New Digital Service Fuses Online Grocery Ordering, Meal Kit Concept
Even as inflation is stabilizing in some grocery categories, consumers haven’t quite loosened their grip on their wallets. In fact, the latest consumer sentiment survey from the University of Michigan shows that shopper sentiment dropped 11% over the past four weeks to the second-lowest reading in decades.
Deal-seeking shoppers have deployed a variety of tools to help them keep their spending in check, from digital coupons and rewards to adding visits to deep discount retailers. One entrepreneurial influencer is helping grocery shoppers find relief with a different kind of meal planning solution.
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Passionate Penny Pincher (PPP) bills itself as a frugal lifestyle brand, and it was created on that concept. Founder Laurie Hise started a blog, Publix Penny Pincher, in 2009 and eventually expanded it beyond the initial focus on savings at the Publix Super Markets chain to Passionate Penny Pincher. She later rolled out a home checklist and planner and in late March, formally launched Grocery by Passionate Penny Pincher. That new digital service allows people to plan meals and order groceries quickly. For $9.99 a month or $99 a year, users can pick recipes from a “mom curated collection” and click on ingredients that are instantly added to their online cart and delivered via a retailer or third-party service like Instacart.
“It was a personal problem I wanted to solve,” Hise told Progressive Grocer in a recent interview, adding that reception among PPP’s existing followers has been strong following a beta test of the program in February. “It took a couple of years to develop it, and we will watch and see how demand grows. We have a lot of ideas.”
While she brainstormed based on her own needs and experiences, Hise said that the goal of the program is to help other busy parents who are mindful of their spending, especially in today’s marketplace. “We thought, ‘How do we make this an amazing experience for moms?’ People are doing more (restaurant) deliveries and I want to show the value of eating at home. I feel like families eat better food when they make recipes at home.”
The 850-plus recipes shared on the site have been tried and tested by the PPP community of moms, according to Hise. “We have so much data after 15 years, with recipes for the kind of foods that people want,” she said. Users can also filter recipes based on certain criteria, like cooking method or diet/health needs.
Hise also noted that the program can provide another way for grocers to engage with their customers. “It’s a win for the retailer, because they are providing amazing service,” Hise remarked.
