Often in this space, attention has been paid to how Stew Leonard’s effectively communicates with customers – something that MNB would argue is more important than ever at the moment as tariffs and economic volatility threaten price stability at the nation’s food stores.
Over the weekend, Stew Leonard’s once again raised the bar on how to talk to shoppers about the current situation, with the following email from Stew Leonard, Jr.:
KC’s View:
The email starts out by acknowledging reality – tariffs are going to raise prices for shoppers. However, the email points out that “we’re navigating around the tariffs with our suppliers. We’re having our own negotiations with many of our importers and farmers. Most have agreed to split the tariffs 50/50 with Stew’s. Many of our suppliers have seen this coming and brought product in stateside and have inventory for 30-60 days.”
Stew Leonard, Jr. concedes that there are certain categories that keep him “up at night” – like salmon from Canada, New Zealand lamb, avocados from Mexico, bananas and pineapples from Costa Rica, and various imported beers, wines and spirits – and specifically addresses what the company is doing to deal with tariffs or provide alternatives.
I particularly appreciated what he says about New Zealand lamb – I happened to be in the store yesterday buying precisely that for a lamb and artichoke stew, and I’d rather be kept apprised of the situation by the store than be left to my own devices to figure out the situation.
In another case – Kerrygold butter from Ireland – he essentially says that negotiations have been fruitless, and that his buyers will be looking for domestic alternatives. Again, this resonated with me – the only butter I buy at Stew’s is Kerrygold. (To be fair, they only really carry Kerrygold and a domestic private label butter.) If suddenly in a few weeks Kerrygold is gone and has been replaced by a new item, it is helpful to me as a consumer to understand why, Transparency matters. It treats the shopper like an adult.
And then, there is this final paragraph:
Overall, it’s a “wait and see” strategy. Things are so volatile in the markets. Stew’s buys from many small family producers that we have dealt with for 20-30 years. These are friends and we want to protect them, so they don’t lose their business. They all helped us during Covid and now, the tables have turned. It’s our turn to help them out now.
I think that passage will resonate with a lot of people. They’re trying to do the right thing for their customers, but also for their suppliers.
It matters. Stew Leonard’s is controlling the narrative to the best of its ability, and in doing so, clearly is differentiating itself from the competition.
The post How To Talk To Shoppers About Tariffs appeared first on MNB.
View Original Article
