N.H. supermarket donates lottery commission to charity

Sep 1, 2016, 8:48 am (18 comments)

Powerball

A New Hampshire grocery store that sold a mammoth winning Powerball ticket announced Tuesday that it is donating its commission to local charities that work with children or hunger.

A ticket that won a jackpot of $487 million was sold at the Hannaford Supermarket in Raymond, N.H., in late July, Hannaford said in a statement. A month later, the winner of New Hampshire's all time largest Powerball jackpot has yet to claim the prize.

The supermarket was due a $75,000 commission because of the win.

Now, the supermarket is working on "generating a lot more winners" by donating the commission, and an extra $25,000, to six charity organizations, Hannaford said.

Eric Blom, a Hannaford spokesman, said the supermarket wanted the whole community to benefit from their commission.

"It's not every day that you sell a lottery ticket of almost half a billion dollars," Blom said. "When something like that happens, it causes you to reflect. And we know that there's an awful lot of need in the community and this is an opportunity for us to create some additional winners in the New Hampshire area."

The $100,000 donation is being split between End 68 Hours of Hunger, the Raymond Coalition for Youth, the SNHS Raymond Food Pantry, the Providence Baptist Church Food Pantry, the West Deerfield Township Food Pantry, and the Raymond Baptist Church Food Pantry, Hannaford said.

Boston Globe

Comments

Bleudog101

Good for them; corporate greed grocery chains what have you would have kept the money for themselves and more likely than not the cashier would not see  a penny of this.  The charities no doubt are well deserving.

mypiemaster's avatarmypiemaster

That money should have been better spread around as a Xmas bonus for all employees.

music*'s avatarmusic*

 Christmas presents for the hungry in New Hampshire in September!

 Super Markets in general, operate on a narrow profit margin.

Dance

TheMeatman2005's avatarTheMeatman2005

It is good that they are putting their commission money to such good use.

For one, it's a tax write-off and two, it's a great advertisement for the store. Imagine all the media coverage the store will get and the extra business it will make. The store will make double the $100,000 in additional profits.

TheMeatman2005's avatarTheMeatman2005

Quote: Originally posted by music* on Sep 1, 2016

 Christmas presents for the hungry in New Hampshire in September!

 Super Markets in general, operate on a narrow profit margin.

Dance

They may have some "loss-leaders", but in general, they make a good profit on most of the items they sell.

I am in the food business and purchased a 1 pound package of smoked salmon (lox) at a restaurant supply warehouse for $14.99 and saw the same exact product in the supermarket for $19.95.

Maybe they paid the same as the restaurant supply warehouse, but to sell it for $5 more? That's a big difference in price!

quicksloth35

Awesome. All the best to this store and the charities to which they contribute.

 

Smile

LottoAce's avatarLottoAce

Thats really nice to see a buisiness support its local community. we used to do that sort of thing down south.
I wonder if the winner will donate anything to the community, or will he/she just move out?...

sully16's avatarsully16

Great story . Hope we get more of these.

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by TheMeatman2005 on Sep 1, 2016

They may have some "loss-leaders", but in general, they make a good profit on most of the items they sell.

I am in the food business and purchased a 1 pound package of smoked salmon (lox) at a restaurant supply warehouse for $14.99 and saw the same exact product in the supermarket for $19.95.

Maybe they paid the same as the restaurant supply warehouse, but to sell it for $5 more? That's a big difference in price!

Green laugh

Ron5995

Quote: Originally posted by TheMeatman2005 on Sep 1, 2016

It is good that they are putting their commission money to such good use.

For one, it's a tax write-off and two, it's a great advertisement for the store. Imagine all the media coverage the store will get and the extra business it will make. The store will make double the $100,000 in additional profits.

Exactly my first thoughts. They'll help everyone except their own employees, many of which likely receive public assistance and/or are working multiple jobs to make ends meet. Of course, as many would say, business is business. Donating it to charity, as you point out, will likely generate the most bang for the buck; tax write-off, building goodwill, and media coverage. On the bright side, the supermarket didn't just pocket the funds, as many other businesses in a similar situation, would.

TheGameGrl's avatarTheGameGrl

Quote: Originally posted by mypiemaster on Sep 1, 2016

That money should have been better spread around as a Xmas bonus for all employees.

Gifting to employees... More taxing . 

I am not going to say it's not a viable and goodwill gesture.

I simply see them choosing to come off as community generous... With the underlying real goal... Tax write off. 

They are a business.. Capitalist. Their  goal is to remain profit oriented.

mypiemaster's avatarmypiemaster

Quote: Originally posted by TheGameGrl on Sep 2, 2016

Gifting to employees... More taxing . 

I am not going to say it's not a viable and goodwill gesture.

I simply see them choosing to come off as community generous... With the underlying real goal... Tax write off. 

They are a business.. Capitalist. Their  goal is to remain profit oriented.

I sincerely hope all businesses have been giving to charities without the benefit of having to win the lottery bonus to do so. If they need the publicity that bad, they should have done it 50/50{half to charity and half to the employees, taxes notwithstanding}. There is no way I'm gonna ignore the employees with this sort of once in a blue moon windfall. EMPLOYEES ARE GETTING SCREWED ENOUGH ALREADY.

rcbbuckeye's avatarrcbbuckeye

I know it's fashionable to bash business these days, but you know.... if a business isn't making a profit, it ain't gonna stay in business, and people won't be working. While some folks like to call it greed, the bottom line is profit is not a dirty word. Who is anyone to say how much profit a business should make? If someone says x dollars is enough, then it's really not free enterprise, is it?

music*'s avatarmusic*

Quote: Originally posted by rcbbuckeye on Sep 2, 2016

I know it's fashionable to bash business these days, but you know.... if a business isn't making a profit, it ain't gonna stay in business, and people won't be working. While some folks like to call it greed, the bottom line is profit is not a dirty word. Who is anyone to say how much profit a business should make? If someone says x dollars is enough, then it's really not free enterprise, is it?

I Agree! Allow the invisible hand of capitalism to work. Review the story of a pencil and how it is made. Patriot

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