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Harris Teeter switching to Boar's Head deli meats

Wednesday, August 5, 2009
(Updated Thursday, August 6 - 7:15 am)
By
Associated Press

CHARLOTTE (AP) — The decision of North Carolina-based grocer Harris Teeter to switch to a different brand of full-service deli products has upset the ousted business.

The Charlotte Observer reported Wednesday that Harris Teeter has long carried Dietz & Watson high-end deli meats and cheeses. But now the chain plans to carry the Boar's Head brand.

Harris Teeter is based in Matthews. A spokeswoman says customers have requested Boar's Head for years.

Twelve of Harris Teeter's 187 stores have already made the change.

Dietz & Watson President and CEO Louis Eni says Boar's Head requires supermarkets carrying its products to stock no other premium deli choices. He says his company never demands exclusivity.

The newspaper said Boar's Head declined to comment.

Accompanying Photos

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newkid

August 5, 2009 - 10:05 am EDT

Editors: This is not NEWS. It is an advertisement.

J Peterman Reality Tour

August 5, 2009 - 5:12 pm EDT

I had no idea . . . this was . . . any sort of news. Wow Boar's Head . . . whoop-de-freak'n-doo . . .

TerryT

August 5, 2009 - 6:28 pm EDT

Watch what you say newkid. The N&R censors (BIG BROTHER) are watching you.

countryboy

August 5, 2009 - 7:18 pm EDT

Starbucks is switching to Sanka....only in the Sunday Edition of the N&R!

greywolf

August 5, 2009 - 11:06 pm EDT

And really.... who cares that the jilted vendor is crying over lost business? Improve your sales and customer retention efforts, or file for bankruptcy.

MrsBargainBlog

August 5, 2009 - 10:12 am EDT

I'm excited about this change - I love Boar's Head products & the fact that one the biggest grocery retailers in the south is going to carry the brand is business news, in my opinion.

bonusbaby

August 5, 2009 - 10:21 am EDT

Sounds to me as though Boar's Head is afraid of competition. I like their products, but demanding that there be no other brands carried by a retailer is BS.

Poindy06

August 5, 2009 - 1:21 pm EDT

I don't think Boars Head prohibits any other brand; it's any other PREMIUM brand. Lowes Foods carries Boars Head but they also carry other, less expensive brands (albeit not as big a variety of the other brands, but other brands nonetheless).

wscbd

August 5, 2009 - 10:33 am EDT

Personally, regardless of customer demand, if I made the product decisions for a company like HT, there is no way that I would give in to such ludicrous demands as exclusivity. And I would advertise that to the customers in every weekly ad and on the website - "Though we at HT recognize that there is a strong customer demand for this brand, we urge those customers to do their part to convince Boar's Head that such a business model is detrimental to the consumer, by forcing our loyal D&W customers to shop for meat elsewhere and by forcing us to provide deli meats at a higher price due to lack of competition."

connieohyeah

August 5, 2009 - 10:45 am EDT

Harris Teeter was not forced to provide Boar's Head products. Harris Teeter CHOSE to provide Boar's Head products.

Therefore, after evaluating the costs and benefits of a contract with Boar's Head, Harris Teeter found it to be in its interest to agree to the terms of Boar's Head's contract. The two companies have entered into this contract freely and mutually, based on mutual benefits.

Adding this disclaimer to Harris Teeter ads would likely drive down the demand for Boar's Head products, cost Harris Teeter sales, and probably put Harris Teeter in court.

Harris Teeter doesn't care about the exclusivity clause in Boar's Head's contract because it wants Boar's Head products in its stores generating income.

connieohyeah

August 5, 2009 - 10:34 am EDT

This is definitely news. Harris Teeter is switching brands sold in its 187 stores. Think of how much money is shifting around there. In this case neither of these companies (Dietz & Watson, Boar's Head) is particularly local (although Boar's Head has 2 offices in VA), but if one of them was a local company, that would mean this new contract could have local economic impact. In this case, it's possible that Harris Teeter's profits will change, and one could decide to either buy or sell her HT stocks.

I'm no economist, but the news value of this article is clearly evident to me. Plus, Boar's Head deli products are DANK.

wscbd

August 5, 2009 - 11:19 am EDT

Never said they were forced. I said that IF it were my decision, this would not happen because offering customers a choice is ALWAYS better than giving in to demands of exclusivity. There's no doubt that if Boar's Head did not make such demands, then HT would offer both brands.

connieohyeah

August 5, 2009 - 11:47 am EDT

Your business sounds more like a charity. I wonder how long it would last.

Both articles mentioned the difficulty of offering two meat brands at one deli. Imagine your butcher, "Now m'am, would you like Dietz & Watson or Boar's Head?" Customer: "I'm sorry, I can't hear you sir, what was that?" "I said, Boar's Head or Dietz & Watson?" "SIR did you call me a who** head? No, I'm not miss Watson, it's Miss Smith."

That's an example with a customer with bad hearing. What about people that have no idea about either brand, and they just want a slice of ham?

It would cost a lot in terms of productivity. You'd lose a lot of time due to your nice idea of giving customers a choice. Sometimes it's best to eliminate decision making.

wscbd

August 5, 2009 - 1:49 pm EDT

People unfamiliar with either brand would no doubt choose the store or generic brand anyway, so your point is moot. I don't know how your deli operates, but at every HT deli I've ever been in, the customer makes the decision first and then relays that choice to the people behind the counter (butcher??? not quite). I've never heard a deli staffer ask the customer which brand because the customer will always specify either by voice or pointing. How is offering competing brands charity??? Do markets not stock Hebrew National, Nathan's, Sabrett, Oscar Meyer, Gwaltney and Ball Park Franks? Do they lose money by doing so??? I think not.

connieohyeah

August 5, 2009 - 2:05 pm EDT

I was trying to think of reasons why Dietz & Watson spokeswoman Catherine Reuhl said that “It would be very difficult to carry two premium meat companies in the same deli.” (follow link above to Charlotte Observer)

Confusion over which brand the customer is ordering was the first situation I came up with, but I'm sure there's a whole slew of other problems - problems which may be more real than the one I've suggested.

oh good grief

August 5, 2009 - 10:34 am EDT

Boar's Head better have really good Lebanon bologna or . . . are you listening, HT?

MsNatalie

August 5, 2009 - 11:01 am EDT

I really use to love shopping at Harris Teeter- the staff is always very friendly and the store is clean. This was the straw that broke the camel's back for me with Harris Teeter. After arriving to this on my last visit I decided I would drive the extra half-mile to Food Lion and shop there from now on. Boar's Head prices are very high and I was quite pleased with Dietz & Watson and the selection they carried. I was glad to see that not only is Food Lion's prices cheaper, but their meats are from Smithfield, Sara Lee and Perdue (many have local ties to NC). It was also great to see that much of their produce is from the United States and even a lot from North Carolina- unlike produce at Harris Teeter. Now I have reduced my grocery bill by a third and have reduced my carbon footprint by not shopping at HT.

doggone it

August 5, 2009 - 12:00 pm EDT

I like HT because of the clean and neat stores. My biggest complaint with HT is the distance much of the food travels; cherries from Washington, blueberries from Canada, mushrooms from CHINA!, etc, etc. I'd rather they bought local whenever possible, especially when in season here in NC. The nutritional value is LOW and the carbon footprint is HIGH. As far as the Boar's Head vs D&W, I could care less, I almost never buy the pre-packaged or deli foods. YUK! Read some of Michael Pollan's books like "Omnivors Dilemma" and you will probably change the way you eat or at least view national food conglomerates.

scottb

August 5, 2009 - 12:54 pm EDT

While this decision doesn't affect me personally (I don't eat meat) I do find it a bit disturbing that a grocery store Like Harris-Teeter would carry exclusively one line of a particular product. Are they taking consultation advice from Apple?

@connieohyeah,
Eliminate decisions?!? Are you serious?

connieohyeah

August 5, 2009 - 1:31 pm EDT

Definitely. In this case. In certain situations a business may be more efficient by offering only one choice. In this situation it's high end deli meat.

In other situations, like choosing pre packaged meat, soft drinks, cheeses, or veggies from shelves and displays, obviously the Teet would want to offer options for customers. However, it seems to me, that if you offer several choices of high end meats to customers, a lot of time will be lost between customer and butcher as the butcher (or deli attendant? whatever ya wanna call it) stands and waits for the customer to pick which brand meat she wants a cut from.

I'm talkin business and making profits. That seems to be a foreign language to businesses these days.

weatherwithyou33

August 5, 2009 - 3:14 pm EDT

The real problem here is that we care about the deli meat in a grocery store. If we had a real deli in the area we wouldn't have to worry about what HT had because we could go to an actual deli.

NobodyReally

August 5, 2009 - 4:21 pm EDT

Weatherwithyou33
What do you call Lox, Stock and Bagel (Battleground Avenue) and Carolina Deli (Spring Garden Street)?

Norma

August 5, 2009 - 4:43 pm EDT

they carry Boars head!

weatherwithyou33

August 5, 2009 - 4:58 pm EDT

Do they make anything in house? Do they have fresh pastrami or corned beef? They seemed more like a cold cuts and bread place.When I think of a deli I think Carnegie, Katz, or Canters Deli to name a few more popular names. Where cold cuts are a part of the menu but homemade sides and desserts are made fresh daily. Some meats are even made in house. Even Lox Stock and Bagels website says they are a " family restaurant dedicated to serving the best sandwiches in town using only quality ingredients". A deli is more than a sandwich shop or a place to get sliced meat.

dcolin

August 5, 2009 - 4:43 pm EDT

Ah,
Stage Door, or Katz's, Wolfies, Rascal House.
Don't get your hopes up.

Would that not be great.

holland4

August 5, 2009 - 4:36 pm EDT

This just in: Sheetz convenience stores will now be stocking wholesome, fresh Colonial Bread.

Film at 11:00.

buzzman

August 5, 2009 - 5:35 pm EDT

Early comments were correct in that this is not even news - for any agency other than the N&R.
I venture to say that most of you who are going on and on about this wouldn't know the difference in a taste test anyway. It always amazes (but never surprises) me that folks have so much to say about such trivia and nothing at all to offer regarding real news.
I detect a few 'carpetbaggers' in the mix trying to impress with the brand names that many folks have never even heard of. Furthermore, why would anyone want to pay premium prices for deli meats when you can purchase many other more healthy foods for less? Perhaps we have discovered a few who don't know how to cook, but have somehow learned to make a sandwich. I feel sorry for your families!
I keep it simple and purchase whatever is on sale. I don't give a rat's %@& about the brand name!!!

holland4

August 5, 2009 - 8:10 pm EDT

Truer words never spoken. Of course, we're allowed to comment on deli meat stories, but comments are closed on, say, a story about a string of home invasions. This HT/Boar's Head story is getting an inordinate amount of attention as judged by the number of posts. I guess my baloney and cheese sandwiches wouldn't cut mustard with most of these people. (Pardon the pun.)

yakyak

August 5, 2009 - 6:11 pm EDT

A pig-headed decision...

Wally43

August 5, 2009 - 6:14 pm EDT

Boars Head is the premium deli meat sold in Kroger's in WV and KY. I hope HT does not raise the price per pound. Their Deitz Watson turkey has been running 10.99 a pound. If it was a good move for HT it should also be a good move for the consumer by having a lower price than D.W.

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