E-Chickens’ are flying the coop and landing on World Wide Web

LAKEWOOD, N.J., Feb. 18 (JTA) — Chickens are flying from their coop, and heading straight for the World Wide Web. Koshersupermarket.com, the foremost virtual kosher retail food store, has officially added Empire Kosher poultry and food products to its list of over 4,000 certified kosher and glatt kosher items. “E-Chicken,” as it has been coined, can be found either at Empire’s home page (www.empirekosher.com) or at the specialized Empire Kosher superstore at www.koshersupermarket.com. “This unique e-commerce venture sets the tone for the new millennium, positioning kosher supermarkets to be the retail on-line clearinghouse for all kosher manufacturers,” said Alex Schleider, vice president of operations at Koshersupermarket.com. “We are really excited about this,” said Brigitta Wade, head of public relations at Empire Kosher, “This is wonderful for consumers, especially those who call us because they don’t have access to our products.” Although all consumers are the target market for this new venture, most of the focus is on those who may not have easy access to Empire Kosher food products. “This enterprise is mostly a solution for those who live in areas where the closest kosher supermarket is miles away,” Wade said. The E-Chicken is not only an answer to those who live far-away, but also those who are home bound or too busy to get to their local kosher mart. “This will open doors as a major opportunity for people who keep kosher to buy kosher products simply and stress free,” said Bryan Eisenberg, a spokesman for Koshersupermarket.com, “Our focus is to help those who are having a hard time getting kosher food.” It’s not only Jewish consumers who are scouting the Web for kosher outlets. Non-Jews, including vegetarians, black Muslims and Seventh- Day Adventists, who follow strict dietary laws, provide almost 10 percent of the business at kosher supermarkets, according to kosher supermarket owners. As popular as kosher food shopping on the Net has become, many are satisfied with their old routine of going to their local supermarket. “I would definitely check it out, but I don’t think I would use it,” said Betty Nissenfeld, a member of the Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York and frequent Empire customer, “ I was never a big Internet orderer.” Although some are still “Web wary,” on-line business is expected to increase in the coming years. “E-Chicken is a model for other companies wetting their feet in this field,” said Schleider. “We are in the process of engaging in talks with Manischewitz and Kedem to do something similar.”