This complete rebuild’s abundant produce section wows loyal and new customers.

ShopRite of Drexeline, part of Burns’ Family Neighborhood Markets, has been serving the community in Drexel Hill, PA, for 43 years. In September 2023, it celebrated a well-earned grand opening of a new store, and enjoyed a successful first year.

Tim Brown, chief operating officer for Burns’ Family Neighborhood Markets, says the ShopRite of Drexeline was a replacement store for the original company headquarters.

A member of the Wakefern Food Corp., store owner Patrick J. Burns currently operates five Fresh Grocer supermarkets and two ShopRite supermarkets throughout the Greater Philadelphia area. The new Drexel Hill store was a complete teardown and rebuild.

Burns’ Family Neighborhood Markets specializes in providing high-quality perishables in urban and suburban environments.

“We are committed to understanding the needs, tastes and traditions of the communities in which the stores are located, and make it a priority to offer an assortment of products and services to meet those various needs,” says Brown. “We are also committed to improving food access and to promoting the health and wellness of our customers, associates and communities.”

GREATER SUCCESS

The new store is about 72,000 square feet total, with a produce department of approximately 4,000 square feet. “Our new produce department is about double the space of our old store, allowing for expanded variety of both traditional and organic produce offerings,” says Brown.

The produce department is a standout department that has seen a tremendous lift in sales compared to the prior store, explains Brown. “The department is doing very well, ahead of store trend, and sometimes double the volume of our old location,” he says. “Our new location allowed for the installation of state-of-the-art equipment, a far better layout to provide a better shopping experience, and the addition of promotional space to present better value for our customers.”

The store considers produce a department that sets it apart from the competition from both a value and freshness perspective, says Brown. “By offering both value and freshness, we find that our customers have increased basket size and confidence in our other fresh departments.”

The department moves around 5,000 cases per week. It procures 100% of produce from Wakefern and takes delivery six days a week from the Wakefern warehouse. “In order to drive the success of the overall co-op and keep produce as fresh as possible coming out of the warehouse, it is important to procure as much of our goods as possible from our co-op,” says Brown.

The store emphasizes quality and value. “Yes, you can accomplish both,” says Brown. “Some people think you have to sacrifice one to achieve the other, but the goal for our company’s produce departments is to be able to turn product to keep freshness and drive quality perception.”

A PRODUCE BOUNTY

The sweeping, bright department carries around 1,000 SKUs between fresh produce, juice and dry goods. “Our new space allows for an open floor plan, with the interior of the department designed with field bins and mobile refrigerated units from JSI,” says Brown. “Space is the one premium we picked up in this new store to help allow for a more comfortable shopping experience, increased variety, and better grouping and categorizing of commodities.”

The new store makes great use of the amount of space it now enjoys. Upon entering the store, shoppers are greeted with several 12-by-5 foot field bins full of seasonal produce. Several 7-by-4 foot refrigerated, wood-themed cases display cut fruit and some specialty items.

The department utilizes combinations of moveable displays to build large 16- to 20-foot combinations throughout, simulating a farm-market style. Angled corners and a small second shelf add character and functionality to some displays.

Other displays boast built-in shelves underneath for cross-merchandising shelf-stable products, such as jarred garlic, sauces and salad toppings. The fresh wall is 52 feet long, with an additional 36 feet of doors for bagged salads and soy products.

The store carries a full variety of both conventional and organic produce. “The good thing about opening a replacement store is that you have a sense of who your current customer is, can expand on what you already know you did well, and build on it to help engage new customers,” says Brown. “Additionally, we are constantly trying new items and varieties and continue to carry those items our customers connect with.”

ENGAGING SHOPPERS

Promotional items are highlighted at the front of the department to drive a value and price image. The store offers a weekly circular, both traditional and digital.

The department cross-merchandises and offers tie-in items accordingly to help showcase variety. “Additionally, we have a meal solutions program that our stores design weekly,” says Brown. “They are encouraged to tie in a few fresh produce items, along with meat, seafood and dairy items.”

Most of the produce managers have come up internally in the company as rising stars. “They have worked their way up through hard work and dedication and are very in tune with the preferences of the communities,” says Brown. “I don’t want to leave anyone out, but would like to specifically thank Freddie, Kevin, Darnell, Dan, Jake, Jose, and Minh for all of their hard work in making our company successful.”

Being locally owned means the company is involved with the communities it serves. “It is important to support the community, and in turn, hope that the community continues to support our company and our employees,” says Brown. “We have a very diverse customer base, and we try to cater to everyone’s tastes and needs. We aim to make a difference every day by being good corporate citizens, good employers, good operators and good people.”

FACT FILE

ShopRite of Drexeline
5000 State Road, Drexel Hill, PA 19026
Tel: 610-622-1100
Hours: Everyday, 6 a.m. to midnight
Website: www.shoprite.com