H Mart ends discount coupons

Super H Mart 008 (Photo credit: Michael Kappel)
Inside H Mart.

 Editor's note: Today's bill of fare includes the end of an H Mart discount-coupon promotion and how I got a pound of free organic salad mix at ShopRite.

H Mart, the Korean supermarket chain, has stopped issuing discount coupons to its Bergen County customers.


I started receiving a coupon booklet in the mail last June, a few months after I applied for an H Mart 1% cash rebate card. But I didn't get any coupons in December or in January, and stores said they also didn't have any.


Today, I spoke with a company marketing employee who said customers didn't use the coupons as much as the Lyndhurst-based Hanahreum Group had hoped.


A new coupon booklet will be issued this month, but only for customers of the Edison store, she said.


Five of the seven H Mart stores in the Garden State are in Bergen County: Fort Lee has two, and there are stores in Little Ferry, Englewood and Ridgefield.


Although the coupons were welcome, discounts with them were relatively small and that may have been a factor in customer indifference.


At the Little Ferry store on Wednesday, I found plenty of items on sale, and the Smart Savings Card still gives you $10 back for every $1,000 you spend. Of course, that's small comfort.

Nongshim Gourmet Spicy Shin Ramyun Noodle Soup was on sale, either in the Family Pack of five portions ($3.49) or in the box of 20 ($14.99). 


But the former was a better buy by about 5 cents on each 4.2-ounce package. The Family Pack usually sells for $4.99.


H Mart always has a terrific selection of fresh whole fish and greens, both Asian and Western, often on sale.


On Wednesday, I picked up fresh spinach for $1.39 a bunch, fresh Chinese broccoli for 58 cents a pound; and fresh yuchoy, similar to but leafier than Chinese broccoli, for 79 cents a pound.


I also bought three prepared items, including stewed tofu for $3.99 and non-spicy radish kimchi for $2.49.


Free organic salad


When Earthbound Farm's organic spring mix and baby spinach salad began showing up at Costco Wholesale in Hackensack late last year, I e-mailed the company to find out if it was a permanent replacement for 100% spring mix.


In response, Earthbound Farm said Half & Half, as the mixture is called, is being sold at Costco in addition to Organic Spring Mix, and sent me a $5 discount coupon.


Costco doesn't take manufacturer's coupons, so I used it this morning at ShopRite in Hackensack, where 1 pound of the Half & Half salad mix was on sale for $4.99 or $2 off.


The cashier in the express lane called over another employee, who took the coupon to show to a manager. Then, it was brought back and applied to my order, so I got the salad mix for free.


I also purchased three 59-ounce bottles of Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice at two for $5 or for about the same price per ounce as the larger, 64-ounce cartons of Tropicana at Costco.


The bottles were marked "100% Pure Florida Orange Juice," in contrast to others I bought recently at ShopRite that contained juice from the U.S. and Brazil.


I used a credit card, but the cashier forgot to give me credit for my reusable bag, so I had to ask him for a nickle. H Mart gives 10 cents back for each reusable bag.