SpartanNash's $18.3 million investment in a colorful branding revamp at a number of Family Fare stores throughout Western Michigan is expected to help boost store sales trends. The “keeping it real” initiative focuses on wellness and local products while creating a fun experience for the shopper and highlighting what is new and fresh throughout the store, the company said.
Speaking during a conference call this week, SpartanNash CEO David Staples said that the new positioning will be “key to the differentiation of its operation." The branding was first introduced in several stores last year and was rolled out more widely over the weekend, now encompassing 18 of the 88 existing Family Fare stores.
The new branding, said Staples, sharpens Family Fare’s focus on “wellness, value beyond price, a fun and intelligent shopping experience with a focus on local products and providing a socially smart focus to our operation.” Several foodservice offerings have also been added to enhance the customer experience, including Betty Kaye’s, which offers smoked meats prepared on-site by Family Fare pitmasters and paired with special recipe condiments and hot sides, as well as the Fresh Divide, where shoppers can bring fruits and vegetables to be sliced to their preference for free as they shop.
“We are bringing craftsmanship back to the grocery shopping experience,” said Staples. “With Family Fare associates who are certified butchers creating unique items and meat cut to order; bakers frying up Dohjo doughnuts in fun, bold flavors and baking mouthwatering desserts; produce experts cutting and dicing fruit and vegetables to order while you shop; and pharmacists keeping you healthy.”
With a major focus on affordability, the stores offer weekly deals such as Thrill on the Grill and lobster mac and cheese grab-and-go meals and ready-made sides and starters. These savings can also be found in the pharmacy with offerings such as low- and no-cost generic medications and Timely Meds personalized pill punch packs with a four-week supply of medications. A Living Well team is also on-site to help shoppers make healthy choices. Additionally, new brighter, energy-efficient refrigerated cases have been implemented that are designed to reduce energy consumption by 20%.
“Keeping it real is a promise to our store guests, that we’re staying true to ourselves and providing a customer experience unlike any other,” Staples said. “It’s a simple promise, but it really shows what our Family Fare stores are all about. Family Fare continues to offer selection, quality and freshness throughout the store, with new and exciting elements that allow our store guests to browse, discover and even indulge with unique offerings, local products and everyday values you can’t find anywhere else."
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