Frozen Foods

Safeway’s O Organics and Eating Right brands have expanded their international distribution with upcoming debuts at the ShopRite and Exito supermarket chains in South Africa and Columbia, respectively.

Amid countless reports on how the economy affects everyday purchases, very little has been written about how shopping patterns are tied directly to paychecks -- or more specifically, how paydays at the start and end of each month create spikes in supermarket sales. Specifically, how much of a lift can retailers expect on the first week of each month? Which categories are most likely to spike at the beginning of the month? Has the average first-of-the-month spike increased in recent years?