Check Your (Grocery) List Twice - And Don't Forget the Butter!

Meijer shares five most forgotten Thanksgiving meal essentials

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Nov 26, 2019, 06:45 ET

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Nov. 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- With Thanksgiving days away, Meijer is reminding customers to keep a couple key items in mind as they do their final shopping for their holiday dinners.

According to historical data by the Midwest retailer, the top five forgotten grocery items purchased on Thanksgiving Day include sweet potatoes, cream of mushroom soup, celery, cream cheese and butter. In fact, Meijer sells more butter the day before Thanksgiving than any other day of the year.

With Thanksgiving days away, Meijer is reminding customers to keep a couple key items in mind as they do their final shopping for their holiday dinners. According to historical data by the Midwest retailer, the top five forgotten grocery items purchased on Thanksgiving Day include sweet potatoes, cream of mushroom soup, celery, cream cheese and butter. In fact, Meijer sells more butter the day before Thanksgiving than any other day of the year.

"Planning Thanksgiving is stressful enough, so the last thing you want to do is discover you forgot an ingredient for a dish that will make or break your holiday meal. That's just one reason why all of our stores are open on Thanksgiving Day," said Don Sanderson, Group Vice President of Fresh Grocery for Meijer. "If you're like most of us, it happens every year. So, keeping these items top-of-mind when you're at the store this week can ensure everyone's favorite dishes make it to the table when the big meal is served."

As a helpful reminder, here's the list of the "Forgotten Five" menu items most commonly purchased at the 11th hour at Meijer on Thanksgiving:

You might not think of cream cheese as a main Thanksgiving ingredient, but it is often used for appetizers, desserts and sometimes even mixed into mashed potatoes.
You might think, "No way!" but cream of mushroom soup is a vital ingredient for casseroles and gravies.
Celery is a staple for Thanksgiving meals, used in stuffing, appetizers, soups and salads.
A pound of butter may sound like enough when you're shopping a week before Thanksgiving. It's not. In addition to the butter you'll need just to put on rolls, corn and mashed potatoes, you'll also want plenty to use in your recipes - and for leftovers later.
Don't forget the yams. You may prefer them mashed, buttered and salted or whipped up with marshmallow and spices to resemble a dessert more than a vegetable. Either way, these time-honored veggies can be used to balance the decadence on your plate.

Other reminders to consider include:

The turkey itself. Whether we procrastinate until the last minute or we're so preoccupied we forget to buy the quintessential main dish, Meijer consistently sells tens of thousands of turkeys on the big day itself. This year, the retailer will sell a whopping 1.2 million turkeys that will be roasted, grilled, or deep fried as the star at everyone's holiday dinners.
We say potato. Ah, the savory, buttery goodness of a mountain of mashed potatoes. America's love affair with the timeless comfort food will send cooks to Meijer this Thanksgiving to buy some 6.5 million pounds of the versatile russet, red, white and yellow spuds. Plus, another 2.5 million pounds of sweet potatoes for those looking for a slightly healthier option.
Bring on the board games. Here's a great way to think about how your guests will spend time after your fabulous feast. Most people like to relax after a big meal, making that the perfect time to break out a few fun board games that can be enjoyed by all ages. The weeks leading to Thanksgiving, sales of board games such as Jenga, Monopoly and Perfection are up 350 percent at Meijer. The retailer sells more than 250,000 board games Thanksgiving week. Stacked up these are as tall as 30 skyscrapers.

About Meijer: Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates more than 245 supercenters throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. A privately-owned and family-operated company since 1934, Meijer pioneered the "one-stop shopping" concept and has evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, comprehensive apparel departments, pet departments, garden centers, toys and electronics. For additional information on Meijer, please visit www.meijer.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter @twitter.com/Meijer and @twitter.com/MeijerPR or become a fan at www.facebook.com/meijer.