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GOURMET NEWS APRIL 2016 www.gourmetnews.com Retailer News RETAILER NEWS 1 0 BRIEFS Wynn's Market Re-creates Itself in Naples Naples, Florida is considered one of the wealthiest cities in America; known for its architecture and local flora that gives a Eu- ropean feel to the affluent beach-side com- munity. Famous for its palm tree flecked, white sand beaches, the city is home to a historical landmark that's almost as old as the city itself: Wynn's Market. "[We've] been here since the begin- ning," says Tim Wynn, Owner of Wynn's Market. "Even our employees have been here for a long time. We have a saying: 'If you haven't worked here for over 20 years, you're a newbie!'" Wynn's Market started in Naples way back in 1938 by Wynn's grandfather as a small inn for Depression-era travelers who took the train from New York to Miami. After the end of the second World War, the building was taken over by Wynn's father, who transformed the inn into the first modern grocery store for the community of less than 600. Much has changed in the community over the years, such as the metamorphosis from a small fishing village to wealthy tourist destination, but what has remained the same, according to Wynn, is his family's dedication to offering the best product and service at a fair price. "We give them the service, give them the quality and give them a unique selection," says Wynn. "We are also one of the first ones to start online sales in Naples region, which gives us a competitive advantage over our competition." An extensive remodeling of the store 11 years ago elevated Wynn's Market to an upscale, specialty grocery that would match the lifestyle of the residents in the area. "We work with a very affluent seg- ment of the community," says Wynn. "We carry household things and unique gifts.... We have a complete shopping experience where [customers] can find something that nobody else has." The 21,000 square-foot grocery's center floor offers a limited variety of traditional staples, with the rest of the store dedicated to its renovated wine department, deli and cheese counter, specialty sea food counter and bakery. A sidewalk cafe outside the store offers a dozen tables. The store has been certified as a Blue Zone grocery, providing organic juices, gluten-free snacks and low-sodium snacks to help customers practice healthy nutri- tion. Wynn says, "Our checkout area does- n't have any candy!" Wynn says that the deli is the grocery's strongest department, specializing in an- tibiotic-free cuts of grass-fed beef and chickens as well as fresh-made salads, pas- tas and prime rib.The deli carries over 60 different items, from meatloaf and pot roast to freshly-made chicken quesadillas and fried chicken. Offerings are rotated so customers will find something new as well as their usual favorites. "You have to keep changing out there, or [the competition] will eat you alive," says Wynn. The market has a close relationship with local fishermen. All of the grocery's seafood is fresh off the boat. Stone crab claws, salmon, yellow snapper, sword fish and trout, not to mention scallops, clams and oysters are all available at the counter. Recently, the store's sushi department started offering customers the choice to have a dozen oysters shucked, packed on ice and taken home for some ready-to-go oysters on the half shell. He says, "Our sales have gone through the roof... through our strong relationship with local fishers and boaters." Wynn's Market's large wine department houses a temperature-controlled, walk-in wine cellar that contains nearly 800 differ- ent wines from Chile, Australia, Argentina, Germany, France, Spain, New Zealand and South Africa. Wynn says that they carry every type of wine from extremely high- end selections such as Opus 1 and Cristal to more affordable $6.99 bottles. GN Natural Grocers Open Third Tucson Store on March 22 Natural Grocers opened its third store in Tucson, Arizona, on Tuesday, March 22. The store is located at 3016 E. Broadway Blvd. This is Natural Grocers' seventh location in Arizona. Natural Grocers will continue to provide the Tucson community with fresh produce that is exclusively USDA Certified Organic, as well as other healthy, affordable, organic and natural products. The store will feature a mix of national brands and a selection of locally produced products from Arizona in a small, neighborhood market environment. The Tucson store will also feature a Nutritional Health Coach and offer free nutrition education classes to the public. Natural Grocers Tucson will be open seven days a week. Ahold USA and RSi Partner on Vendor Collaboration Program Ahold USA, Inc., parent company of leading supermarkets Giant Landover, Stop & Shop New England, Stop & Shop New York Metro, Giant Carlisle, and of online grocery Peapod, has partnered with Retail Solutions Inc. (RSi) for vendor collaboration programs by introducing shared business processes across the enterprise. Ahold USA has leveraged RSi's data platform and collaboration tools to better align Ahold USA business goals and daily priorities with its vendor partners. This has allowed Ahold USA to improve operational execution, realize new efficiencies and increase product availability. Furthermore, Ahold USA vendor partners, both warehouse and DSD, have recaptured incremental sales and achieved significant cost savings through Ahold USA's revolutionary in-store alerting program and advanced collaborative business analytics. ACSI: Retail Customer Satisfaction Falls Back to Long-Term Average Two years removed from its all-time high, customer satisfaction with the retail sector falls for a second consecutive year. Fourth quarter data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) show a slide of 2.6 percent to 74.8 on a 100-point scale. Despite the decline for 2015, the overall score for retail stands almost exactly at its long- term average. After several years of pretty high customer satisfaction, supermarkets register their lowest score in more than a decade, dropping 3.9 percent to 73. A wide range in customer satisfaction for supermarkets suggests that it is possible to please customers even though overall satisfaction is down for the industry. Wegmans, one of three retailers to improve customer satisfaction, gains 1 percent to 86 and becomes one of the highest- scoring companies in the Index. Other top-scoring supermarkets include Trader Joe's (83), H-E-B (82) and Publix (82). Giant Eagle and Wal-Mart at 67 find themselves at the opposite end of the scale. Albertsons, which recently merged with Safeway, rounds out the bottom three at 68. The biggest loser in customer satisfaction among supermarkets is Target. It plummets 12 percent to 71, followed by Whole Foods, which dives 10 percent to 73. Competition for natural and organic foods has been heating up as Whole Foods struggles with a reputation among food shoppers for unjustifiably high prices. Convito Celebrates 35 Years Purveying Authentic Italian "It seems like only yesterday that I opened Convito," says Founder and Owner Nancy Brussat Barocci. A small gourmet shop spe- cializing exclusively in Italian food and wine, Convito first opened its doors 35 years ago in suburban Wilmette, Illinois. Inspired by passion and immersion in everything Italian, Brussat Barocci along with her two mentors, Milanese residents Paolo Volpara and Wanda Bottino, launched their enterprise in 1980 when most people's idea of take- away food was either a bucket of deep-fried chicken or a pepperoni pizza brought home in a cardboard box. The great Italian explosion had yet to make its way to the Midwest. In those dark ages of gastronomic explo- ration, "prepared foods" were either may- onnaise-soaked potato salad or wilted coleslaw picked up at the local supermar- ket; the mention of extra virgin olive oil brought looks of confusion and "Italian wine" conjured up images of basket- wrapped Chianti bottles under the lighted candles at a smoky pizza joint. "We were a revelation," says Brussat Barocci. "Many of my friends thought I was crazy. One even commented, 'Isn't opening an Italian specialty market sort of like a doctor specialized only in knee cap sur- gery?'" But when Convito opened its doors, cus- tomers came from all over the Chicago area to take great delight in the large selections of fresh salads, sauces and baked goods. They also took note that there was more to Italian wine than Chianti. Even then, clas- sic comfort food was beginning to be val- ued over haute cuisine, and authentic Italian offered just that. By 1982, Convito outgrew its 1,500- square foot shop, moved to a space four times larger and morphed into a market with many more choices, more depart- ments, a larger wine selection, a restaurant and an outside café. In 2007, Convito com- bined with its sister restaurant, Betise, a French bistro across the parking lot in Plaza del Lago. What they both had in common was an abundance of classic com- fort dishes. Renamed Convito Café & Mar- ket, its main emphasis is still Italian but the café menu includes many bistro dishes popular at Betise. "My mom was a trailblazer," says daugh- ter Candace who was just nine years old when Convito opened its doors. She is now a partner and business manager. "However, we cannot rest on our laurels. We are con- stantly updating and changing with the times. Italian restaurants are now multiplying daily. It is up to us to offer both authenticity as well as updated versions of some of Italy's most classic dishes. For example, our market not only offers classic lasagna – Mama Mia we call it – but also a selection of at least 10 differ- ent lasagnas with ingredients rang- ing from wild mushrooms, artichokes, roasted peppers and even chopped eggs, which are featured in our Calabrian lasagna." Just recently Convito hired a new chef, Eric Hammond, who brings a wealth of Italian experience with him. Formerly Ex- ecutive Chef at both Coco Pazzo Café and Va Pensiero, he looks forward to expanding on the excellent traditions Convito has es- tablished as well as bringing his own flavor and expertise to the Convito menu. "You can't really interpret," says Chef Hammond, "unless you understand the basics, and I have had years and years of learning classic Italian cuisine." GN

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