FullRETAIL PRODUCE Bloom PROFILE

By Dave Diver An industry insider offers a personal take on Former vice president of produce at Hannaford and Food Lion’s innovative concept stores. a regular columnist for PRODUCE BUSINESS.

In early 2004, Food Lion LLC, based in Salis- bury, NC, sparked supermarket industry curiosity by opening a concept store directed at satisfying the needs of consumers interest- ed in convenient take-out foods; until then, little had been accomplished within the industry to satisfy this growing niche engen- dered by lifestyles that were becoming increasingly time-compressed.

For two years preceding the opening of this new type of food store, an international consumer research group studied customer behaviors, wants and needs. The unit was then designed from a shopper’s perspective — with an intuitive layout to take the hassle out of shopping and make the trip fun and easy. Salisbury, NC-based Bloom, as the new concept store is known, was especially compelling because it meant that a retail organization known for low prices with primarily blue- collar shoppers would be embarking on a most stores. I had to wonder how pro- cutting-edge idea. Equally important to duce sales would fare — along with the the implementation of this marketing store itself — as additional similar lay- objective was the competitive pressure outs open in the Charlotte area. accumulating not only from big-box It did not take long to reach a con- Wal-Mart but also from other compet- clusion. In less than three years, a itive retailers that were also reducing new Bloom configuration — totally margins. unrelated to the parent — has opened How would the offering for fresh with five stores built from the ground fruit and vegetables fare in such a set- up in the Greenville, SC, area. Greenville ting? Only direct observation would satis- is in suburban northwest South Carolina. fy my interest and within several months of At the Produce Solutions Seminar its opening, I visited the initial Bloom, convert- sponsored by Newark, DE-based Produce ed from a Food Lion located in the northern Marketing Association this past March in Char- outskirts of Charlotte, NC. It was immediately obvi- lotte, NC, I learned the project manager for this new ous that any resemblance to the Food Lion predecessor development was Hans Lefebvre, whom I had the was strictly coincidental. opportunity to work with for a short time at Hannaford Broth- Upon entering, customers encountered TableTop quick in-and-out ers Company, based in Portland, ME, when he was a produce merchan- foods. Convenience was the focus for shoppers primarily interested in a dising specialist. During the intervening years, Hans has combined his meal requiring little or no preparation. experience in the supermarket business with his interpersonal skills to The display fixtures for produce were relegated to a center-of-the- become director of merchandising and training for the Bloom stores. store aisle behind the sizeable prepared-food section, hardly a position Aware of the original Bloom store configuration, I also visited a for eye-catching impulse shopping. And definitely not the fresh fruit recently opened Food Lion to use it as a comparison. Although the new and vegetable presentation consumers were accustomed to finding in Food Lion had overall departmental layout similarities to the new

56 PRODUCE BUSINESS • AUGUST 2007 Bloom, the rest is a night-and-day difference. retailers, such as Greensboro, NC-based Fresh nience in a bright, cheery setting that banishes The first impression I got when stepping Market and Lakeland, FL-based Publix, are fol- what for most supermarket customers has into the new Bloom is that this is the begin- lowing similar procedures. Just what have they become a boring yet necessary chore. If I ning of an intriguing shopping experience. The learned about making consumers happy and found anything that needed a punch of excite- color and quality of the fresh fruit and vegeta- growing profits? ment and quality, it is the exterior front, which bles make me feel it is time to forget the shop- Whenever I shop, two of the most disturb- needs to be more colorfully inviting to coordi- ping list. It is much more of a “Let’s just browse ing situations I encounter are lack of pricing nate with the atmosphere inside the store. and see what items might fit into my upcom- information and product information for items For those consumers who dread checkout ing meal plans” experience. In addition, if I not frequently consumed. At Bloom, few if any lines — both service and self-service — the wanted to mark a special occasion or decorate items lack this necessary information. Addi- Scanning is a Breeze technology allows them with fresh flowers, a reasonable display was tionally, Dr. Richter's Fresh Produce the opportunity to scan items while located near the front of the store entrance Guide, published by Apopka, FL- shopping and pay prior to leav- adjacent to produce. based Try-Foods, adjacent to ing. Elsewhere, a separate TableTop, which provides restaurant-quality a table near the wall case THE FIRST kiosk provides information meal-solution takeout and bakery for those offers more than ade- regarding item locations, consumers who had been the object of the ini- quate information for IMPRESSION I GOT recipes, price, wine tial Bloom thrust, was clearly visible from the the most discerning WHEN STEPPING INTO selection and other store entrance at the edge of produce. Grab- consumer. services. and-go food shoppers can easily and conve- The organic pro- THE NEW BLOOM IS One thing is cer- niently satisfy their needs while at the same duce section in this THATTHISISTHE tain — this is not a time be exposed to the impulse of Bloom’s Greenville store unit to compete for BEGINNINGOFAN fresh fruit and vegetables. undoubtedly meets the Wal-Mart cus- the needs of its clien- INTRIGUING SHOPPING tomer. The ambiance is A Stunning Produce Department tele. A knowledgeable EXPERIENCE so upscale that low-price Almost by default, the mixing of the fruit store associate always . shoppers will not believe it and vegetable presentation adds to the per- seemed to be nearby, ready could be price competitive. ception of variety and quality. There is no sin- to offer product information or But for those looking for service gle fruit section, no single vegetable grouping. receive a request to carry an item not in perishables, variety, quality and con- Within only a few steps, there are a multitude currently being stocked. There are stores in venience, Bloom provides a competitive model of product categories with tables arranged at larger, more affluent metropolitan areas with that can compete for the billions of dollars not varying product heights. greater variety, but in contrast to most super- going to the big-box stores. Obviously Bloom And everywhere, there are those wooden markets in the 35,000- to 40,000-square-foot — with its Brussels, Belgium-based Delhaize Bloom crates — all with light colored wood, the range, the variety at Bloom should accommo- Group parent — is aware of the need to identi- Bloom name and untold numbers of tie-in date nearly everyone’s needs. fy with its consumers’ wants, especially now items. There is no question that fresh, uncut that Hertfordshire, U.K.-based Tesco is making produce is beautiful, but to really stand out, it A Total Experience its entrance into the U.S. marketplace. requires a contrasting background. After only Bloom does not appear to be about any Perhaps, as some say, the supermarket of a few moments in the department, customers one department, although produce offers the yesterday is a dying breed; but then again, realize they are standing on a tile floor that most important first impression. On the con- some of these new offshoots may be exactly looks like hardwood, a perfect contrast to trary, this is an ideal shopping experience for what the current lifestyle consumers find nature’s bounty. today’s perishables shopper. Walking from the attractive. In keeping with the goal of projecting front to the rear of the store — in addition to High-quality, fresh foods, superior service, freshness and quality, all the fresh-cut fruit on the previously mentioned departments — I deep variety and helpful technology make display is prepared in-store daily to provide encountered fresh meat and seafood. Wine, shopping a breeze. With intelligent imple- the most natural flavor and longest lasting self-service deli and Nature’s Place are in adja- menters like Hans Lefebvre, vice president product for the consumer. It is definitely more cent areas, often with “boutique” space organi- James Egan and president Rick Annicetti, this labor intensive, but several upscale Southeast zation. The consumer finds variety and conve- latest Food Lion generation is in full Bloom. pb

58 PRODUCE BUSINESS • AUGUST 2007