http://www.alertpedia.com/recalls.php
Recently the FDA warned consumers not to eat Nestle Toll House pre-packaged, refrigerated cookie dough and this got me wondering what responsibility retailers have for product safety.
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm167908.htm
As a concerned parent I did not check if my batch of Nestle Toll House dough was affected, I just tossed it all.
The typical consumer reacts to a product recall with concern and worry but no action. A recent Rutgers’ Food Policy Institute (FPI) study showed that many Americans fail to check their homes for recalled food products. Only about 60 percent of the studied sample reported ever having looked for recalled food in their homes, and only 10 percent said they had ever found a recalled food product. www.foodpolicy.rutgers.edu
So what should retailers do? Most retail organizations already have the most important tool at their disposal for protecting consumers: data. Imagine if the loyalty card most grocers have is promoted and used not as a marketing tool but as a product safety service. If I received a phone call or email message from a retailer telling me the specific product I purchased has been subject to a recall and that I should discard it or bring it in for a replacement, I would be a very loyal customer. I would certainly favor the retailer who promoted this service over those that did not. In addition, it would motivate me to sign up for and use their loyalty card. Currently, I see no benefit in using these loyalty programs and avoid them out of fear that I will receive unwanted marketing.
If, on the other hand, participating in a loyalty program resulted in receiving information critical to me and my family, this is a clear win/win for me and the retailers. The retailer gets more customer loyalty and more customers participating in the loyalty card programs; consumers can be confident that they are being looked out for and their safety is being protected.
Would you sign up for a loyalty card if it was marketed as a product safety service? I would.
-Tom McGoldrick
3 Comments so far
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I wonder if the Food Policy Institute study measured how many people didn’t act because they’d never heard about the recal. I had no idea about this one until I read your blog here.
I like your idea of notification. I’d sign up for that. I might even pay (very little) extra for that some place I have a membership and do a lot of shopping, like Costco. I suppose, though, there would be huge liability issues if someone didn’t get the message or something.
Tom, I’ll miss you – keep in touch.
Liz, keep up the good work.
Lori
Comment by Lori Laflin June 26, 2009 @ 8:30 amSafety and security is important, but often it is difficult to find a product recall, because there is no easy way to inform customers.
Product Recalls of Germany
Comment by garanbo.de March 29, 2010 @ 6:47 pmGreat common sense here. Wish Id thugoht of that.
Comment by Keyaan May 5, 2011 @ 2:33 am