Outstanding Independents

2018's Outstanding Independents emphasize local, enjoyable experiences

When My Fresh Basket owner Ramona Higashi was approached about building a supermarket from the ground up along the river in Spokane, Wash., she and her team knew that the concept would have to play off the location. “We have a great view, so we thought, all right, we’re going to highlight

Expansion doesn’t always mean a second location. Instead, Cardiff Seaside Market owners John and Pete Najjar decided to remodel and expand the location they had, growing it from 13,000 square feet to 18,500 square feet.

Setting your stores apart is a tough business. “We really had to be very forward thinking in this industry,” says Rachel Shemirani, VP of marketing for the seven-store Barons Market, based in Poway, Calif. “The grocery industry, especially in Southern California, is just so competitive.

PSK Supermarkets, a 13-store independent family-run grocery chain in the New York metropolitan area, uses technology in a variety of ways to deepen relationships between customers and team members to drive sales and remain competitive. Foodtown has offered an ecommerce site for online shopping f

Like many other independents, Busch’s Fresh Food Market, operating 17 stores in southeastern Michigan, works to create stores that draw consumers’ attention. To do that, the Busch family opened J.B.’s Smokehouse in its new Canton store.

In a competitive market like Chicago, quality becomes important, and Treasure Island takes that challenge to heart in its produce departments. “Quality is No. 1 on our priority list,” asserts Bob Zenawick, VP of operations. “We have three buyers that go to the market for us on a daily basis.

How consumers shop is changing, and supermarkets have to ensure that they’re offering the technology those consumers want.

Competition is everywhere, and Geissler’s Supermarkets, with six stores in Connecticut and one in Massachusetts, is in one of the more competitive markets in the country.

In Belmont Market’s busy prepared food department, Chef Ginger Costa and her staff of up to 36 people take to heart one of the store’s taglines: “We’re real people making real food.” The kitchen sources the best-quality food ingredients it can, and does the seasoning and prep work on-site. “We

To succeed in center store, grocers have to think outside the box. C.E. Lovejoy’s Brookswood Market, in Bend, Ore., also has begun thinking outside the keg.

When you claim to be home of the super butcher shop, you’re setting the bar pretty high, but McKinnon’s Supermarkets follows through on the claim.

While most food retailers tend to have the same produce variety, it’s often one of the departments used to create distinction in the minds of consumers. How Farmhouse Market goes about that is where it sources its product. “It comes direct from the farms in our truck,” says owner Jay Bluher.

What sets Roche Bros.’ bakeries apart from the competition is the bakers, says Josh Naughton, director of deli, seafood and bakery. “We’ve got some of the best bakers in the industry running our departments,” he notes.

Lakeview Supermarket and Deli, with its tagline of “You can’t beat our meat,” bills itself as a meat store that also sells groceries.

Competition had created a real challenge for Olsen’s Market’s center store, so owner Bryanne Olsen’s husband encouraged her to add Ace Hardware to the product line. The couple had explored the idea more than 10 years earlier, but it wasn’t the right fit.