Super S wrote: ↑April 27th, 2021, 9:33 am I sometimes wonder how well the Thrifty ice cream would sell if supermarkets carried it.

Haggen actually sold Thrifty ice cream during their 6 month stay in California.

So do many of the Mexican markets in SoCal. Superior Grocers comes to mind as I still see Thrifty ice cream sold there. Thrifty is very popular with-in the Mexican community.

I have seen Thrifty ice cream at several Mexican and Asian supermarkets in Northern California. There is a 76 Gas station with a Thrifty Ice Cream counter in Concord, California. I was very surprised. It was a relatively new Circle K and had quite a selection of merchandise. I always wondered why some got Circle K and some got My Goods Market.

Alpha8472 wrote: ↑April 28th, 2021, 11:35 am I have seen Thrifty ice cream at several Mexican and Asian supermarkets in Northern California. There is a 76 Gas station with a Thrifty Ice Cream counter in Concord, California. I was very surprised. It was a relatively new Circle K and had quite a selection of merchandise. I always wondered why some got Circle K and some got My Goods Market.

The Circle K with the Thrifty Ice Cream is not affiliated with United Pacific (current owner of My Goods Market) in any way. That is an independent Circle K.

Thrifty ice cream is heavily distributed via "water and ice" stores in Las Vegas and Arizona. I think a third party may handle all of the non-Rite Aid distribution.

Smart & Final used to sell some 5 gallon tubs of Thrifty Ice Cream in Nevada but they no longer have that and just replaced it with more First Street 5 gallon tubs of ice cream which do not appear to be made by Thrifty as they have a different plant code.

One of the unique things about Thrifty Ice Cream is that is is frozen after being made to a much lower temperature than the typical ice cream. I am not really sure what that accomplishes but there is some reason for it.

I got an ad online for Buy 1 Get 1 for Thrifty Ice Cream scoops. It said come in to any Thrifty store. It had no mention of Rite Aid. This seems like they want a store within a store style format.

Edit: I clicked on the link and it turns out it is an online coupon. The link is to the Rite Aid website, but the online ad only has a red Thrifty logo.

https://www.riteaid.com/campaigns/thrif ... ylvb4zH0eQ

retailfanmitchell019 wrote: ↑April 27th, 2021, 9:39 am

Super S wrote: ↑April 27th, 2021, 9:33 am I sometimes wonder how well the Thrifty ice cream would sell if supermarkets carried it.

Haggen actually sold Thrifty ice cream during their 6 month stay in California.

Independent grocers in Southern California that use Supervalu/UNFI as their supplier actually carry Thrifty Ice Cream (the Rite Aid produced packages), generally just the pint cups and 48 oz containers in only the most popular flavors. Haggen's SoCal stores were supplied by Supervalu. Some c-stores and cafes that have Thrifty counters carry the bulk drums supplied /produced by Bon Suisse (under contract with Rite Aid as a co-distributor).

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