from the editor

I have seen the grocery store of the future. It is tucked away in Dublin, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. It is not a new prototype for Kroger, Winn-Dixie, A&P or Albertson's; it is a Whole Foods Market Inc. store that quietly opened in September.

Let me tell you what is so impressive about the new Dublin Whole Foods store. First and foremost, it is customer-centric. While a lot of retailers talk about being customer-centric, this store delivers on that promise. The Whole Foods shopper's lifestyle and consumer preferences are integrated into the store layout, merchandising content and the emotional context of the shopping experience.

The floorplan has been carefully crafted to quickly captivate the shopper and to lead them on a tour of the store—a voyage of discovery and engagement. There is an immediate emotional connection.

On the tour, the shopper sees an amazing array of fresh produce, merchandised vertically, as well as horizontally, bringing all that color to eye level, instead of waist level, which increases visibility from a distance. At the store's center, a health and beauty area resides in an intimate space, identified with a flowing water feature, comfy armchairs and makeup stations. Shops dedicated to various food categories circle the store's perimeter. Aisles of packaged goods, a wine shop and a room that houses cooking demonstrations and related home merchandise complete the mix.

All of the areas connect and flow into one another via gentle curved aisles, and many of the showcases are also curved. Food station fixtures throughout the store are steel with granite countertops, reminiscent of an upscale residential kitchen. Mood-enhancing spotlighting is used, instead of fluorescent lighting, in all areas that feature fresh foods.

But what really makes this store so successful is product progression, departmental adjacencies and juxtaposing merchandise. No other food merchant has thought out the offering this completely or presented it this well. And the entire store is merchandised with an understanding of the degree to which different consumers wish to get involved with their food. From serious cooks to novice cooks to non-cooks—all can happily shop here.

For example, the seafood market presents the standard basic assortments of fresh seafood in linear cold cases. Directly adjacent to the basics are marinated, ready-to-cook, raw seafood items as well as some pre-cooked, heat-and-serve entrees. Shoppers can also select shrimp Ceviche, mussell salad, seafood gumbo and clam chowder from the seafood station, located in the aisle directly in front of the cold case, to eat in the store or take home.

In the produce department, adjacent to mass presentations of fresh fruits and vegetables, is an amazing wall of merchandise that begins with packaged, pre-cut fruits and vegetables. The wall also includes salads, party trays, salsas and chutneys, and ends with fresh bottled juices and smoothies made on the spot—every imaginable version of fresh produce-based products.

Complimentary tasting zones fill the store with delicious aromas. For example, there is an impressive olive oil tasting bar, with bottles of imported oils surrounding platters of fresh bread, and an olive kiosk that displays numerous varieties of glistening, imported olives.

Most supermarkets think the store of the future is all about technology. But, while Whole Foods does provide self-scanning checkout, there are no high-tech bells and whistles here. The store clearly keeps the focus on the food and on the customer.

Whole Foods' sales increased by a dramatic 70 percent from 2001 to 2004, and increased by 25 percent last year. The retailer's 15 percent annual comp-store sales growth comes at a time when the industry comp-store average is close to 0 percent.

In a market where Wal-Mart Supercenters are claiming an ever-bigger grocery share, and where traditional supermarkets are getting squeezed in the middle, Whole Foods seems poised to take off, claiming an upscale niche that is unique and filled with potential.



Got an opinion? E-mail me at: rsway@ddimagazine.com.