Benjamin Lorr, "The Secret Life of Groceries: The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket" (Penguin, 2020)
Jan 1, 2024
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Benjamin Lorr, author of 'Hell-Bent,' investigates the dark side of American supermarkets. He explores the secrets of Trader Joe's, the challenges in the trucking industry, and the struggles faced by small food producers.
Trader Joe's success lies in its unique business model, with a focus on slashing inventory and targeting a specific demographic of consumers.
The trucking industry in the United States faces challenges of high turnover, low wages, and grueling working conditions, particularly impacting women and minorities.
Deep dives
Exploring the Unique Model of Trader Joe's
The podcast episode delves into the fascinating story of Trader Joe's and its unique business model. Benjamin Lohr, the author of the book 'The Secret Life of Groceries,' shares his insights after interviewing Joe Colom, the founder of Trader Joe's. Lohr explores how Trader Joe's differentiated itself from other grocery chains by slashing its inventory, allowing buyers to specialize and innovate. He also highlights Trader Joe's focus on targeting a specific demographic of consumers. The podcast sheds light on the challenges and successes experienced by Trader Joe's, providing a deeper understanding of its distinctive approach to the supermarket industry.
Exploring the Harsh Realities of the Trucking Industry
The podcast uncovers the harsh realities of the trucking industry in the United States. Benjamin Lohr shares his research on the industry, which has undergone significant deregulation over the past few decades. He highlights the high turnover rate, low wages, and grueling working conditions that truckers face. Lohr also discusses the specific challenges faced by women and minorities in the industry, including vulnerability to harassment and assault. The podcast provides insight into the labor market dynamics and the impact of deregulation on truckers, challenging commonly held misconceptions about the profession.
Unveiling the Dark Side of the Grocery Supply Chain
The podcast uncovers the hidden realities and dark side of the global grocery supply chain. Benjamin Lohr delves into the complexities and challenges faced by food manufacturers and producers. He discusses the pressure on manufacturers to meet demands for continuous availability and low prices. Lohr also explores the issue of forced labor and exploitation in the Thai shrimp industry, serving as a microcosm for similar situations across supply chains. The podcast reveals the murkiness and abuses that exist deep within the supply chain, calling attention to the ethical concerns and injustices present in the grocery industry.
Examining the Impact of Pricing and Labor Practices on Grocery Industry
The podcast highlights the impact of pricing competition and labor practices on the grocery industry. Benjamin Lohr discusses the emphasis on low prices in the industry and how it leads to cost-cutting measures, particularly in labor expenses. He reveals the prevalence of abusive labor practices, such as forced labor and human rights violations, driven by the need to reduce costs. Lohr emphasizes the responsibility of consumers and the industry to address these issues and find ways to promote fair labor practices and ethical supply chains. The podcast unveils the complex relationship between pricing, labor, and ethical considerations in the grocery industry.
This episode of the New Books in Economic and Business History is an interview with New York writer Benjamin Lorr. Benjamin Lorr is the author of Hell-Bent: Obsession, Pain, and the Search for Something Like Transcendence in Competitive Yoga, a book that explores the Bikram Yoga community and movement. His second book, The Secret Life of Groceries: The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket is "an extraordinary investigation into the human lives at the heart of the American grocery store. The miracle of the supermarket has never been more apparent. Like the doctors and nurses who care for the sick, suddenly the men and women who stock our shelves and operate our warehouses are understood as ‘essential’ workers, providing a quality of life we all too easily take for granted. But the sad truth is that the grocery industry has been failing these workers for decades.
In this page-turning expose, author Benjamin Lorr pulls back the curtain on the highly secretive grocery industry. Combining deep sourcing, immersive reporting, and sharp, often laugh-out-loud prose, Lorr leads a wild investigation, asking what does it take to run a supermarket? How does our food get on the shelves? And who suffers for our increasing demands for convenience and efficiency? In this journey:
We learn the secrets of Trader Joe's success from Trader Joe himself
Drive with truckers caught in a job they call "sharecropping on wheels"
Break into industrial farms with activists to learn what it takes for a product to earn certification labels like "fair trade" and "free range"
Follow entrepreneurs as they fight for shelf space, learning essential tips, tricks, and traps for any new food business
Journey with migrants to examine shocking forced labor practices through their eyes
The product of five years of research and hundreds of interviews across every level of the business, The Secret Life of Groceries is essential reading for those who want to understand our food system--delivering powerful social commentary on the inherently American quest for more and compassionate insight into the lives that provide it.
