Independent retailers hold their own in the Midwest

Midwest retailers are increasingly unveiling their own small store and premium formats.

SuperValu’s Cub Foods plans to open its urban concept store in Minneapolis in spring 2019. SuperValu also operates the County Market banner in the Minneapolis market, but closed its Shop ‘n Save stores in the St. Louis area, which employed 3,000.

Bigger news revolves around SuperValu itself, as the struggling retailer becomes part of United Natural Foods Inc., an organic and specialty foods distributor based in Providence, RI. Time will tell how the acquisition will impact SuperValu’s presence in the Twin Cities, where locals thrive on fresh.

“Many of the big retail chains centric to the Twin Cities — Kowalski’s Markets, Lunds & Byerlys specifically — are very organic- and health-focused, pushing more fresh,” says Carkoski. He says the percentage of fresh items at storefront is higher than most competitors, who focus more on center aisle products. “It’s good for us,” he adds, “because we’re obviously pushing fresh as well.”

Coborn’s, another Minnesota independent, operates some of its 30 stores in peripheral suburbs, 20 miles or more from downtown. St. Cloud-based Coborn’s operates an additional 90 locations under its namesake, Cash Wise Foods, Marketplace Foods, and Save-A-Lot banners.

In Cleveland, independent Heinen’s opened a downtown location and has made a push to attract the younger, millennial consumers moving into the city.

Kroger stores throughout the Midwest continue to feature store redesigns where expanded cooking ingredients and kitchen tool selections may be offered near fresh produce.

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This is an excerpt from the most recent Produce Blueprints quarterly journal. Click here to read the full article.