Key Foods indubitably focuses on its main demographic: Latino shoppers. In contrast to Aaron’s, the produce section focused more on exotic fruits and vegetables such as coconuts, yucca root, cassava and guava. They also have a significant selection of dried exotic herbs, flowers and chili peppers, none of which are at all represented at Aaron’s. In addition, the selections of hot sauce, red salsa, salsa verde, and enchilada sauce span nearly an entire aisle, with the plentiful array including over ten brands of red salsa. This fact is included, because when we remarked to a kind sales associate about the impressive selection, he apologized profusely that they normally had more choices. In sharp contrast, Aaron’s stocked only one brand of red salsa: Herr’s Mild Chunky Salsa. In addition to just seasonings, there was an obvious focus on shellfish and non-kosher cuts of meat such as pork, rabbit and goat. These areas are where Key Foods seem to contend with Aaron’s overall superior selection and variety. In efforts to find a direct comparison to Aaron’s, we searched for a kosher foods aisle. Eventually, we located not an aisle, but a small section of one dedicated to kosher items. Here is where the lack of competition was the most obvious, as the only kosher foods stocked were Matzo, canned Gefilte fish, canned borscht and Maneschewitz Tam Tam crackers. This not only illustrated the lack of necessity Key Foods management sees in ordering kosher items, but also shows the lack of awareness and stereotypical ideas that those ordering these items have of what Jewish people are interested in eating.
This is a picture of the Kosher Foods section in Key Food. As you can see, the food section reveals how limited a view Key Food’s management has of what Jewish clientele do and would want to eat.
[youtube]https://youtu.be/g0oEXaNkmaU[/youtube]