Member Review
Review by
penny s, Reviewer
I requested a review copy back when it was published in 2017, but didn’t actually read it until this past July. That timing turned out to be fortuitous. Reading Grocery while watching a new Wegmans location transform from construction site to bustling store gave Ruhlman’s exploration of American grocery culture an unexpectedly immediate relevance.
Ruhlman does more than trace grocery store history; he tries to figure out why we’re so fascinated by these places. He brings his father’s wonder into the store too. The book examines how grocery stores became central to American life; part practicality, part nostalgia, and part inherited behavior from watching our parents navigate aisles and make choices.
I meal plan, cook nearly every meal, and split my weekly shopping between 2-3 different stores (sorry, retailers). So Ruhlman’s observations about grocery store psychology hit home for me. He’s right about how different grocers create their own identities and how retailers really want us to do all our shopping in one place. I found myself thinking about my own shopping patterns as I read.
Yet many trends have remained the same since this book’s publication and the pandemic disrupting and changing how we shop. Many stores are still shrinking their produce sections, others struggle with inventory consistency, and they all are creative about filling shelves, especially if there’s a gap. Overall, Ruhlman’s core observations about our relationship with grocery stores has stayed the same. If anything, recent disruptions have confirmed his analysis.
Reading this then experiencing a Wegmans’ opening weekend firsthand made me deeply appreciative of the logistics and planning that make modern American grocery stores possible. Ruhlman captures both the mundane miracle of stocked shelves and the cultural significance of these spaces where we make daily decisions about nourishment and family.
Grocery works because Ruhlman balances industry analysis with personal reflection. His father’s influence threads through the narrative in a way that illuminates both our individual and collective relationships with grocery shopping. Ruhlman’s passion for the subject keeps both stories engaging throughout.
Ruhlman does more than trace grocery store history; he tries to figure out why we’re so fascinated by these places. He brings his father’s wonder into the store too. The book examines how grocery stores became central to American life; part practicality, part nostalgia, and part inherited behavior from watching our parents navigate aisles and make choices.
I meal plan, cook nearly every meal, and split my weekly shopping between 2-3 different stores (sorry, retailers). So Ruhlman’s observations about grocery store psychology hit home for me. He’s right about how different grocers create their own identities and how retailers really want us to do all our shopping in one place. I found myself thinking about my own shopping patterns as I read.
Yet many trends have remained the same since this book’s publication and the pandemic disrupting and changing how we shop. Many stores are still shrinking their produce sections, others struggle with inventory consistency, and they all are creative about filling shelves, especially if there’s a gap. Overall, Ruhlman’s core observations about our relationship with grocery stores has stayed the same. If anything, recent disruptions have confirmed his analysis.
Reading this then experiencing a Wegmans’ opening weekend firsthand made me deeply appreciative of the logistics and planning that make modern American grocery stores possible. Ruhlman captures both the mundane miracle of stocked shelves and the cultural significance of these spaces where we make daily decisions about nourishment and family.
Grocery works because Ruhlman balances industry analysis with personal reflection. His father’s influence threads through the narrative in a way that illuminates both our individual and collective relationships with grocery shopping. Ruhlman’s passion for the subject keeps both stories engaging throughout.
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