Supermarkets Help Shoppers Celebrate New Year's Eve at Home

The Fresh Market, Whole Foods and Gelson’s among retailers offering meal packages and entertaining tips

12/19/2023

The Fresh Market is putting together crab cake and salmon cake platters for New Year's Eve parties this year.

As people ring in 2024, many are relying on grocers to help them set their table and entertain. Still-elevated inflation and the ongoing popularity of eating at home portend a continuation of at-home celebrations on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

The Fresh Market is one grocer looking ahead past the Christmas holiday to preparations for Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. This week, the retailer announced its lineup of party platters and brunch meals that are available for pre-ordering online.

[Read more: “Target’s $25 Holiday Meal Deal Is Back”]

Shoppers can choose from a variety of party packages that include appetizers, main dishes and sides. Options include deluxe charcuterie antipasto trays, chicken wing platters, classic fruit and cheese plates, a wrap tray with several different varieties, and a new selection of platters filled with crab cakes and salmon cakes.

For those planning a New Year’s Day brunch, The Fresh Market is taking orders from Dec. 22 through Dec. 29 for meals for four, priced at $19.99. Shoppers can pick from three types of quiches to pair with tropical fruit and blueberry muffins and also take home a reusable shopping bag.

To inspire party ideas and make shopping more convenient, The Fresh Market is hosting a New Year’s Eve shoppable livestream on Dec. 21 at noon EST. The retailer has become known for its shoppable livestreams, which kicked off last February with a Valentine’s Day event.

Other food retailers are also sharing ideas for New Year's Eve and Day ahead of those occasions. Whole Food Market, for its part, posted suggestions on its website for throwing an “epic” New Year’s Eve party at home. Pro tips include instructions on building a seafood tower, creating an enticing cheese tray and picking out sparkling wines and champagne. Whole Foods also shared a sample New Year's Eve menu with recipes.

Likewise, Gelson’s is out with its New Year’s menu, offering meals that can be picked up between Dec. 30 and Jan. 1. Shoppers can choose from dinners for 12, dinners for eight or dinners for two that include a choice of protein, including plant-based entrees, and sides. A la carte ordering is available as well.

Greensboro, N.C.-based The Fresh Market operates 161 stores in 22 states. The Fresh Market is No. 76 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods has more than 500 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seattle-based Amazon, which is No. 2 on The PG 100. Founded in 1951, Encino, Calif.-based Gelson’s operates 28 locations throughout Southern California, including a new store that opened in November in West Los Angeles.