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How the Wegmans Grocery Store Helped to Beat & Reverse My Type 2 Diabetes and Save My Life! by DeWayne McCulley 
How Wegmans Helped to Me to Beat & Reverse My Type 2 Diabetes
When ever I conduct a diabetes workshop outside of the Northeast area of the United States, I am inevitably asked the question: "What is Wegmans?"
Wegmans is a family-owned 75-store U.S. regional supermarket chain with stores in the mid-Atlantic region, including New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Northern Virginia, and Maryland.
Wegmans was my primary store for grocery-shopping for 3 reasons:
As we walked into the store with my mother, she said: "Wow, this is a pretty big store for a grocery store!" As I struggled to push the 2 carts which were full of my junk food and beverages, a store clerk came up to us and asked" Can I help you?" I said "No, I'm okay - I need to return some food." The clerk just smiled and directed us to the proper area.
As I continued to push the 2 carts to the proper area, another clerk approached us and offered to help me push the carts. Before I could say anything, she grabbed the handle of one of the carts and pushed it to the counter. After I thanked her, she just smiled and left. My mother turned to me and asked: "Are all the people in this store nice?" I said, "I think so -- whenever I have a question or I can't find something, there's always someone willing to help you. And, they never get mad at you for asking a question. They just smile and direct you to where you need to go. And, in some cases, they'll walk with you to make sure you get to the right aisle."
Returning all this food was quite embarrassing, but what choice did I have? Face my mother? It was easier to face the store clerk.
The young lady behind the counter noticed the 2 shopping carts full of food. But, she wasn't angry. She just smiled and asked: "Can I help you?"
I said sheepishly: "You know I love your food, but I have to return this food because I can't eat this food anymore."
The store clerk just smiled again, and said, "Okay, let's ring this all up." As I removed each package and bottle from the first shopping cart, the clerk asked: "I don't mean to be nosy, but if you love our food, why are you returning it?"
I said: "Because I'm diabetic and I can't eat this food anymore." Then, I whispered: "Plus, do you see the woman behind the second cart with the look of disgust on her face? That's my mother, and she made me pack up all of my favorite foods and return them to you. I didn't want to, but I didn't have any choice."
The store clerk just laughed and said: "Well, mothers know best."
My mother must have heard her, because she smiled and said: "Amen -- thank you, young lady. God bless you."
After the clerk finished ringing up the items from both shopping carts, she used my Wegmans Shopping Card to give me a store credit of almost $250! When she returned the card to me, my mother grabbed it and said:"Thank you, now we're going to do some real grocery-shoppin'."
As we walked around the store, my mother put various foods into the shopping cart: fresh spinach, broccoli, Brussel spouts, Romaine lettuce, cabbage, celery, cucumbers, string beans, carrots, kidney beans, tomatoes, onions, garlic. She also got some grapes, apples, pears, lemons; skinless chicken, eggs, milk, and extra virgin olive oil.
I looked at the shopping cart and said: "Who's going to eat this stuff? I don't like most of these foods, especially the Brussel sprouts, broccoli, and spinach."
My mother just gave me this look, and I knew that I had better just shut up and let her get what she wanted.
As we walked around the store, we couldn't find something (I think it was the olive oil). So my mother walked up to one of the clerks and asked him. He just smiled and directed us to the proper aisle. My mother turned to me and said: "Son, you are blessed to live near a store with such nice people. This store is going to help you get well. I can feel it. So, when I return home, I don't want to hear that you can't find any healthy foods -- this store has everything you need to get well. Right?"
I knew that it was best for me to just agree with my mother, so I said, "Yes, Mother ..."
I wasn't happy that my mother did this. I didn't realize it at the time, but this was the start of my journey from being ill and dependent on drugs and medications to becoming well and independent of the drugs and medications.
Because of the store credit, during the next month or so, I didn’t have to pay for any food that I bought from Wegmans. Thanks to my mother and the Wegmans grocery store, it was financially beneficial for me to eat healthy.
So, I must thank Wegmans for their kindness and patience, and for hiring such nice people to help me on my journey to wellness.
Wegmans is a family-owned 75-store U.S. regional supermarket chain with stores in the mid-Atlantic region, including New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Northern Virginia, and Maryland.
Wegmans was my primary store for grocery-shopping for 3 reasons:
- Location: There were 2 stores that were near my job and my home
- Employees: They were always so nice and cordial, and helpful
- Discounts: They gave you a shopping card that provided discounts on certain products
As we walked into the store with my mother, she said: "Wow, this is a pretty big store for a grocery store!" As I struggled to push the 2 carts which were full of my junk food and beverages, a store clerk came up to us and asked" Can I help you?" I said "No, I'm okay - I need to return some food." The clerk just smiled and directed us to the proper area.
As I continued to push the 2 carts to the proper area, another clerk approached us and offered to help me push the carts. Before I could say anything, she grabbed the handle of one of the carts and pushed it to the counter. After I thanked her, she just smiled and left. My mother turned to me and asked: "Are all the people in this store nice?" I said, "I think so -- whenever I have a question or I can't find something, there's always someone willing to help you. And, they never get mad at you for asking a question. They just smile and direct you to where you need to go. And, in some cases, they'll walk with you to make sure you get to the right aisle."
Returning all this food was quite embarrassing, but what choice did I have? Face my mother? It was easier to face the store clerk.
The young lady behind the counter noticed the 2 shopping carts full of food. But, she wasn't angry. She just smiled and asked: "Can I help you?"
I said sheepishly: "You know I love your food, but I have to return this food because I can't eat this food anymore."
The store clerk just smiled again, and said, "Okay, let's ring this all up." As I removed each package and bottle from the first shopping cart, the clerk asked: "I don't mean to be nosy, but if you love our food, why are you returning it?"
I said: "Because I'm diabetic and I can't eat this food anymore." Then, I whispered: "Plus, do you see the woman behind the second cart with the look of disgust on her face? That's my mother, and she made me pack up all of my favorite foods and return them to you. I didn't want to, but I didn't have any choice."
The store clerk just laughed and said: "Well, mothers know best."
My mother must have heard her, because she smiled and said: "Amen -- thank you, young lady. God bless you."
After the clerk finished ringing up the items from both shopping carts, she used my Wegmans Shopping Card to give me a store credit of almost $250! When she returned the card to me, my mother grabbed it and said:"Thank you, now we're going to do some real grocery-shoppin'."
As we walked around the store, my mother put various foods into the shopping cart: fresh spinach, broccoli, Brussel spouts, Romaine lettuce, cabbage, celery, cucumbers, string beans, carrots, kidney beans, tomatoes, onions, garlic. She also got some grapes, apples, pears, lemons; skinless chicken, eggs, milk, and extra virgin olive oil.
I looked at the shopping cart and said: "Who's going to eat this stuff? I don't like most of these foods, especially the Brussel sprouts, broccoli, and spinach."
My mother just gave me this look, and I knew that I had better just shut up and let her get what she wanted.
As we walked around the store, we couldn't find something (I think it was the olive oil). So my mother walked up to one of the clerks and asked him. He just smiled and directed us to the proper aisle. My mother turned to me and said: "Son, you are blessed to live near a store with such nice people. This store is going to help you get well. I can feel it. So, when I return home, I don't want to hear that you can't find any healthy foods -- this store has everything you need to get well. Right?"
I knew that it was best for me to just agree with my mother, so I said, "Yes, Mother ..."
I wasn't happy that my mother did this. I didn't realize it at the time, but this was the start of my journey from being ill and dependent on drugs and medications to becoming well and independent of the drugs and medications.
Because of the store credit, during the next month or so, I didn’t have to pay for any food that I bought from Wegmans. Thanks to my mother and the Wegmans grocery store, it was financially beneficial for me to eat healthy.
So, I must thank Wegmans for their kindness and patience, and for hiring such nice people to help me on my journey to wellness.
Wegmans
Founded in 1916 in Rochester, New York, Wegmans has appeared on Fortune's annual "100 Best Companies to Work For" list since its inception in 1998, and has ranked among the top 10 for eight consecutive years.[ Food Network recognized it with its award for Best Grocery Store in 2007, and Consumer Reports ranked it the top large grocery chain in the United States in 2009.
Wegmans is a privately owned company, founded in 1916 by John and Walter Wegman. The original name was the Rochester Fruit and Vegetable Company. Wegmans is headquartered in Gates, NY, a suburb of Rochester.
Danny Wegman is CEO. His daughter, Colleen Wegman is president, and his other daughter, Nicole Wegman, is vice-president of restaurant operations. His father Robert Wegman, who died in 2006, was chairman. Robert was the son of co-founder Walter Wegman. During his life Robert Wegman distinguished himself as a pioneer in the retail food business, as well as a generous donor to educational institutions and other charities.
In 2009, Wegmans ranked number 29 on the Supermarket News list of the Top 75 North American Food Retailers based on sales volume, up from number 32 on the 2007 Supermarket News list, and 7th among privately held U.S. supermarkets. In 2009 Stores Magazine showed it to be the 74th largest retailer in the United States with estimated revenues of $4.67 billion. As of 2006, it was the 66th largest privately held company, as determined by Forbes. On Forbes's 2005 list, Wegmans ranked 54th.
Most of Wegmans' newer stores are of the "superstore" or "megamarket" type, with a very large area, a large variety of foods aimed at an upscale market, and in many stores, Market Café in-store dining areas. The company also used to own and operate Tastings, a restaurant at its Pittsford, New York, store that offered diners three distinct eating areas, making the Pittsford Wegmans largest of all. Tastings is now closed and the Next Door Bar and Grill a stand alone restaurant is open across the street from the Pittsford store. The Fairfax, VA store is the highest-volume store.
Wegmans is a privately owned company, founded in 1916 by John and Walter Wegman. The original name was the Rochester Fruit and Vegetable Company. Wegmans is headquartered in Gates, NY, a suburb of Rochester.
Danny Wegman is CEO. His daughter, Colleen Wegman is president, and his other daughter, Nicole Wegman, is vice-president of restaurant operations. His father Robert Wegman, who died in 2006, was chairman. Robert was the son of co-founder Walter Wegman. During his life Robert Wegman distinguished himself as a pioneer in the retail food business, as well as a generous donor to educational institutions and other charities.
In 2009, Wegmans ranked number 29 on the Supermarket News list of the Top 75 North American Food Retailers based on sales volume, up from number 32 on the 2007 Supermarket News list, and 7th among privately held U.S. supermarkets. In 2009 Stores Magazine showed it to be the 74th largest retailer in the United States with estimated revenues of $4.67 billion. As of 2006, it was the 66th largest privately held company, as determined by Forbes. On Forbes's 2005 list, Wegmans ranked 54th.
Most of Wegmans' newer stores are of the "superstore" or "megamarket" type, with a very large area, a large variety of foods aimed at an upscale market, and in many stores, Market Café in-store dining areas. The company also used to own and operate Tastings, a restaurant at its Pittsford, New York, store that offered diners three distinct eating areas, making the Pittsford Wegmans largest of all. Tastings is now closed and the Next Door Bar and Grill a stand alone restaurant is open across the street from the Pittsford store. The Fairfax, VA store is the highest-volume store.
