KANSAS CITY, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County, including Independence. Share your story idea with Tod.
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One of the families behind Kansas City-based Price Chopper has a new concept designed to help shoppers save money at the grocery store.
Chop More celebrated its grand opening Tuesday with a ribbon cutting. Taking over the former Price Chopper space at the corner of 63rd Street and Blue Ridge Cutoff, Chop More might best be described as part Price Chopper and part Aldi.
Items in the store are marked at Chop More's cost to get it on the shelf, with a 10% markup added at the register.
"We're not running ads, we're not doing loyalty cards, no gimmicks," John Cosentino, the executive vice president for Cosentino's Food Stores, said. "It's just flat, everyday low pricing — cost-plus, transparent pricing. ... We worked on this for almost a year. I've kind of studied this concept. (We) wanted to bring something new to Kansas City, something that's never been done."
For shoppers, the difference showed up at checkout.
"Man, hey, it's a beautiful thing," shopper Michael Watson said. "You know, prices are high out here. What we're going through out here, especially y'all doing this right here, this this this a blessing for our community."
Watson said he paid less than $200 for a cart full of groceries that normally cost him more than $300. Other shoppers reported similar experiences.
"I would say it was pretty comparable to Aldi, honestly," Kylie Burks said. "Of course, I got some more expensive specialty items that I can't get there, but I got a good deal, I'd say, for the number of items I got."
Less than four miles away along Missouri 350, the struggling Blue Parkway Sun Fresh grocery store closed its doors Monday, raising the question of whether the Chop More concept could be replicated on Kansas City's East Side.
"I think it's too early to say," Cosentino said. "But you know what? We're excited to see what the customers think. ... I think it could work in a lot of places."
The need for relief is clear for many shoppers.
"The cost of everything is rising pretty much, and wages certainly don't seem to compensate for many people, so it's extremely important to get more bang for your buck," Burks said.
As he walked out of the store, Watson summed up the changes.
"Man, y'all did y'all did good," he said. "Big changes."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
