Beating Welch’s un-kosher coupon policy

I don’t get shocked too much anymore.

Maybe that’s from age, or having done a lot of things in a lot of places. Maybe it’s from having been in the news and teaching fields, where you see and experience a lot.

But going through the weekly ads this week got me.

I’ve never seen “non-Kosher” as being a requirement on a coupon.

Sure, must buy two, only certain sizes, purchase before the expiration date. But non-Kosher?!

Welch’s, do you realize how you’re coming across?

You know the people who tend to buy products that are kosher and avoid those that aren’t. Obviously, they’re Jewish people. So it looks like you’re targeting Jews.

In other words, you don’t want people who keep kosher — meaning Jews — taking advantage of your lower prices.

Do you blatantly assume the stereotype all Jews are rich and can spend more money? Or are you just discriminating? Excluding? That doesn’t sound very American, especially now, when the country is polarized and everyone seems so touchy.

Of course, I don’t think that, but that is how it appears. No business is perfect.

Not the Center City Philadelphia restaurant that offers latkes (Jewish word for potato pancakes eaten during Hanukkah) with BACON as an appetizer.

Or the granddaddy of them all, the Hanukkah HAM at Walmart.

                    

As far as I’m concerned, you’re the company that had to be brought kicking and screaming to offer anything kosher.

Yes, you finally teamed up with Manischewitz a few years ago. (But I didn’t see their name on your bottles.)

I just used the search engine at the top of your website’s homepage to find “kosher” and got only three results, all recipes that require kosher salt!

I did a computer search and found this…

…but who would know or even consider 1. going to your navigation bar, 2. choosing Community, 3. then Blog, and 4. then hit ctrl-F to find “Passover” or “Manischewitz” (spelling it correctly) but not kosher? (Or just easily click http://www.welchs.com/our-community/the-official-welchs-blog/delicious-recipes-ideas-for-Passover.)

I don’t need to tell you kosher is big business and growing. You don’t need to tell me kosher items cost more. (I look at friends’ faces when I show them the price of kosher meat.)

Yes, there are rabbis and rules, and special rules for grapes.

But from what I’ve noticed, most major American food companies that sell nationally get most of their products certified kosher, except the ones with obvious ingredients that aren’t (like BACON and HAM).

You’re a pretty big and old company, founded not far from a large Jewish community in Philadelphia and based near a large Jewish community in Boston.

Let me tell you: The prices for your juices at stores are the same, kosher or non-kosher. People just have to check the labels carefully.

The major supermarket I went to today sells your 46-ounce bottles for $3.99, but had them on sale for $2.99. Two of your coupons came this week, so I bought two bottles and saved $2 from the sale.

And I used both coupons. They scanned on the store’s register just like any others. So I saved another $2 and paid just $1.99 each! That’s less than half price.

So maybe you did have a little point with your stereotype. Some of us are good shoppers.

But your company needs this lesson: It can and should know better and do better.