Routine, weekly trips to the grocery store are rapidly becoming a thing of the past.
And that's largely because the grocery landscape is changing as a whole.
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Increasingly, consumer taste and demands are becoming more niche. Some prefer to shop exclusively online thanks to new delivery services like Instacart and Amazon (AMZN) grocery delivery.
Others frequent superstores like Walmart (WMT) or Target (TGT) where they can hit all their errands – pharmacy, pet supplies, party favors, cosmetics, and groceries – at once. Often, these stores offer deeper discounts and better value, particularly if a customer prefers buying in bulk.
Other customers prefer instead to make the trek to a specialty grocer, such as a Wegmans, Whole Foods, The Fresh Market, or Sprouts which tend to carry more niche, holistic, or gourmet items for even the pickiest of palates.
Often, these specialty stores will carry an outsized number of organic produce, or items that one might have to ordinarily place a special order for ahead of time at another store or restaurant, like sushi, poke bowls, hand-made mozzarella, organic smoothies, or international candies.
But increasingly, everyday markets and grocery stores are beginning to add in specialty conveniences in an effort to attract more customers through their doors – or please the existing ones. Florida-based Publix, for example, has been adding new features like burrito bars, fresh deli sandwich stations, salad bars, ramen bars, and freshly cooked pizzas to some of its stores for a renewed upscale experience.
Weis Markets adds unique new feature
The issue with many of these specialty stores, of course, is that only a few items can ring up a pricey bill. It's not exactly feasible for the average family of four, for example, to shop each week for their essentials at The Fresh Market. The bill would be pricey, and not every kid prefers or appreciates fresh organic burrata cheese on his or her cauliflower crust pizza for a packable lunch.
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So everyday grocery stores have been adding some more modern conveniences to their aisles in an effort to attract a clientele that appreciates the finer things but still wants to save money.
Weis Markets announced it would be adding technologically advanced salad bars to some of its stores, which will allow customers to create their own bespoke ready to eat meals, hot and fresh, while they get their grocery shopping done.
The salad bars are made by Picadeli of Sweden and utilize artificial intelligence to create "fresher, safer, and more craveable," salad bars using locally sourced ingredients that are typically very veggie-heavy. Red meat is not on the menu, the company proudly touts.
"The push pre-pandemic was for more bulk foods, more service stations, [and then] the pandemic got everybody really concerned” about safety, Weis Markets Director of Produce Kevin Weaver said. “And now the pendulum is swinging back to ‘I want more choice, I want to be able to customize.’ And so service departments are making a resurgence and salad bars are making a resurgence.”
The salad bars will feature closable hoods, which will protect ingredients and keep them fresher longer. Weis Markets will start out by introducing the Picadeli stations into of their stores, many of which will be located in Maryland.
Two stores have already received the new installations, in York and Bellefonte, Pa., and the following are slated to install them soon:
- Parkville, Md.
- Perry Hall, Md.
- Baltimore, Md.
- Frederick, Md.
- Huntingdon Valley, Pa.
- Clarks Summit, Pa.
Picadeli currently operates its salad bars in other popular areas around the U.S., include Acme grocery stores, Giant, Safeway, Coborn's, and Maryville University in Missouri.
