#BridgetCandelaria

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C H O C O L A T E #5 (that’s all for now folks)

Ah, I returned to my base at last.

I went to the Foggy Bottom Whole Foods again to see if the chocolate section had changed since my first time documenting it; or, if I brought fresh eyes to the wall after my other site research.

The “chocolate aisle” is located in the same area as it was during my first post. Echoing my first post, the chocolate bar section at the Foggy Bottom Whole Foods is located on a single wall by the registers at the back of the store. The chocolate bars are united with other kinds of non-chocolate candy and other chocolate products. They are next to a beer cooler and adjacent to the coffee bar.

The only major difference this time around is that the chocolate bar display was much neater, fully stocked, and lacking holiday marketing signs. I also found some chocolate bars opposite the large permanent chocolate display.

The chocolate bars are located on the left-most section of the “candy wall.” While I was there the chocolate was being stocked so there was a large cart and an employee standing in front of a portion of the display. It is still unclear to me how the chocolates are arranged vertically because the prices do not show a pattern. The organic, fair-trade, dairy free, and eco-friendly chocolate is all mixed in as well and there is no visual divide or hierarchy. 

Whole Foods brand was located on the bottom shelf again, this time they had more of a variety and even had some organic options with waterfall and rainforest imagery. The “regular” Whole Foods chocolate is organic but these rainforest chocolates are EVEN MORE ORGANIC somehow. They also claim to be made from rainforest conscious cocoa.

I found my favorite endangered species brand again, this time the package had an eagle on it (image 3). This brand also had some clearly strange marketing going on. The majority of Endangered Species Chocolate has beautiful, artistic packaging that I deeply admire. Yet, one bar has a completely different logo and aesthetic. They both clearly display the profit donation and their fair-trade label so it is unclear to me why this one bar strays from the pack.

This time around I found a much larger flavor variety, and because the shelves were stocked better it felt easier to stare at all of the brands and make a decision about trying a new one. The organization added to my shopping experience. The organization also made the wall feel more inviting color wise. There was a greater variety of colors present and it felt more inviting than a disheveled wall. 

The chocolate bars in the checkout line were significantly more expensive than those on the wall. These chocolates are at eye level. They appear to be more expensive due to the funky flavors offered such as bacon or black salt. These chocolates would go great with the canned wine below them as a treat to bring to a get together.

I found this experience to be the best of all of my chocolate searches because of the order on the shelves and the quietness of the store.  

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C H O C O L A T E #2

I continued my search for chocolate within and around GW’s campus at CVS on Pennsylvania Avenue and 21st street. I found a completely different array of chocolates here than in Whole Foods where everything is marketed towards the health conscious shopper. I also experienced an extreme amount of valentine’s day marketing, having visited the day before valentine’s day.

Shoppers can find chocolate in several locations in this CVS. Immediately upon entering the store I found a table with roses, chocolate and lots of love (image 1). This table was clearly temporary and only there for the impending holiday. The largest selection of chocolate is on the ground floor to the left before the stairs. There is also chocolate below the cash registers on both the top and bottom level of the store

The most expensive chocolate bars were the ones located in the chocolate aisle (image 2) These were brands like Ghirardelli, Lindt, and interestingly the same endangered species brand that I found at Whole Foods too. In the same isle beyond the fancy chocolate brands there were other kinds of candy and chocolate packages with individually wrapped chocolates inside, like the kind you give out to friends on valentine’s day.

In the chocolate aisle there are not only more expensive chocolate but also chocolate in bigger quantities and crisper packaging. The top most shelf holds more expensive boxes of chocolates like Ferraro Roche, Ghirardelli squares, and Lindt truffles. The shelves below those boxes contain single chocolate bars and bags of valentine’s Day themed individually wrapped candies (image 2)

The more common “everyday” chocolate bars like Hershey’s products were located on the shelfs below the register next to gum (image 3). This section of chocolate was most clearly there to be grab and go candy. Because of the placement of these bars it would be uncomfortable to take your time scoping them out and making a decision. It would also be uncomfortable to the register while someone else is paying to grab a candy bar. Therefore, it seems like the only time someone would grab these chocolate bars would be in a split second before they complete their purchase of the item they intended to buy. In my opinion as the chocolate connoisseur that I am, the available flavors as CVS are very classic flavors. This includes options like milk chocolate, peanut butter, orange, sea salt, caramel, hazelnut and coconut.

The overwhelming majority of chocolate in this CVS was marketed for valentine’s day with packaging that has valentine’s day themes (image 3). An example of this marketing is heart shaped Reese’s, red and pink colors, and some chocolate that comes with other materials to make a valentine for classmates. The most prominent marketing was of course on the first table at the entrance of the store where flowers and chocolate were being sold together, the perfect combination to tell someone you love them apparently (image 1). Beyond valentines themed chocolate, the more expensive bars are more neutral colors like white, black, brown, sometimes gold. Their packaging is in a shaped box making them all the same size. There are typically a picture of a piece of chocolate on the packaging as well as the ingredient that makes the chocolate special such as orange. The more “classic” candy bars below the register have brighter colors and bolder fonts when compared to the neutral dainty fonts of the more expensive brands.

With the exception of the Valentine’s display right when entering, most of the chocolate in CVS was located in easily accessible aisles on the entrance level of the floor. A shopper would not have to search very hard to find this chocolate. 

In my brief stay in one of the isles I witnessed several people buying chocolate. The people ranged in perceived genders and ages from college age to older people. The shoppers didn’t linger in the isle for a long time but instead quickly grabbed what they probably always grabbed and went on their way. Since so much of the chocolate shopping experience in CVS was fast paced, both with the shoppers who picked a bar up and the location of bars under the register for last minute purchases, it appears CVS pushes chocolate as a last minute add on item. While it doesn’t seem like it would be unusual to go to CVS solely for chocolate, it does seem like it would be hard to purchase something else with out grabbing a bar as well.

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C H O C O L A T E #04

I visited DC’s “Social Safeway” on Wisconsin Ave in Georgetown. Apparently I was looking extra intimidating that day because I didn’t experience much social activity. 

I went looking for more pretty colored chocolate bars to try, or perhaps to find some old favorites. The store was moderately busy but my aisle was empty. 

The chocolate is located in the same aisle as other snack type of food like crackers, Goldfish, fruit roll-ups, etc. 

I found a large variety of chocolate bars here, ranging from old favorites to fancier organic Whole Foods type brands. To be clear, I am interested in chocolate bars meant for consumption as is. Chocolate bars are therefore distinct from candy, as well as distinct from baking chocolates (read my first post). 

Immediately to my left (left image 1) upon turning into the aisle from the front of the store there were bulk bags of generic chocolate like m&m’s and Reese’s. Beyond these were rows of Ghirardelli chocolates in a variety of flavors. These more common kinds of chocolate range from about $1.79 a bar to around $4.00 a bar (right image 1). The packages are generally neutral colors with a pop of bright color on shiny paper. The Ghirardelli brand has images of the chocolate and flavor on the cover of the box.

A unique aspect of this aisle is that the chocolate bars just discussed are separated from the organic, fair-trade bars. There is a section of sour candy, dried berries and protein bars dividing the “common” chocolate from the organic section. This display clearly illustrates a difference between the two types of chocolate bar.

One row at the top of this natural section is on sale, it is almost completely sold out. Below this row there are Newman’s Own brand peanut butter cups and Justin’s peanut butter cups. There is some round Mexican chocolate which is different than any other chocolate here (image 3).

I also found several rows of organic and fair trade bars below the peanut butter cups. The variety is made up of mainly brown, tan and other earthy colored matte packaging. One chocolate bar even has what looks like an otter’s face (image 4). These crunchy chocolate brands are displayed with bright yellow and green tags calling attention to their organic or fair-trade label. It is clear that this chocolate is marketed towards a distinct demographic of environment and labor conscious consumers than the more common chocolates are.

With so many options to choose from, I stuck to a classic and went home with some of my favorite peanut butter cups. 

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C H O C O L A T E #3

Trader Joe’s is a land of beautifully packaged modestly priced chocolate. 

I visited the West End Trader Joe’s in DC on St. Patricks Day, March 17th. 

The chocolate bars are located in the check out aisle along with other last minute baked goods and protein bars (upper right). The check out area is at the front of the store perpendicular to the entrance. The location of the chocolates make them a definite last minute addition to shopper’s purchase

The chocolate bars are spread out across several shelves in the check out aisle. They are mostly aligned on the middle row with either gum or licorice above them and protein bars below them. The shelves are pretty disheveled, as expected in a grab and go area on a busy Sunday afternoon (bottom two). 
The most expensive chocolate bar is $3.99 with the remainder averaging at around $1.99. 

The variety is mostly in terms of the darkness of the chocolate bar—with several dark versus milk variations. The large, more expensive boxes of chocolate are Trader Joe’s brand Swiss chocolate. These are the most clean and visually appealing bars with simple, bright, monotone colors and bold font. Other chocolate varieties include hazelnut, birthday cake, and super dark. With the exception of the big Swiss bars, the chocolate at Trader Joe’s is generally busy packaging with multiple colors, a lot of text and shiny plastic wrap.

Several bars display their places of origin on the text of the box. For example the dark chocolate lover’s Trader Joe’s brand advertise being from the Tumaco Region of Columbia (bottom left).

While these chocolates are beautifully packaged, it appears they’re not marketed based on their appearance. They are located on shelves below eye level. This suggests that they’re not being stared at before purchase but rather being grabbed upon quick decision making.

The chocolate bars were also conveniently located next to some self care products like rose, face masks, and fancy toner water. While it wasn’t Valentine’s day, the store was definitely marketing their chocolate to a certain demographic of shoppers looking to enjoy a relaxing night.

For a simple flavor chocolate with a modest but artistic label, check out Trader Joe’s.

See you next week to talk about how you can treat yourself at another shop.

[allaboutfoodgwu]

C H O C O L A T E

What’s your go to sweet?

Mine is hands down a good chocolate bar. I know what I like and often go right for that particular bar, without giving the other kinds a look over. Even though my body is in a cycle of buying the same kind of chocolate, there are SO MANY KINDS to choose from. The diversity of chocolate bars varies from store to store, and within different geographic areas. This project is an attempt to document the several different kinds of chocolate bars in my area of NW Washington, DC. 

Before I talk about what I found in my first field site, I want to talk about my understanding of chocolate. To me, chocolate is a solid substance that people with extra money use to indulge. Some kinds are appear to be healthier than others, one example of a “healthier” kind is dark chocolate. But I’m not a scientist and I’m not going to attempt to prove or disprove these perceptions. Chocolate is different from candy in general because it is made from a specific ingredient—the cocoa bean. While there are several kinds of chocolate in most grocery stores from hot chocolate powder, baking chocolate chips, and chocolate bars, I am only focusing on the bars in these field notes.  

I visited Whole Foods in Foggy Bottom on Friday February 8th, 2019 around 11 am (not a busy time for the chocolate wall). The store was mainly pretty slow except for a little bit of buzz near the hot bar.

Chocolate bars are located on one single wall, to the right of the beer selection and to the left of the checkout lines. The display was disheveled and picked over (Image 1). 

It doesn’t appear that chocolate is organized based on price. The chocolate bars range in price between $2.99 and $5.00. The only arrangement criteria I noticed was that the fancier chocolate was either on the top or the bottom of the display. This suggests that Whole Foods wants to push the cheaper generic brand by placing it at eye level.

Overall the chocolate’s packaging has earth tone colors with some bright pops of color depending on the flavor and origin (image 1). My three criteria for observing chocolate packaging are the patterns or imagery, number of different colors, and the packaging material.

I found that the most basic packaging, with the least embellishment was also the least expensive. For example the bottom most row holds Whole Foods brand chocolate in only a few flavors which was $2.99. Another one of the cheaper brands, Chocolove on the eye level shelf has thrown together packaging with a plain background, and fonts that make the package feel chaotic (image 2). Chocolove is also $2.99.

On the other hand, Whole Foods also carries more expensive brands that claim to be more sustainable or have exotic flavors. The brand Endangered Species is located on the second shelf from the floor. These bars have the most intricate packaging by far (image 3). There is a different package design on thick matte paper for each individual flavor. The matte paper alludes to a more organic, less refined feel which adds to the experience of buying chocolate which donates a small portion of profit to endangered species.

The display is minimally decorated with Valentine’s day propaganda. There are a few small signs pushing customers to buy chocolate, and connecting chocolate with love. One sign says “Your whole trade purchases support farmworker communities” next to a bunch of roses. Buying this chocolate will not only make you a good person because it supports “farmworker communities,” it also can help you out on valentine’s day!

The Foggy Bottom Whole Foods store is ripe with opportunities for consumers to feel good about the products they’re buying. Donating 10% of profits to an endangered species is always a reason to buy more chocolate, right?