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Nourished and flourishing: Twobrwords that can describe the people of Southlake and the city’sbrgrocery scene, respectively. It’sbrhard to believe that a full year has gonebrby since we first detailed the differencesbrof the specialty and natural foods grocersbrin the area. Sprouts, Whole Foods, CentralbrMarket, Trader Joe’s and The Fresh Marketbrhave all thrived in the past year, despite thebrcompetition that comes from selling theirbrproducts to a similar market. We appreciate what these grocers bring to the community, so we checked in on them to see whatbrthey’re up to now and what’s in store forbrshoppers this year.br
The City of Southlake is evolving in manybrways—including its grocery scene. Longtime residents no doubt remember whenbrTom Thumb, Kroger and Albertson’s were the neighborhood stores. Those were thebrdays of shopping with a long list and fillingbryour cart with a week’s worth of groceries.
br br brTimes have changed, though. Albertson’sbrclosed and Central Market came alongbrwith its upscale feel, gourmet offerings,brin-store café and humongous parking lot.brThen came Trader Joe’s, The Fresh Marketbrand Whole Foods, each ushering in its ownbrunique take on grocery shopping. Ratherbrthan stocking up with a full cart of food,brshoppers can pop into one of the many areabrgrocers for that organic artichoke pasta orbrChanterelle mushrooms for dinner.br
Wherever you fall on the grocery-shoppingbrspectrum—if you like loading up once abrweek Costco-style or you prefer zippingbrin and out of a specialty grocer for a quickbritem or two—you have a bounty of options.
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Central Market Southlake revisited
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How Business Has Been: “Business continues to be strongbrat Central Market in Southlake,” says Paul Harty, GeneralbrManager. “Our store just celebrated its ninth anniversary.brThe growth and vibrancy that continues in the Southlakebrcommunity has definitely added to our success. We have anbrextremely loyal customer base, yet we continue to see newbrcustomers exploring our store on a daily basis.”br
Competitive Edge: Central Market focuses on a strong basebrof service-minded partners (employees), who are dedicatedbrto promoting the store culture. “What makes the CentralbrMarket shopping experience different from others is ourbrmany approachable, engaging store partners who meet every customer wherever they are on their food journey,” saysbrHarty. “Our partners are the cornerstone of the Central Market brand, and the relationships they develop with our cus-brtomers continue to drive our success.”br
What’s New: Many shopping events are planned for CentralbrMarket in 2016. This month the store will announce whichbrcountry it will celebrate for its seventh annual Passportbrevent, which starts the last week of April and goes throughbrthe first week of May. This annual event brings many world-brrenowned chefs, winemakers, products and dishes directlybrfrom the chosen country to the store, so you have the chancebrto try exotic food right here in town.
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Trader Joe's Southlake revisited
How Business Has Been: While TraderbrJoe’s declined to talk specifics (AlisonbrMochizuki, Director of Public Relations,brsays the store doesn’t discuss its businessbrpractices or sales), the Southlake community has embraced the arrival of this purveyorbrof novelty eats. Every time we stop in, thebrplace is abuzz with foodies searching forbrthat niche-y find. The Facebook page, Trader Joe’s Fan, has more than half a millionbrlikes. And one man is so passionate to bringbrTrader Joe’s products to Canada (there arebrno stores there), that he trucks items acrossbrthe border and sells them in his own shop,brPirate Joe’s. Talk about a fan base.Competitive Edge: Trader Joe’s is dedicated to providing high-quality, gourmet foods in a fun environment that can’tbrbe found at other grocers. “Trader Joe’sbrconsiders itself the neighborhood grocerybrstore,” says Mochizuki. “About 80 percentbrof what we sell is under our private label,brwhich means it is free of artificial flavors,brsynthetic colors, preservatives and GMOs.brWe are thrilled to be a part of the Southlakebrneighborhood.”br
What’s New: Up to a dozen new items abrweek are introduced at Trader Joe’s to keepbryour palate satisfied. These can be anythingbrunder the delicious Trader Joe’s brand name,brsuch as snacks, healthy food or desserts. It’sbralmost like going to a new store every timebryou walk in. One of our favorite new itemsbrto hit the freezer is the Trader Jacques Tartebrà l’Oignon (Alsatian-Style Onion Tarte). It’sbrrich and buttery, like something you’d findbrat the finest French bakery.
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Sprouts Farmer's Market Southlake revisited
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How Business Has Been: “People in Southlake have really taken to Sprout’s unique approach ofbrhealthy living for less,” says Diego Romero, a spokesperson for the grocer. “We’ve had a great yearbrand have exceeded the forecasts. It’s true that people are more concerned about the quality of foodbrthey consume and share with their family. Sprouts has become a regular shopping destination forbrthe area, and we see that trend continuing in 2016, especially when local roadwork is complete.”brSprouts has plans to indeed sprout; it hopes to grow from its current 216 stores to 1,200 stores in 15bryears. This would make it three times as big as Whole Foods, which currently has more than 400brstores, according to MarketRealist.com.br
Competitive Edge: Sprouts offers a wide selection of fresh, natural and organic foods at great prices, which helps it stand out from the rest. “We lead with produce and our shoppers recognize unbeatable prices by coming back week after week,” says Romero. “In addition to low prices, Sproutsbroffers an extensive amount of Sprouts-brand products, which meet strict quality standards. We alsobrcontinue to add Non-GMO Project Verified and USDA Certified Organic products.”br
What’s New: Sprouts Vitamin and Body Care Extravaganza. Consider this your chance to load upbron supplements and natural bodycare items at discounted prices.
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Whole Foods Market Colleyville revisited
How Business Has Been: “Business has definitely been good for us in the pastbryear,” says Bryan Baumann, Team Leader for the Colleyville store. “We are rightbron track with what they have been projecting for us, so we are very excited aboutbrthat.” While it’s good news that our local store is faring well, the company asbra whole didn’t have a stellar year last year. Shares of Whole Foods’ stock declinedbrnearly 40 percent, according to CNBC, and the retailer is cutting its staff bybr1.6 percent in an effort to lower prices and better compete in the industry.br
Competitive Edge: Whole Foods Market has eco-friendly standards for ingredients and products to provide shoppers with the freshest and most natural food.br“Quality is our number one concern in every single thing that we offer at WholebrFoods,” says Baumann. “Our strict policies on what we allow and don’t allowbrto be sold in our stores differentiates us from the rest. Everything in our storebrhas to meet a certain standard before it can be put on the shelves, which meansbrcustomers only get the highest quality foods available. Purchasing our productsbralso means that you our supporting local growers, vendors and artisans.”br
What’s New: The Colleyville store hosts five or more events per month to getbrthe community involved. These events are a fun way to bond while trying products offered at Whole Foods. For example, Friday Pint Nights is an opportunitybrto sample beer from different breweries, and Kids Club Storytime is a chancebrfor little ones to hear a story, make a craft and eat a snack. These events varybrby month.
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The Fresh Market Southlake revisited
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How Business Has Been: “We opened in Southlake lastbrJanuary because we knew it was a market where shoppersbrhave a passion for great food,” says Katie Georges, MarketingbrManager at The Fresh Market. “We look forward to continuingbrto serve the Southlake community with our unique shoppingbrexperience.” While we’re glad The Fresh Market opened itsbrdoors in Southlake, the company’s overall outlook isn’t particularly rosy. It reported a 33-percent slide in profit in the thirdbrquarter of last year, according to The Wall Street Journal.br
Competitive Edge: The Fresh Market is dedicated to creatingbran intimate shopping experience unlike other industrializedbrgrocery stores. “We have a distinctive concept that sets us apartbrfrom other food retailers,” says Georges. “With our smallerbrfootprint, shoppers can enjoy the convenience of being able tobrnavigate our store quickly. And, the atmosphere of our storesbris unique. With soft lighting and classical music, shoppingbrfor food is a wonderful, pleasant experience. Whether you arebrcoming in for a few items or a full shopping list, we strive tobrmake your shopping experience enjoyable and convenient.”br
What’s New: Every Thursday of each month, The FreshbrMarket offers convenient, grab-and-go solutions for preparingbra home-cooked meal as part of its Little Big Meal program. Youbrcan whip up a delicious dinner for your family by purchasingbrhandpicked ingredients here. It’s just as convenient as goingbrthrough a drive-thru line—and definitely healthier.