Heinen’s 2021 Year in Review: 6 Exciting Achievements to Celebrate

The following story was written by Heinen’s partner Elaine T. Cicora.

Family, friends and food – this time of year offers a host of reasons to celebrate. For Heinen’s shoppers, tops among them might be the rich assortment of exciting initiatives and services we launched in 2021– each one designed to enhance the Heinen’s shopping experience. Here are a few of this year’s achievements created to best serve you!

1. Heinen’s Egg Selection Becomes Entirely Cage Free
White, brown, omega-3 enriched or organic: Beginning in January 2021, each carton of Heinen’s-branded eggs has carried the United Egg Producers (UEP) certification label. That label is your guarantee that the Midwest-raised hens that produce those eggs are uncaged: free to roam, nest and engage in other natural behaviors in spacious barns where temperatures and air quality are controlled and fresh food and water are always available.

2. All Heinen’s Beef, Pork, and Gerber Chicken Become CARE Certified
Thanks to our partnership with Where Food Comes From – a Colorado-based, third-party verification program – Heinen’s branded beef, pork and Gerber’s chicken products now carry the CARE Certified label. CARE Certification is a suite of sustainability standards that attest that participating farmers and ranchers are implementing exceptional practices in animal care, environmental stewardship and that they engage productively with their neighbors to help build stronger communities. “Everybody wants to know how what they are purchasing was raised,” says Catie Cantrell, Heinen’s Meat Merchandiser. “So why not be open about it? We offer great quality and go to great lengths to find these products, so let’s share that information with everybody!” As a company, we strive to partner with producers who share our values. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it results in higher-quality items for our customers.

3. Heinen’s Launches Club Fx, a First-of-its-Kind Wellness Loyalty Program
There is a reason that, unlike other grocery retailers, we’ve never added pharmacies to our stores. “This is intentional, because we believe food is medicine,” explains Kim Heinen, Manager of Packaged Goods. “That is why we created Club Fx, to help our customers better their physical and mental health through the power of nutritious eating and supplementation.” The perks of membership in the new program are many, says Program Manager Jamie Cole, and focus on personalized nutrition services and education. Among them are opportunities for one-on-one consultations with Heinen’s Certified Wellness Consultants; nutrition coaching from Heinen’s Registered Dietitians; guided store tours to identify healthful choices; a virtual Pantry Check to suggest what foods to reduce, replace or add to make your kitchen Club Fx approved; and weekly emails rich in recipes, nutrition tips and product highlights. Membership is free to Heinen’s Tasteful Rewards members. To learn more about the program, including a list of both free and fee-based services, visit the Club Fx website.

4. Nick Chubb’s Cereal Scores a Touchdown
We were honored this year to partner with a true Cleveland icon – two-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb – to become the exclusive source for the new Chubb Crunch cereal, a product that proved so popular, sales exceeded 25,000 boxes in a matter of weeks! Together with PLB Sports & Entertainment, Chubb played an active role in every detail of the cereal’s development, from the unique box design to the delicious cinnamon cereal within. Better yet, a portion of the sales proceeds have benefitted First Candle, an organization committed to eliminating Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and other sleep-related infant deaths. Now back on the shelves, Chubb Crunch will be available through late January, or the end of football season.

5. Vin Hunter Prosecco Rosé Pops Up on Heinen’s Shelves
The annual release of Vin Hunter Prosecco is a holiday tradition at Heinen’s, but fans know to move fast. The long-time favorite sparkler – sourced directly by Heinen’s from a family-owned winery in Italy – typically sells out before year’s end. This year, however, the popular wine will be joined by its blushing pink cousin, Vin Hunter Prosecco Rosé, giving Prosecco fans even more value and choices. Take it from our team of wine experts who recently traveled to Loredan Gasparini winery, in the center of Italy’s famed Prosecco region, to sample the much anticipated product: “bright flavors of strawberry-like fruit,” “lively acidity,” and “a bracingly crisp and clean finish” were just some of their enthusiastic comments. Look for both Vin Hunter Prosecco and Vin Hunter Prosecco Rosé in your Heinen’s wine department this holiday season.

6. Best Grocery Store in Cleveland: Heinen’s Leads the Way
Tens of thousands of Cleveland Scene readers helped nominate finalists and select the winners in this year’s annual Best of Cleveland contest. Thanks to them, the top spot in the 2021 Best Grocery Store category went to Heinen’s. As a family-owned and –operated retailer, founded in Shaker Heights in 1929, we have always strived to be the premier grocer in the region by settling for nothing less than top-quality products and outstanding customer service. But there will be no resting on our laurels. We intend to meet – and exceed – our shoppers’ expectations for many years to come.