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GOURMET NEWS FEBRUARY 2017 www.gourmetnews.com Retailer News RETAILER NEWS 1 0 BRIEFS Ahold USA and Verizon Complete Digital Transformation To better accommodate more than 3 mil- lion customers and 115,000 associates each week across 780 store locations, Ahold USA's retail divisions, Stop & Shop New England, Stop & Shop New York Metro, Giant Landover and Giant Carlisle, em- barked on a technology overhaul in collab- oration with Verizon Enterprise Solutions to create a "smarter store" for today's al- ways-connected consumer. "Our divisions are focused on the needs of their customers and improving the over- all customer experience," said Paul Scorza, Chief Information Officer for Ahold USA. "Verizon Enterprise Solutions has helped them deliver on their 'better place to shop' mission as we were able to bring Wi-Fi to all 780 division stores while increasing net- work bandwidth that moves data quickly." Wi-Fi connectivity throughout their stores has been instrumental for the Ahold USA divisions to tailor offers and promo- tions to subscribers of their app and SCAN IT! Mobile feature, which allows customers to use smartphones to scan items for self- serve checkout. Additionally, Ahold USA division associates can rely on strong net- work connectivity to rapidly and securely transmit data related to everything from in- ventory needs to medical prescriptions and point of sale transactions. "With this improved store network, we're making it easier for our division cus- tomers to smoothly access other technol- ogy options like SCAN IT! Mobile," added Scorza. "With a strong, reliable network, store associates are in a great position to succeed; whether helping a customer with a price, ordering an item, or finding a prod- uct, associates can get the job done faster and easier." Underscoring the growing popularity of the Wi-Fi feature, in December 2016 alone Ahold USA's divisions saw an overall 23 percent spike in the number of users over the previous month. On top of improving the customer expe- rience, the technology upgrade includes operational enhancements across all Ahold USA division stores. All locations are now equipped with Verizon's business-grade voice-over-IP (VoIP) phone solution which streamlines network management and cost efficiencies while extending the capabilities of the company's existing phone system. Further, the addition of Verizon's industry leading wireless network capabilities in each location will provide backup connec- tivity to help maintain business continuity in the event of outages which can be harm- ful to business and a company's brand. "Ahold USA's businesses are reinventing the retail experience for today and the fu- ture, and we are proud to be partnering with them," said Michele Dupré, Group Vice President of Retail, Distribution and Hospitality with Verizon Enterprise Solu- tions. "We've built our business on helping retailers, and organizations across all indus- tries, embrace innovative technologies that deliver efficiencies and create new oppor- tunities. Never before has technology trans- formation been so important for attracting a consumer population that has comfort- ably adapted to a digital world." GN Fiesta Mart Opens New Location Houston-based Fiesta Mart LLC opened a new store in South Richey, Texas on Wednesday, January 11. The new store is part of a long- term reinvigoration of the Fiesta brand. This new location will feature a scratch bakery where everything is baked in-store, an expanded product selection and a full-service carniceria and kitchen offering traditional, home-cooked dishes. Ahold USA Partners with RangeMe Ahold USA, parent company of Stop & Shop New England, Stop & Shop New York Metro, Giant Landover, Giant Carlisle and online grocery Peapod, has partnered with RangeMe, an online platform that streamlines new product discovery between retailers and product suppliers. This new technology adoption allows Ahold USA to discover and source more women-owned and minority-owned businesses with innovative and quality products for its division stores. Ahold USA and its retail divisions will leverage RangeMe to not only scale product and supplier discovery efforts, but also to manage the company's inbound product submissions. Kroger Receives EPA Food Recovery Award The Kroger Co. was recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its efforts around sustainable food management. Kroger participated in the EPA's 2016 Food Recovery Challenge and was named Region 5 Winner in the grocers category. Albertsons to Participate in Online Purchasing Pilot for SNAP Albertsons Companies has been selected to participate in the online purchasing pilot of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in three of its operating divisions in the states of Maryland, Oregon and Washington. The two-year pilot is expected to establish the foundation for a program that will eventually extend online grocery purchasing nationwide to 43 million low-income individuals. The company's shop.safeway.com site will be one of seven online grocery retail sites to test and implement it beginning in August 2017. Lowes Foods Extends ProLogic Contract ProLogic Retail Services, the largest provider of loyalty marketing solutions to independent grocers, is announcing the extension of its contract with Lowes Foods, a Carolinas-based grocer. ProLogic's technology is the engine behind Lowes Foods' Fresh Rewards program which provides shoppers with instant rewards, gas rewards and special promotional offers. Through the Fresh Rewards program, ProLogic enables Lowes Foods to segment its shoppers, identifying its top shoppers and understanding their purchase patterns. With this information, ProLogic enables Lowes Foods to run targeted promotions that are specifically tailored to individual shoppers or groups of shoppers. These targeted promotions help Lowes Foods to retain its best shoppers and expand their purchases throughout the store. Larry's Market Continued from PAGE 1 overseas. Larry continued ordering. "Of course my father is the consummate salesman. He can still sell like nobody's business," Peterson said. "He still comes in three days a week." Steve carried on that romance with French cheeses as he traveled in Europe in the 1970s for his own version of the Grand Tour once made by Victorian gentlemen to broaden their horizons as they started out on their lives as independent adults. "He loved France," Peterson said. Steve and his father decided to start car- rying artisanal American cheeses in the store after Mike Gingrich of Uplands Cheese won the American Cheese Society's Best of Show Award for Pleasant Ridge Re- serve, and today, the cheese counter with its 200 to 300 cheeses is a destination for travelers who come to Larry's Mar- ket just to buy their cheese. Most of the business rung up by the store's 15 full and regular part- time employees, though, comes ei- ther at lunchtime or through the store's catering business. The regular Friday grill-out events are also huge draws that bring 250 to 300 people into the store over the course of a couple of hours. All told, the deli and catering depart- ments represent about 60 to 70 percent of the business today. "We do a lot of corpo- rate catering, so on any given day, we'll have five people out delivering, and we can do 400 to 500 people for lunch, just cater- ing," Peterson said. The typical lunchtime purchase for the 100 to 150 people who usually come in then is about $12 to $15, although cus- tomers will frequently spend $40 to $50 at a time if they're also buying groceries and cheese. Among the most popular offerings are killer brownies, Wisconsin artisan cheeses and fresh soups, including the turkey chili that's a particular favorite among Larry's regulars. "We sell a ton of soup, summer and winter," Peterson said. "Our local health inspector comes in for lunch quite often." GN PHOTOS CREDITED TO URIAH CARPENTER

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