BIG is an organization dedicated to helping consumers, food makers and grocers learn about the many environmental and economic benefits of bulk foods.

by Admin on Aug 24, 2010 at 1:49 PM

Portland, Ore. – August 18, 2010 – Appealing to the soccer mom and the penny-pinching couple alike, shopping in the bulk foods aisle has quickly become one of 2010’s hottest trends, according to the Wall Street Journal.  Celebrating National Bulk Foods Day on October 23 and this boom in bulk shopping, the Bulk is Green Council is proud to announce the launch of the first of a series of two YouTube videos that follow everyday shoppers on a trip to their neighborhood grocery store, documenting how they save time and money while shopping green.

"Budgets are tight and people are thinking twice about how far their dollar takes them," said Bart McKnight, founding council member and Category Manager for Trade Fixtures.  "We decided to document the experiences of real people to better understand how Americans are getting creative with their purchasing decisions, and we think that these videos will teach people a thing or two about to how to make cost-effective, eco-friendly choices at the grocery store."

The first YouTube video, which can be viewed here, follows a 40-something man and a mom and her son on their quest to gather the 11 ingredients needed to make a wholesome natural snack.  The man shops in the regular aisles of the grocery store, while the mom and child shop exclusively in the bulk foods aisle.  The drastic difference in total cost and time required of each is then compared.

The second video in the series follows a different set of shoppers who are prepping a gourmet dinner for a group of friends, and will be launched in time for the first-ever National Bulk Foods Day on October 23.

"The videos reveal some interesting information about how people shop for food today," said Clint Landis, founding member of the Bulk is Green Council and Chief Marketing Officer for
Frontier Natural Products Co-Op.  "We suspected that the mother and child shopping natural in bulk would save money – anywhere from 30 to 96 percent – but we were surprised to see the little boy had fun selecting all the ingredients from one aisle.  He actually taught his mom how to shop in bulk, while the single man shopping in the regular aisles had to run all around the store to find what he needed and ended up pretty frustrated."

The Bulk is Green Council launched the YouTube campaign as part of an ongoing effort to educate people on the environmental and economic benefits of shopping natural and organic in bulk.  Founded in 2008, the council includes industry leaders Hain Celestial Group, SunRidge Farms, Frontier Natural Products Co-Op, Trade Fixtures, and Lundberg Family Farms.  The Bulk is Green Council invites YouTube viewers to share their own experiences shopping in bulk by posting their story in the video’s comments section at http://www.youtube.com/BulkisGreenCouncil, or by contacting the council at BulkisGreen.org.

 

ABOUT BULK IS GREEN COUNCIL

Bulk is Green Council is an organization dedicated to increasing consumer, retailer and grocer awareness of the environmental and economic benefits of buying natural and organic in bulk.  Founded in 2008, the council serves as a research and advocacy group, conducting and publishing studies on industry trends and offering educational tools and resources online.  The board includes industry leaders Hain Celestial, SunRidge Farms, Frontier Natural Products Co-Op, Trade Fixtures, and Lundberg Family Farms.  Additional information is available at BulkisGreen.org.