Foxtrot Opens Another D.C.-Area Store
Foxtrot continues to grow its presence near the nation’s capital, opening its sixth area store this week in Arlington, Va. Set to welcome shoppers on Jan. 13, the location at 1771 Pierce Street in the Rosslyn neighborhood combines convenience and discovery with an in-store shopping experience, foodservice-at-retail, pickup and fast delivery in 30 minutes or less.
The upcoming grand opening includes food and drink samples, swag giveaways, music by a local DJ and live screen printing, among other festivities. Store visitors who download and use the Foxtrot app during the first week of business will receive a gift while supplies last.
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According to Foxtrot, the 4,077-square-foot Arlington store offers the largest product assortment that the retailer has available, spanning everyday groceries, local beers and wines and grab-and-go meals, and featuring more than 150 products from local artisans. This location will also serve up café drinks, smoothies, breakfast tacos, bowls and more.
The product mix at this and other Foxtrot locations reflects shoppers’ taste for unique products that include both healthy and indulgent choices. As the new year opens, Foxtrot’s CEO Mike LaVitola said that having such a balance is important. “A common misconception is that healthy and conventional customers are completely separate but they are not,” he told Progressive Grocer. “Most customers fit into both buckets — you could have a healthy meal, like avocado toast for breakfast then eat an indulgent snack in the afternoon as a treat. Now, shoppers can have a tasty, yet nutritional protein bar like Mid Day Squares to offset an indulgent meal like pizza and beer.”
At the same time, makers are rolling out products that are more multi-faceted in nature. “These days, healthy versus indulgent snacks aren’t always mutually exclusive. In the past, healthy was not considered tasty or indulgent but brands have changed that. New manufacturing techniques and product innovation allow ‘healthy’ brands can also be a little indulgent,” he added.
According to LaVitola, some of the most popular healthy items at Foxtrot right now include Olipop prebiotic sodas, private label Foxtrot snack mixes, nuts and dried mango, Glonuts and Siete tortilla chips, among others. On the indulgent side, strong sellers include Jeni’s ice cream varieties, private label Foxtrot gummies and chocolate mixes, Dream Pop Bites and local cookies from makers such as Big Fat Cookie and Sweet Shot.
Based in Chicago, Foxtrot aims to redefine convenience for today’s consumers, fusing neighborhood retailing and e-commerce technology. Currently, Foxtrot operates 23 locations across Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Dallas and is planning to continue its expansion this year with another new store in Austin, Texas. The store also offers select foods, goods and curated gifts available for nationwide shipping via Foxtrot Anywhere.
