ShopRite Grocery Chain Celebrates U.S. Whole Grains

ARLINGTON, VA -- Last month, USA Rice partnered with the ShopRite retail chain to celebrate “A Whole Day for Whole Grain” with a series of in-store promotions at multiple store locations.  The different promotional events were well received by both shoppers and retail dietitians (RDs) as they kickstarted in-store cooking demonstrations that had been on a two-year hiatus due to COVID restrictions.  

ShopRite RDs at thirteen locations throughout the northeast set up stations within each store to discuss the nutritional benefits of whole grain consumption, highlight domestic brown rice brands, and distribute industry resources and giveaway items.  Shoppers played rice trivia, watched whole grain cooking tutorials, tasted recipe samples, and entered giveaway raffles – all  engaging ways to promote discussions on the whole grain benefits of brown and wild rice.

“At our store, we held a cooking demonstration using a rice cooker and made an Egg Roll In A Bowl recipe on top of U.S.-grown brown rice,” said Kailey Napolitano, RDN at ShopRite in Wyckoff, New Jersey.  “Along with the cooking demo, I distributed all the different handout materials provided by USA Rice.  The promotion went over really well, with many people trying the recipe, asking questions, and taking home the handouts.”

Industry resources handed out at each event were the USA Rice RD Guide to U.S.-Grown Rice, a brown rice recipe brochure; the How to Build a Better Bowl brochure; and the Whole Grain Goodness nutrition research one-pager.  ShopRite customers also took home GITUSA rice paddles, Think Rice measuring cups, and grocery pad lists.

“ShopRite always enjoys the opportunity to work with a trusted partner like USA Rice and our recent promotion celebrating Whole Grains Day was greatly appreciated by our customers across all the participating store locations,” said Dana McLaughlin RDN, manager of health and wellness for ShopRite.  “Our shoppers really enjoyed learning more about the nutritional power and cooking applications of U.S.-grown whole grain rice and, of course, they loved the  handouts and fun USA Rice giveaway items!”

In addition to the Whole Day for Whole Grains store promotions, USA Rice also partnered with ShopRite of Bristol, Connecticut, to support the town’s National Nutrition Month Fair.  USA Rice materials were distributed and member brands were showcased at the event during the last weekend in March.

USA Rice is a founding member of the Whole Grains Council, the organization that sponsors the annual whole grain day which this year got a new “look” but with the same goal of showcasing the power of whole grains and encouraging consumers to add more whole grains to their diets.