Food Emporium Goes Upscale in Manhattan

A&P recently opened a Food Emporium in New York City as the cornerstone for the chain's remodel program.Located underneath the Queensboro Bridge on First Ave. and 59th St. in Manhattan, the Bridgemarket store is the first of 18 Food Emporiums to be remodeled under the company's "Fine Foods" concept over the next three years. Built into the bridge's structure, the Bridgemarket store features a historic facade on both its interior and exterior. The store has an international atmosphere, with a center store dominated by ethnic foods categories. For each nationality -- Asian, Italian, Mexican -- metal racks surround a tabletop vignette of packaged goods, cooking accessories and related cookbooks.Perishables departments including a cheese shop, bakery, fresh seafood and international charcuterie (a department for cured pork meats) provide shoppers with a wide array of high-end fresh and prepared meals. Most specialty departments are positioned near the store's entrance or around the perimeter, with packaged goods relegated to the back and interior.A balcony contains an eat-in dining area with wireless access and an international tea shop.The store is nearly devoid of brand-supplied P-O-P materials, but does use some signage from lesser-known gourmet brands.While the store's product offerings may not make it unique from smaller Manhattan grocers and specialty foods retailers, they provide a venue for hyper-urban shoppers to conduct a full shopping trip in one visit. The Fine Foods concept also challenges the recent openings of Whole Foods Markets in Manhattan.The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. operates 403 stores in nine states and Washington, DC, including 33 Food Emporiums. Other banners are Waldbaum's, A&P, Super Foodmart, Super Fresh, Farmer Jack, Sav-A-Center and Food Basics. The company reported $1.54 billion in sales for third-quarter 2006 (ended Dec. 2, 2006), a 2.5% decrease compared with third-quarter 2005. Comparable-store sales decreased 3.0%.

Food Emporium Goes Upscale in Manhattan

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