STOP & SHOP LAUNCHES GUIDING STARS®, WORLD’S FIRST STORE-WIDE NUTRITION NAVIGATION PROGRAM
Clear labeling gives consumers quick, easy-to-understand nutrition advice
[Purchase, NY – April 5, 2018] – Stop & Shop is helping customers eat healthier and save time grocery shopping with a first-of-its kind nutrition navigation program, Guiding Stars. With symbols that are visible at a glance, Guiding Stars aims to take the guesswork out of nutrition by decoding labels into one clear rating. Available at all 410 Stop & Shop locations, over 9,000 products will feature the star ranking system that showcases “good”, “better” and “best” choices.
Guiding Stars is another example of Stop & Shop’s commitment to giving its shoppers the tools they need to quickly identify the food attributes that are important to them.
“We know that more and more of our customers are prioritizing nutrition and in fact, our research tells us that over half of Americans cook at home because the meals are healthier*,” said Julie Hersey, MS, RDN, LDN, Stop & Shop Nutritionist. “Customers can find the products they’re looking for faster and feel confident that they’re selecting the foods that are best for their families.”
Consistent with national policies including Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPlate, the Guiding Stars rating will be shown on products based on the below system:
– 1 star means an item has GOOD nutritional value
– 2 stars mean an item has BETTER nutritional value
– 3 stars mean an item has THE BEST nutritional value
If no Guiding Stars symbol is shown, the item is either not nutritionally recommended, new to the program and hasn’t been rated yet, is less than five calories such as water or tea, is a dietary supplement, medical food such as baby formula or the product does not have nutrition information available.
The Guiding Stars program is a simple way to provide clear answers and speed up the grocery shopping process. “Label reading can be intimidating and time-consuming,” said Hersey. “We’re thrilled to be giving this empowering tool to our customers to easily identify the products they want.”
For Stop & Shop customers looking to buy their groceries online to enjoy the convenience of home delivery, Guiding Stars will be featured on over 4,000 products on Peapod.com. Customers will be able to easily sort through products based on the Guiding Star rating for ease and convenience.
About Stop & Shop
The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC employs over 61,000 associates and operates 410 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey. The company helps support local communities fight hunger, combat childhood cancer and promote general health and wellness – with emphasis on children’s educational and support programs. In its commitment to be a sustainable company, Stop & Shop is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and EPA’s Smart Way program and has been recognized by the EPA for the superior energy management of its stores. Stop & Shop is an Ahold Delhaize company. To learn more about Stop & Shop, visit www.stopandshop.com orwww.facebook.com/stopandshop.
About Guiding Stars
Since 2006, the Guiding Stars nutrition guidance program has helped millions of consumers make more nutritious food choices. Based on its U.S. and Canadian patented nutrition rating algorithm, the program provides a simple, easy-to-understand tool for making nutritious choices and is designed to make a positive and lasting impact on public health. Guiding Stars is proud to provide nutrition guidance to over 1,950 Hannaford, Food Lion, Giant Martin’s, Giant Food, and Stop & Shop Supermarkets in the U.S. In Canada, Guiding Stars is offered exclusively through Loblaw Companies Limited, and is currently in more than 900 stores from British Columbia to Newfoundland through Loblaws and its affiliated banner stores Atlantic Superstore®, Dominion®, Fortinos®, ProvigoMC, ProvigoMC Le Marche, Real Canadian Superstore®, Save Easy®, Valu-mart®, Your Independent Grocer® and Zehrs®. Guiding Stars can also be found in public school, college, corporate and hospital dining facilities and is accessible through the Shopper mobile app for iOS devices. For more information, visitwww.guidingstars.com.
*ORC International conducted an online survey among 1,024 adults 18 years of age and older on November 27-29, 2017.
Press release and photos were supplied to IntoxiKate.com.
