At The Fresh Grocer, Produce is Key

Diversity helps PA independent move a large volume of produce.

In the heart of an extremely diverse community, The Fresh Grocer of Upper Darby in Upper Darby, PA, serves customers from many cultural traditions and meets demand for produce, extending far beyond traditional grocery assortments.

The township’s slogan describes Upper Darby as “The World In One Place,” a fitting phrase, says Tim Brown, chief operating officer for the store.

“The area represents more than 100 different ethnic backgrounds,” Brown explains. “That diversity drives us to carry a wide range of global fruits, vegetables, herbs, and specialty items to allow customers to prepare the foods that connect them to their culture and family traditions.”

The full-service independent supermarket has been owned and operated by the Burns family since 2016. The family currently operates seven supermarkets across the Philadelphia region under both The Fresh Grocer and ShopRite banners.

“As a family-owned business deeply rooted in the community, our focus is on delivering quality fresh foods, strong perishables programs, and personalized service that reflects the needs of the neighborhoods we serve,” says Brown.

In the summer of 2020, the store was renovated to modernize the shopping experience and further emphasize fresh departments, including produce. “The redesign focused on creating a brighter, more open produce department with flexible merchandising fixtures and improved refrigeration,” says Brown. “This allows the team to better highlight seasonal items, promotional displays, and the diverse assortment customers expect.”

SERVING WITH PRODUCE

Brown explains the company takes great pride in its perishable programs and believes strong fresh programs are what truly differentiate a supermarket.

“We empower store management teams to merchandise their departments based on the needs of their specific community, rather than forcing every location into the same model,” he says. “That flexibility allows us to respond quickly to customer preferences, introduce new items, and expand categories that resonate locally.”

The Upper Darby Fresh Grocer listens closely to customers and makes sure its assortment, pricing and promotions align with their needs, says Brown. “In produce, specifically, we focus on delivering the highest quality products, maintaining strong everyday value, and creating an aggressive promotional program that keeps fresh fruits and vegetables accessible to everyone.”

Produce plays a critical role in shaping the store’s overall image. “Freshness is key,” says Brown. “Customers associate freshness and quality with the produce department, so maintaining strong standards in quality, variety, and pricing helps reinforce our reputation. When customers see vibrant displays, fresh product, and competitive pricing in produce, it builds confidence in the entire store.”

Many of the store’s team members have grown within the organization and have worked at this location for years. “That experience gives them a strong understanding of the community and its preferences,” says Brown. “We regularly share insights across our stores to identify trends, successful promotions, and opportunities to expand product offerings.”

VARIETY AND VALUE-DRIVEN

The store is approximately 54,000 square feet and boasts about 2,500 square feet dedicated to produce. The department is positioned at the front of the store.

“We believe that leading with fresh produce sets the tone for the entire shopping trip and reinforces our commitment to freshness, quality and value,” says Brown. “This store’s produce department contributes about 10% of total store sales.”

The store’s variety is vast, and Brown explains that their flexibility and responsiveness set them apart from the competition. “Because we aren’t locked into rigid planograms, our team has the ability to quickly introduce new items, respond to customer requests and adjust shelf space based on demand,” he says. “That agility allows us to maintain an assortment that truly reflects the community we serve.”

The department carries more than 850 SKUs, including fresh fruits and vegetables, juices, salads, dips, dressings and vegetarian options. “We’ve continued to expand our assortment to reflect the tastes of our community,” says Brown. “In particular, we’ve seen significant growth in tropical and exotic produce categories, which performed exceptionally well in 2025. Items that might be considered specialty products in other markets are everyday staples for many of our customers.”

Produce is heavily featured in weekly circular promotions, which highlight seasonal items and value-driven pricing.

VISUAL AND MOBILE STRATEGY

The store’s merchandising strategy focuses on large, fresh bulk displays of key promotional items. “We believe strong visual merchandising communicates freshness and value,” says Brown. “Displays are built around weekly promotional programs, seasonal opportunities and customer demand.”

Entering the department, shoppers are greeted with a horizontal line of farm-style wooden bins showcasing the weekly deals. The right side of the department is flanked by two 20-foot refrigerated cases — one stocked with cut fruit and vegetables and the other with juices. The left side of the department is lined by a 34-foot fresh wall and a wet rack, along with 24 feet of glass door refrigerated merchandisers.

The interior of the department is all mobile, and moved around seasonally. “We utilize JSI for our interior department, Hillphoenix cases for our refrigeration, and Airflow products to help properly display merchandise,” says Brown.

The department features a unique 9-foot circular banana display that holds 11 to 12 cases of bananas at a time. For quality considerations, each banana hand sits on a shelf and is not stacked. The circular display allows easy access for shoppers from all sides. The store sells 24 cases of bananas each day.

All produce is sourced via the store’s co-op, Wakefern. “We’ve found it to be the most efficient for consistent quality and sizing,” says Brown. “We move approximately 2,000 cases per week in fresh produce.”

Brown points to tropicals as an example of the store’s responsiveness to sales and procurement. “As demand increased, our team focused on ensuring strong in-stock conditions during peak shopping times and expanding our assortment of tropical fruits and vegetables.”

inside the store

The Fresh Grocer of Upper Darby
421 South 69th St., Upper Darby, PA 19082
T: 610-352-1222
Hours: 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily