At Thanksgiving, Peapod Drivers Get On-the-Job Weight Training

QUINCY, Mass., Nov. 9, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Peapod, the leading online grocer, and its team of drivers expect to deliver more than 140,000 pounds of turkeys in the Northeast this Thanksgiving. In fact, with so many customers requesting turkeys, 5 lb. bags of flour and sugar and plenty of canned cranberry sauce, Peapod estimates that its drivers will burn an extra 500 calories per day during the two weeks before the holiday.

"With so many people ordering turkeys, our drivers get a workout during the holidays," said Peg Merzbacher, Director of Marketing at Peapod by Stop & Shop. "It's a hectic time of year and it's clear that our customers value and depend on Peapod to help out with some of the heavy lifting!"

Peapod typically sees an increase in sales leading up to the holidays, particularly for seasonal ingredients. Last year, November sales per order of flour increased 89 percent, corn syrup increased 153 percent and spices rose 64 percent over the average monthly figure. Rounding out the holiday table, Peapod also saw seasonal increases for gravy (172 percent), cranberry sauce (456 percent), stuffing (359 percent) and refrigerated pie crusts (225 percent).

Serving New England, New York and New Jersey, Peapod by Stop & Shop has keen insights on the holiday food preferences of neighboring states:

• Whipped Cream: New York and New Jersey customers prefer canned whipped cream while New England customers purchase heavy cream and make their own.

• Potatoes: Sweet potatoes are a favorite of New York and New Jersey customers, but New England customers prefer the classic Russet potato.

• Pies: Across the board, customers tend to purchase more pumpkin pies fresh from the bakery while apple pies are a favorite in the frozen section.

• Stuffing: Pepperidge Farm® Herb Seasoned Stuffing is the most popular brand of stuffing for New England and New Jersey customers. New Yorkers, on the other hand, love Stove Top™.  

• Bargain Shoppers: Connecticut customers tend to be more price-conscious when it comes to cranberry sauce, purchasing more private label while their neighbors prefer Ocean Spray®.

About Peapod

Founded in 1989 as a smart shopping option for busy people, Peapod today stands as the country's leading Internet grocer, serving 23 U.S. markets in communities in the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York and New Jersey. The Skokie, Ill.-based company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Royal Ahold in The Netherlands, has made over 18 million deliveries since its late 1980s inception. For more information on Peapod, call 1.800.5.PEAPOD (573.2763); e-mail [email protected] or visit www.peapod.com.

SOURCE Peapod