Quality - A Customer Tutorial

One concern shoppers have when buying bulk is the quality of the foods they’re purchasing. How do you know they’re fresh? How does the store prevent contamination? Rest assured, bulk retailers understand your concerns! Using industry best practices, stores take measures to ensure food quality and freshness. Look for these indicators:

Best Practices

  • Climate controlled storage areas
  • Dedicated bagging area
  • Use gloves and hair coverings when handling food
  • Use stainless steel utensils
  • Use high quality, clear plastic containers and bags
  • Use containers with tamper-evident seals
  • Rotate stock using “first in, first out” strategy
  • Mark “Best By” dates on package labels
  • Turn and replenish stock every ten to twelve days

Many stores using scoop and gravity bins have dedicated staff that work in the bulk area. These employees replenish stock, clean up spills, and ensure hand covers and containers are readily available. Additionally, an essential part of this job is educating customers on using the bulk setup without contaminating the contents of the bins.

A customer’s best allies in the quest for quality is his or her own two eyes! Looking at the store, is it clean and orderly? Is the bulk area staffed and well-stocked? Do the contents of bags, containers and bins look fresh? Are there hand covers and clean scoops for bin setups? Pay attention to what you see and ask questions, and you’ll be much more confident that your purchases are of the high quality and value you deserve!