The grocery business is facing an identity crisis. As the rising popularity of pick-up/delivery services and limited-selection format stores makes clear, customers prefer to spend as little time as possible shopping for groceries. The Food Marketing Institute and Nielsen now predict that within five to seven years, 70 percent of shoppers will buy their groceries online.
This trend is countered by fresh-format stores, which have transformed the once-mundane grocery run into an enjoyable exploration. They offer prepared foods, wine bars, samples, cooking demonstrations, classes, and other upgrades tailored to individual shoppers’ tastes. One profitable example is the in-house juice bar — but is it right for your store? First, consider these four questions.
