Food Lion Inc. (Salsibury, N.C.) has opened its first new Bloom concept store, one of five pilots it plans to open in 2004.
The new store, in Charlotte, N.C., has been described as “thought for food” by the 1200-store supermarket organization. The company says the concept is “aimed at providing a simple, uncomplicated and hassle-free shopping experience.”
The Bloom store, the result of nearly two years of research and analysis, is the company’s recognition “that customer needs, expectations and behaviors are changing and becoming more diverse.” It is the product of a cross-functional “concept” team put together by Food Lion in 2002. The team’s mission was to examine customer and retail trends, identify unique opportunities for growth and develop retail concepts to capture those opportunities. The Bloom concept and test stores are a product of this work.
“Bloom is an extension of the Food Lion model,” said Robert Canipe, Food Lion vp of business strategy. “Bloom will offer competitive prices, provide the freshest products and focus on eliminating many of the hassles of shopping. Through these pilot stores, Bloom will seek to create a unique identity and customer base of its own.”
Among the adjustments to store design, layout and merchandising are locating everyday items like milk, bread, eggs and home meal solutions near the front in an intuitively designed area called Table Top Circle. Store shelves are shorter, so customers can more easily reach what they need. Frozen foods are located near the checkout area, while health and beauty care products are placed next to the store’s pharmacy.
Bloom also contains new retailing technology. As customers walk in the door, they can pick up a personal scanner, which allows them to scan and bag their items as they shop. The scanners give customers a running total of the items they have selected while they shop.
Information kiosks throughout the store provide store maps and price checks, show where specific products are located and offer meat and wine suggestions and recipes.
An advanced self-serve produce scale tells customers the cost of their fresh fruits and vegetables before checking out. Bloom also offers multiple checkout options — regular, express, self-check and checkout with the personal scanner.
“Through store design, merchandising, a unique combination of technologies and select services, we want to offer hassle-free shopping solutions and a retail experience customers will appreciate,” Canipe said.
The store will offer Boston Market home meal solutions, the result of a partnership the two companies announced in December 2003.
Food Lion said it chose “Bloom, A Food Lion Market” as the name of the new store concept after significant research and development. Consumer feedback suggested that “Bloom” best resonated with the customers on an emotional level as a brand that is upbeat, uncomplicated and hassle-free, yet founded in Food Lion’s tradition of competitive prices.
The four other Bloom pilot stores will open later this year, all in the greater Charlotte area. “Our plan is to open five pilot stores and then operate and learn from these stores,” said Canipe. “The information and experience we gain from the pilot stores, including customer feedback, will help us develop a growth strategy for Bloom.”
Food Lion LLC is a subsidiary of Delhaize America (Salisbury, N.C.), the U.S. division of Delhaize Group (Brussels).