New Martin's Unit Adds Nutritionist, Education, Healthy Foods
CARLISLE, Pa. -- Ahold USA's Martin's Food Markets is giving nutrition a face at its newest location. The chain has hired a licensed nutritionist for new 76,700-square-foot store, opening today in Eldersburg, Md. Martin's is part of Ahold's Giant-Carlisle/Tops Market operation based here.
The new unit is the first Martin's location to feature a nutritionist, and only the second store in the Giant-Carlisle/Tops Markets division to boast the presence of such skilled personnel, Giant Food spokeswoman Tracy Pawelski told Progressive Grocer. The other store, a Giant Food prototype in Camp Hill, Pa., is staffed by two in-store nutritionists.
The on-staff nutritionist tops of an offering at the Eldersburg store that also includes other health-and-wellness products, programs, and services, at what the retailer called "affordable prices."
The nutritionist will guide shoppers through the store pointing out healthful alternatives, answer questions about how to live healthy and natural lifestyles, and conduct one-on-one consultations by appointment.
The eating expert, Lisa Coleman, joins Martin's from Aramark Corp. at Greater Baltimore Medical Center, where she had coordinated all aspects of patient meal services according to each patient's particular health and dietary needs. In previous positions, she handled inpatient nutrition assessment, planning, intervention, and education.
"Martin's remains committed to supporting our customers' desires to live healthier lives and we're very excited to have someone with Lisa's exceptional credentials on staff," said Martin's health and wellness director Beth Holmes in a statement. "Lisa can answer nutritional questions, help customers address special dietary needs, and even give healthy eating tours around the store."
Other health-and-wellness features at the store include the Nature's Promise Marketplace, which includes Martin's exclusive Nature's Promise line of over 3,500 frozen, dairy, grocery, meat, and special diet selections, among them gluten-free; and Your Neighborhood Drugstore at Martin's, which, in addition to filling prescriptions, provides tips for healthy living, and a special Diabetic Center.
The Eldersburg store is equipped with kiosks that dispense health information, and a family of 36 brochures on health topics in the Nature's Promise section, said Pawelski. She also noted that the store, in common with many of the chain's existing locations, makes "a real commitment to consumer health information," and that there are "lots of community partnerships we intend to pursue."
The new location replaces a nearby Martin's store, which closed yesterday.
Martin's Food Markets is operated by Giant Food Stores, LLC. Giant Food operates 103 stores as Giant Food Stores, 119 stores as Tops Markets and 26 stores as Martin's Food Markets. With almost 40,000 associates, Martin's serves a six-state market area including Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio.
The new unit is the first Martin's location to feature a nutritionist, and only the second store in the Giant-Carlisle/Tops Markets division to boast the presence of such skilled personnel, Giant Food spokeswoman Tracy Pawelski told Progressive Grocer. The other store, a Giant Food prototype in Camp Hill, Pa., is staffed by two in-store nutritionists.
The on-staff nutritionist tops of an offering at the Eldersburg store that also includes other health-and-wellness products, programs, and services, at what the retailer called "affordable prices."
The nutritionist will guide shoppers through the store pointing out healthful alternatives, answer questions about how to live healthy and natural lifestyles, and conduct one-on-one consultations by appointment.
The eating expert, Lisa Coleman, joins Martin's from Aramark Corp. at Greater Baltimore Medical Center, where she had coordinated all aspects of patient meal services according to each patient's particular health and dietary needs. In previous positions, she handled inpatient nutrition assessment, planning, intervention, and education.
"Martin's remains committed to supporting our customers' desires to live healthier lives and we're very excited to have someone with Lisa's exceptional credentials on staff," said Martin's health and wellness director Beth Holmes in a statement. "Lisa can answer nutritional questions, help customers address special dietary needs, and even give healthy eating tours around the store."
Other health-and-wellness features at the store include the Nature's Promise Marketplace, which includes Martin's exclusive Nature's Promise line of over 3,500 frozen, dairy, grocery, meat, and special diet selections, among them gluten-free; and Your Neighborhood Drugstore at Martin's, which, in addition to filling prescriptions, provides tips for healthy living, and a special Diabetic Center.
The Eldersburg store is equipped with kiosks that dispense health information, and a family of 36 brochures on health topics in the Nature's Promise section, said Pawelski. She also noted that the store, in common with many of the chain's existing locations, makes "a real commitment to consumer health information," and that there are "lots of community partnerships we intend to pursue."
The new location replaces a nearby Martin's store, which closed yesterday.
Martin's Food Markets is operated by Giant Food Stores, LLC. Giant Food operates 103 stores as Giant Food Stores, 119 stores as Tops Markets and 26 stores as Martin's Food Markets. With almost 40,000 associates, Martin's serves a six-state market area including Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio.