A really super supermarket

Jeff Rogut

As part of our recent AACS overseas Study Tour, we had the opportunity of visiting a Wegman’s Supermarket in Great Valley, Malvern, PA.

What an amazing store when we compare this with most of our local stores and offers.
Just entering the large store one is assailed by the overwhelming sense of fresh foods, not the constant array of price promotional materials. The excellent lighting throughout the store highlights the merchandise as the hero. There are the typical grocery products, well displayed and offering value, but the main entrance takes the customer on a journey through fresh fruit and veg, sushi being made in store, bakery, dozens of bagel varieties, fishmonger and butcher, vegetables being cut and packed in store, enormous displays of cheeses from around the world, coffee and food areas to go, a pharmacy, a restaurant, huge homewares displays…. and on the list goes including a ‘convenience ‘ chilled cabinet for quick purchases and cookies, cookies and cookies…..
This store quality is not unique just to this area, but to every Wegmans location. No wonder communities write to this hugely successful company asking them to open a store in their neighbourhood.
The lessons for the convenience industry? The retail experience when entering the store, lighting that highlights the merchandise not the usual BOGOF promotions, fresh.. fresh… fresh, speedy and friendly service, self checkout pods around the store to make paying and leaving convenient for those with a small basket of goods, prepared meals ready to go, and that in some cases retail theatre and experience trumps price as long as the customer sees overall value.
I would highly recommend a visit to a Wegman’s store on your next US visit – and see if you can leave without being tempted to buy something…..
https://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/HomepageView?storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&langId=-1&clear=true