ShopRite's New Store Format, Concept Advances Healthy Eating, Lifestyles

The future of grocery retailing is hyper-local, provides holistic health solutions for all shoppers, and is built on real partnerships. That’s the message Chris Skyers, vice president of health and beauty care at Wakefern Food Corp., and Wendy Liebmann, CEO and chief shopper at WSL Strategic Retail, will present in March during their general session at the Shopper Marketing Summit.Skyers has been part of the team that in late 2013 rolled out a new store format and concept with the remodel of a ShopRite store in Parsippany, New Jersey, and the opening of ShopRite Village Super Market in Cedar Knolls, New Jersey. ShopRite is owned by Wakefern and is the largest retailer-owned co-op in the U.S.Both of those locations offer Wellness Centers with registered dieticians and pharmacists available to assist shoppers. Shoppers at Village Super Market will also find a food court with specialty eateries such as Patisserie 37 and Oyster Bar, indoor/outdoor seating, prepared foods, a catering center, free childcare and drop-in fitness classes. The store also includes a Co-Op Market in the middle of the store where customers can find gifts such as soaps, jewelry and dresses. Online shopping is available with in-store pickup or delivery options.These two stores influenced remodels of other ShopRite locations, with about 20 other stores using the concept, Skyers says.“From my view, they’ve come to the conclusion that the store of the future needs to capture the whole notion of healthy eating and healthy lifestyle,” says Liebmann. “Not just in organic offerings and fresh food but also merchandising around dietician selections, the pharmacy, the fitness studio, the self-service stations, a quick checkout section, if you want to linger with a glass of wine at the oyster bar. They’re saying, ‘We get your lifestyle, and it’s a bit crazy,’ so if you have time, watch this video of how to create this recipe; if you’re in a rush, get food fast. It really does feel incredibly relevant.”Although Liebmann did not work with Wakefern on the projects, ShopRite was brought to her attention because they were bringing to life the whole concept of wellness that WSL had been researching and sharing with the industry. In its 2014 “How America Shops” study, “The Wellness Uprising,” WSL found that for consumers, health encompasses food, lifestyle and health and beauty. Stress is the biggest obstacle to good health (47%), and consumers want retailers to up their game as they strive to make healthier choices: 69% want retailers to increase their selection of healthy choices and 68% want healthier choices identified.“Wellbeing resonates with everyone,” says Liebmann. “This is beyond gender, education, where they live, income levels. The mind, body, spirit concept – shoppers on a national level are calling out for this. Even those who don’t have the luxury of going to Whole Foods are eager for healthier options.”ShopRite’s goal to have a 360-degree approach for the consumer is not only an answer to shopper demand but will keep brick-and-mortar relevant. “We are going for nutrition, wellness and recovery all in one place,” Skyers says, noting that ShopRite guests can have a prescription filled and a consultation with a nutritionist, and then make selections from the store’s product portfolio that aids in their wellness and recovery. “You are not going to find that easily elsewhere – you won’t find it in drug and you won’t find it easily online.”From a food source standpoint, he explains, we are the anchor of a community. Now Wakefern wants to expand on that by taking what they’ve learned from the Parsippany and Village Super Market locations and going deeper into beauty, health and wellness. To do so, Wakefern has been partnering with Johnson & Johnson, L’Oreal USA’s L’Oreal and Maybelline brands, Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Sundial Brands. “For us to be relevant we have to slow down decline of the center store and create an experience around beauty and wellness,” he says. The group is meeting monthly and rollout of the concept is expected to take place in 2017.All are openly sharing shopper insights and their deep understanding of the beauty consumer, says Skyers. Three trends have been identified as shaping the beauty category: Millennials, multicultural and “brands with reach – brands that connect with consumers in a very authentic way,” Skyers says, citing Sundial’s SheaMoisture as one example.Wakefern has added a multicultural specialist to its team to make sure its product portfolio will reflect the needs of each community. “You have to understand local at an intimate level,” Skyers says. “In the fight for space in brick-and-mortar, you want every SKU to be productive. The only way you can do that is to understand the neighborhood and the SKU portfolio for that community.”“Smaller retailers are getting it started and the more they do it, the more it challenges the national chains of any form to create more localization and personalization,” Liebmann says.

ShopRite's New Store Format, Concept Advances Healthy Eating, Lifestyles

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