Grocery Store LOYALTY is based on...???

Jeff Sward

RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert. RetailWire BrainTrust Panelist. Founding Partner - Merchandising Metrics. Consulting on Strategic Merchandising. How to embrace RISK as a brands' best friend. It's a differentiator.

September 17, 2026

As a guy who grew up in department stores and mall specialty stores, I don't think I've ever written about grocery stores. But I had a head-scratching moment the other day that has prompted a note. I was finishing my list by heading to the "drug store" aisle of my grocery store for toothpaste. I past a counter where I saw a couple of brands of shave cream and shower soap that I had been buying at Target. Eureka! How long have they been here? Cool! I'll just buy them here. Oh...wait. the shower soap is $10.29 at the grocery store and $8.99 at Target . Grrrrrrrr......

And the shave cream is $9.29 at the grocery store and $7.99 at Target . It took me all of a minute on my phone, standing in the aisle of the grocery store, to do the quick check. So much for buying these items at the grocery store. Should I also now price check everything else I buy in the "drug store" aisle? Grrrrrrrr........

On the way to Target, all of 3 minutes down the road, I asked myself about my loyalty to that particular grocery store. What, exactly, is it based on? The answer is kind of humorous.

It's also my pharmacy.
The points accumulated on the reward program knock $20-$30 off my gasoline bill every couple of fill-ups.
Amazing sourdough bread.

That's it. That's my list. That's not a loyalty list. It's a convenience, financial advantage list. And don't get me wrong. I like my grocery store. It's Stop & Shop. Good food. Good value. Nice people. I'm in there 2-3 times a week. Auto-pilot. But now I know that I'm tethered to my grocery store based on prescriptions and gasoline and sourdough bread. I find it odd that a grocery chain would go to the trouble of carrying 'specialty' brands and then not be price competitive. People check this stuff, right? Right...??? Or am I just a retail nerd looking for trouble?

Richard Hammond, thought of you as I was digesting all of this. I can handle it if you tell me I am over thinking all of this.

#loyalty #competition #customerservice #customerperception #TRE #TopRetailExpert