Campbell soup sales declined this past quarter according to Reuters. Overall, it did gain a profit, but from an increase in its sales of "snacks." Think Pepperidge Farm .
Its soup sales have been in decline for several winters.
The company sites poor advertising, competition from other soups and frozen dinners.
People are more prone to use soup as an ingredient for casseroles. Those soups, Cream of Mushroom, Cream of Celery and French Onion, for example, are better sellers.
Why do I find this interesting enough to write about it? Well, have you seen the price of a can of Campbell's lately? Most are well over one dollar. And we're in an economic dilemma of rising food prices when, supposedly, people are supposed to be consuming soup. Apparently, it's not Campbell's. I doubt it's even soup.
This past winter when I didn't have a part-time job, putting food on the table was difficult. I still remember deliberately going to the soup aisle and thinking, "I'll start eating soup." Then I saw the price. Campbell's condensed soups can be as much as $1.75 a can where I shop. I recoiled.
Back in the frozen food section, I could buy two frozen turkey pot pies for $1.50. And that's what I did. For a can of Campbell's, I can buy a package of chicken thighs that has been marked down because it's "close dated" (And I'd freeze the bones to make my own soup later on). In fact, for less than a can of Campbell's, I can buy soup bones. And for two cans of soup, I can buy one cheap bottle of wine. Liquor always wins.
I could spend a bit more and buy Campbell's Chunky line of soups, but why? For the price, I can buy a ham steak. And then there's that "bottom line." Most of Campbell's condensed soups are inferior products. They're watery, salty and have little ingredients, hardly the "stuff" of the 21st century. The contents dumped into a pot plead a 1930s lifestyle and kitchen.
Non-foods, such as soups and snacks, now have to compete with real food in price. And they're taking a hit. Snack foods are scrambling and have been stealthily reducing the size of their packages while increasing or keeping the cost the same. Three dollars for a bag of potato chips? Nope. Snacks have now become the lure of the grocery shop: buy one get one free. If I do, it's only for a special occasion. I no longer buy them on a whim.
I'm already beginning to see an increase in non-traditional, more local brands of snacks. And I'm more likely to hit the bargain bin where for one dollar I can pick up three small bags of snacks. Really, it's all I need. Grocery stores are also producing and baking their own products and snacks often at a cheaper price.
But sometimes I think the food industry is rigged to favor corporations. Ten years ago, I'd always buy fresh over frozen. But when my market offers Stouffer's frozen entrees at the bargain rate of 4 for ten dollars, it's difficult to resist. The price is competitive to homemade--and I do love that lasagna!
I work at a grocery store that caters to the wealthy. What are they having for dinner? Anything with ground beef, which means spaghetti and tacos. I'm sure many don't cook at all and eat out whenever possible. Still, that's what comes down the conveyor belt the most. Along with items that are on sale.
And everyone complains about their bill. One woman, exasperated, looked at me and then her ticket. "I came in for just a few things and it cost me one-hundred dollars." One-hundred dollars is still a lot of money, even to someone who's wealthy.
The days of filling your grocery cart with name-brand items and non-essentials is pretty much over.
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Although I feel extremely fortunate in that I can still buy mostly whatever I want at the grocery store, I know that every time I go, it's $100 or more, even though I don't usually buy any meat, and I buy a lot of "store brand" items, rather than name brands. And that concerns me, especially because I know that this has got to be a real hardship for so many people.
As for soup, I don't think I have bought a can of Campbell's in years. (I usually get canned soup at Costco in larger quantities.) I didn't realize it had gotten so expensive. And, as you note, it's not really even good or nutitious food. So it's pretty understandable that their sales would be down.
Good post. (And I offer this comment in a spirit of apology, as a couple of comments I directed to you recently were rather rude.)
Jeanette: I don't remember anything negative from you. I always welcome good and bad comments in the spirit of OS. Glad you liked the post.
I buy Tradere Joe's soups and just love them and way cheaper.
rated with hugs
Can't wait for my garden to grow. Great post, Gary. -R-
Lucy: Yes, it certainly is less than eating out. But a McDonald's Happy Meal for a total of $2.65 is still a bargain in my opinion! LOL!!!!!
Even so, it often costs me $100 to get outta the store! (Cat & dog food contributes to that...)
You've got a niche here on OS-- an interesting perspective on What We Eat, as it comes down the grocery aisles...
RE: Soup! One look at the sodium content on the Campbell's cans will tell you about the decline. Not so mmm-mmm- good for you.
As an exhibit developer for a kid's museum -- I had a field day with an exhibit entitled Junk Food Wall... where we scrutinized food labels and nutritional worth of common snacks, sodas, carry out, and convenience foods...the good, the bad and the ugly. Fun stuff!! Yup, Campbells chicken noodle was in the mix- a culprit with sodium