Bfresh Stores Coming to Philly: Report

Ahold Delhaize plans to open three smaller-format, urban-focused bfresh stores in Philadelphia, according to a published report.

The Inquirer reported that the grocery conglomerate’s Fresh Formats LLC subsidiary, which has already revealed that it will open a store on the ground floor of a condominium on South Street, holds leases for locations on Bainbridge Street and on Chestnut Street in University City, citing Robert Gorlund, of Rahway, N.J.-based site selection specialist Matthew P. Casey & Associates, who based his remarks on conversations with industry contacts and had no knowledge of when the stores would open.

When contacted by Progressive Grocer, an Ahold Delhaize spokesman was able to confirn that Fresh Formats had signed leases for the South Street, Bainbridge Street and Chestnut Street sites, as well as an additional site on North Second Street, but couldn't provide any further details.

Since December 2014, Fresh Formats has operated a 3,700-square-foot Everything Fresh store on Philadelphia’s Walnut Street, which has served as a laboratory for its smaller-footprint concept.

Three bfresh stores are currently open in the Boston area, the latest having debuted just last month in Somerville, Mass.