ShopRite’s 2012 Can Can Sale to Help the Hungry

ShopRite’s annual Can Can Sale will spotlight the critical issue of hunger in local communities, with “Cans for Fans,” a program that enables the chain’s Facebook fans to help out. This year’s sale runs from Jan. 5 through Jan. 21 at all Northeast ShopRite stores, although a Can’t Can’t Wait Sale preview began on New Year’s Day.

For every fan on its official Facebook page, ShopRite will donate one can of food, up to 50,000 cans, to food banks in the areas it serves. Fans are invited to spread the word about “Cans for Fans” by sharing ShopRite’s official Facebook page with friends. The more “Likes” ShopRite receives, the more cans will go to the needy.

“The annual Can Can Sale is a great opportunity for ShopRite to help raise awareness of the issue of hunger in our communities,” noted Christine Magyarits, community relations manager for ShopRite, the banner under which members of Keasbey, N.J.-based retail cooperative Wakefern Food Corp. operate their stores. “‘Cans for Fans’ is a powerful way to engage our customers in the fight against this ever-growing problem in our nation.”

Last year, to mark the 40th anniversary of the inaugural Can Can sale, ShopRite donated 40,000 cans to food banks in its trade area of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland and Delaware, where it operates more than 230 stores.

ShopRite has long been a partner to food banks in the areas it serves through the “ShopRite Partners in Caring” program. Since 1999, the program has given more than $27 million to food banks, helping to feed millions of people.

Over the years, the Can Can Sale has evolved from an exclusive focus on private label items to include many national brands as well. The event proved so popular that in 2002, ShopRite rolled out a Summer Can Can Sale. Although no sales figures are available from the early days of ShopRite’s Can Can, the chain estimates that it has sold more than 3 billion cans since it began running the sales.

Another way shoppers can enjoy the Can Can Sale is to visit ShopRite’s “Get Can Canned” website, where visitors can become a ShopRite Can Can dancer by uploading a photo that’s placed on an animated dancer’s body. The image can then be e-mailed to friends, shared via social media or posted to ShopRite’s official Facebook page.