The big barbecue starts in an hour, and you've somehow forgotten to buy hamburger buns.
Redner's Warehouse Markets is steadily expanding its seasonal offerings, spurred by successful sales o
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Looking for school supplies or T-shirts? You might find them next to the potato chips.
Looking for school supplies or T-shirts? You might find them next to the potato chips.
Come to think of it, you could probably use a few extra deck chairs and — oops — maybe even a grill.
But you don't have to blow those final chaotic preparty moments running all over town for overlooked essentials.
You can find them all at your neighborhood grocery store.
Driven by customers' growing hunger for one-stop shopping, local grocers are stocking everything from third-party gift cards to gasoline.
"While we don't try to be all things to all people, there are many nonfood items that make sense for time-starved customers to pick up while shopping for groceries," Giant spokeswoman Tracy Pawelski says.
In the last decade, many local grocers, including Darrenkamp's, Giant, Stauffers of Kissel Hill and Weis, expanded or remodeled stores to offer shoppers more options, like ready-to-eat foods, salad bars and cafes.
Grocers devoted some of that extra space to in-store florists, pharmacies, post offices and banks.
Now stores are branching out even more, catering to busy shoppers with increasingly diverse merchandise, from children's holiday socks to inflatable backyard swimming pools.
"The more one-stop shopping you can provide for customers — that's what it's all about," says Joe Darrenkamp, co-owner of three local Darrenkamp's markets.
But are shoppers really looking to buy a swing set with their sugar?
Redner's Warehouse Markets is steadily expanding its seasonal offerings, spurred by successful sales of grills, picnic tables and patio umbrellas.
"I can tell you that the numbers speak volumes," spokesman Eric B. White says. "Every year we sell out of the (seasonal) stuff."
But not all grocers are looking beyond food.
Some shoppers love the convenience of grabbing a loaf of bread and a patio-furniture set in a single stop, says Warren Crills, buyer for Stauffers, which is known for its combination grocery store/garden centers.
But patio furniture takes up a lot of space that could be devoted to a variety of more traditional groceries, he says. And nonfood items might not appeal to many customers.
So inside its grocery stores, Stauffers sticks with food-related gadgets, like turkey fryers or coffee pots — and the occasional pair of holiday socks.
Stauffers does plan a video-rental kiosk and perhaps third-party gift cards for its roomy new Rohrerstown store, set to open this fall.
Otherwise, Crills says, "We're in the food business. That's what our expertise is in.
"Somebody else can take care of (the rest)."
Here's what you might find at your favorite grocery store:
Movies
Many stores, including Giant and Darrenkamp's, sell new-release DVDs at competitive prices.
Redbox kiosks allow grocers to rent movies without sacrificing space and manpower.
Giant and Weis shoppers can rent DVDs for $1 a day at the vending machine-like kiosks, which take credit and debit cards.
Customers can search available titles and even reserve movies at redbox.com, and return rentals to any Redbox location.
Redbox is a hit with local shoppers. Giant has rented more than 1.2 million movies since October, Pawelski says.
Gas
Customers at Giant's Elizabethtown store can fill up their cars after filling up their carts.
The store's adjacent gas station offers competitive prices and discounts for Giant Bonuscard members.
Gift cards
Darrenkamp's, Giant and Redner's carry gift cards for dozens of retailers and restaurants, from Home Depot to Chili's, Bon-Ton and eBay. The cards come in denominations of $25 to $100.
"They save people from going out to Park City to buy gift cards," Darrenkamp says.
"They can just get it right here."
At Giant, third-party gift cards are among the fastest-growing product categories, Pawelski says.
Seasonal
Grocers save space and attract would-be buyers by displaying seasonal items in logical spots, like parking gas grills in the meat department.
Darrenkamp's summer selection includes swing sets, patio furniture, grills, fans, American flags and even an actual swimming pool.
The Willow Valley store also carried fire pits — "We had 10 of them, and they're all sold," Darrenkamp says.
When winter rolls around, Darrenkamp's will swap summery stock for Christmas lights and holiday cemetery decorations.
Etc.
Giant partners with Staples to offer a full line of stationery and office supplies.
Many grocers sell back-to-school essentials, from backpacks to notebooks, along with greeting cards and gift wrap.
And just in case you have an up-close encounter with that barbecue sauce, Redner's has T-shirts.
You'll find them right next to the potato chips.
CONTACT THE NEW ERA: mschweigert@LNPnews.com or 291-8757
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