If heaven for you is lush purple plum mountains, hills of orange, green, red and yellow peppers, and paths pebbled with ruby radishes, you probably judge your supermarket on the quality of its fruits and veggies.
You're not alone. Good-quality produce, along with a wide variety and low prices, are among the factors that Consumer Reports readers consider most important when choosing a particular grocer, according to a recent survey by consumer reports. Wegmans was ranked No. 1.
What makes Wegmans veggies superior? For one, it turns over its produce—that is, sells or moves out the old stuff and brings in the new—about 150 to 200 times per year, explains Burt P. Flickinger III, managing director of the Strategic Resource Group, a consumer industry consulting firm based in New York City. Competing grocers turn over their produce only 35 to 45 times per year, he notes.
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