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Outstanding Retailers of 2011

The Fresh Market

by Eva Meszaros

Somewhere between tiny independent shops and big-box supermarkets is where you’ll find The Fresh Market. This retailer blends the variety and vastness of a major chain with the expertise and quality of a smaller-scale specialty food store.

History

Though it currently boasts more than 100 locations in 21 states, The Fresh Market had its own humble beginnings in Greensboro, N.C. Ray and Beverly Berry opened the first store in 1982 with the hopes of providing top-notch foods, atmosphere and customer service to their community and beyond. Its success allowed the market to expand, first to neighboring cities, then nearby states. Today the family-owned company, still headquartered in Greensboro, can be found in nearly every state east of—and bordering—the Mississippi River.

★★STORE STATS★★

Year Opened: 1982

Type of Business: Specialty supermarket chain

Outstanding Features: Family-owned; full-service deli, butcher and bakery at each location; annual fundraising events and donations to local food banks

Contact: Andy Lewis

thefreshmarket.com

Points of Distinction

The Fresh Market emphasizes perishables and sources products locally, nationally and internationally. Each location has a full-service butcher, deli and bakery, as well as beer and wine, floral, and candy/coffee/bulk departments. The average store size is 21,000 square feet—half that of the average Whole Foods Market—and houses more than 400 produce items, 200 cheeses and more than 30 kinds of fresh-baked breads.

Along with the fresh, vast selection, each location strives for a distinctively pleasant atmosphere and shopping experience, explained several Fresh Market executives in a video highlighting the chain’s attributes. Marc Jones, senior vice president of merchandising and marketing, said, “In a nutshell, grocery shopping doesn’t have to be a chore. You can come into our store, and instantly you feel yourself relaxing.” Classical music and soft lighting (and daily free coffee, to boot) add to the ambience, which channels old-world European markets. Sean Crane, senior vice president of operations, called The Fresh Market “a sophisticated farmers market.” Part of the sophistication includes an online store with specialty food, gifts and flowers, shipped to the customer’s door.

The Fresh Market has a longstanding partnership with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), which it supports through fundraising efforts hosted at all store locations such as the annual Sidewalk Sale, complete with all-day barbecue.

How The Fresh Market Keeps Innovating

Continual interaction with producers is what keeps the Fresh Market, well, fresh. “We travel to other countries, talk to vendors—we visit farms and production facilities,” Jones said. “We try to make sure we understand where the food is coming from.” With around 10,000 SKUs, an understanding of the stories behind the products makes the retailer’s team—7,000 employees and counting—stand out.

Nearly a dozen new locations are slated to open in 2011, and this expansion is a sure sign of continued success at The Fresh Market. “What’s exciting about growth is it allows us to continue to buy better,” Crane noted. Better business means better products and better selection as the store continues to evolve its brand. Added co-founder Ray Berry, “We just have better food than you can buy typically in a regular supermarket. We try and give a good value for the quality of food you’re getting.”—E.M.

See all of the 2011 Award Winners by visiting the following link: 2011 Outstanding Retailer Awards

Eva Meszaros is associate editor of Specialty Food Magazine.
Kristen Seymour is a freelance writer for Paw Nation, That’s Fit,
BlogHer and Pet Home Magazine.