Grocery Store Gift Guide
 Easy holiday shopping
Story by Mina Williams
Whether
you are avoiding the mall mash or wanting to look as if that gift you
are handing over to the hostess was planned last week, not in the last
hour, help is at hand. Seattle’s grocery stores hold a glut of gifts
with a range of styles and prices that are perfect for Aunt Betty, the
five year old next door or the parents of your current crush.
Consider the floral department. Most Seattle grocers have come to
realize that their customers want more than the $10 bouquet of color
sprayed mums and have installed specialists and designers. Some orders
may need advance notice to create that perfect centerpiece using
grandma’s Waterford vase, however, there is a deep selection of
pre-arranged gifts aimed to grace any holiday table readily available.
For a more personal collection of floral fantasies, the in-store
designers are more than happy to take your stem selections, trim them,
bundle the lot and tie them up with a festive ribbon as if you had
ordered the presentation the moment that "Open House" invitation hit
your mail box.
Above: West Seattle Metropolitan Market
Wine is another gift classic that tags along to most holiday season
activities. Where the mental block occurs is in the appropriate
selection. If those trendy, spendy wine boutiques are closed, head for
the supermarket. Select one store with a large wine offering and you
will more than likely find not only a good selection, but a wine expert
who can guide you through making a selection. Whole Foods Market has a
list of their own in-store wine experts’ "Top 10" wines. Central Markets
market many offerings under the seal of approval from their wine
department heads. Specialty glassware and barware can be found alongside
the wine to accompany your choice.
Don’t forget the allure of ale, beer, hard cider and stouts. Wine may
impress, but brews will be appreciated. Many supermarkets have specialty
and imported selections, along with Northwest microbrews that appeal to
most palates.
The bakery departments offer up sweet treats ranging from cookies and
cakes to creative breads, such as Metropolitan Markets’ Brie and
Brioche, that can serve as an edible centerpiece.
 Gift
givers with more creative desires past flowers and wine can get lost in
the assortment of specialty and local foodstuffs in the grocery aisles.
"What’s better than a bottle of extra virgin olive oil or a bottle of
balsamic vinegar from Modena," asks Ilga Westberg, marketing director,
Metropolitan Markets. "Specialty condiments and local items are all
great items to give alone or in a grouping." In coffee-crazed Seattle,
special pounds of roasted beans would please most on the gift-getting
list and so would an assortment of specialty teas or some of the new
drinking chocolate.
Above: allegro coffee courtesy of Whole Foods Market
In the grocery store’s house wares area, holiday and hostess gifts
abound. Whole Foods Market is offering caviar servers and spoons. Other
tabletop items including specialty salt and pepper shakers, napkin
rings, serving utensils and plates make fantastic last-minute gifts for
givers with mall-fobia. Snack boards and spreaders can be cleverly
blended with soft cheeses.
Some grocery stores’ assortments include bath and body care items
including body butters, soaps and candles. Combine these personal items
with tub pillows and loofahs for an in-home spa gift.
Once you have selected your grocery store gifts, amble over to the
card aisle and snap up a gift bag or ask a store associate if they do
any sort of gift wrapping. It is surprising how creative store
associates can be when helping a customer in clear gift-distress. To
fully service customers, some stores present fruit and nut baskets all
wrapped and ready to go. Metropolitan Market has devised some
ready-to-go Gift Kits of bundled goodies described by themes including
"Baking," "Barbeque," "Kids Cooking," and "Salad" ranging in price from
$19.95 to $79.95.
If all creativity fails, consider a grocery store gift card. Who
would not want that? Or for those philanthropic sorts on your list,
donate a grocery store gift card to a charity in their name.
Give the gift of good taste this holiday season. Wander the aisles of
your grocery store with an eye for gifts: you have to be there anyway to
get dinner, plus the parking lot is not as crowded as the mall’s.
Mina Williams is a freelance writer and the publisher of
Northwest Stir,
an online magazine for the Northwest dining industry.
Nov/Dec 2007 |
