Hanging Out at the Supermarket

Grocery stores add dinner, drinks and music to the menu.

March 23, 2011

BEXLEY, Ohio - Buying groceries at a supermarket is so yesterday. Nowadays, one can wine and dine at a grocery store while listening to their favorite bands, the Columbus Dispatch reports.

At the Brewers Yard Kroger, Friday night shoppers are treated to live musical performances in the store??s bar. For Ian and Katherine Nickey, shopping for food has gotten a whole lot more enjoyable. "We need to get groceries anyway," said Ian Nickey. "For us, it's a convenience, and it makes the shopping fun. It's a great concept."

Increased competition is driving supermarkets to offer an entire shopping experience, such as coffee shops, free Wi-Fi, cooking classes, wine tastings and upscale, dine-in menus. "The pressure on traditional grocers is immense," said Lee Peterson, executive vice president of creative services for WD Partners.

"They've got price pressure from Walmart, Walgreens and dollar stores. And then pressure from specialty stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe??s, which specialize in offering consumers an 'experience' when they shop. Fresh food and grocery options are everywhere now for consumers," even at convenience stores, Peterson said.

"A lot of our regular customers use the opportunity to pick up their groceries but also take time to sit down, enjoy music, spend time with friends and enjoy their Kroger family," said Kroger spokeswoman Amy McCormick. "The store is designed for that offering and to be a gathering place for customers to come in and let us entertain them. We're more than happy to have 80-plus people who want to spend their Friday nights at Kroger."

Other area stores have upped their non-food offerings, too. Giant Eagle schedules cooking classes and celebrity chef demos at a Market District store, which also has wine tastings, and a nine-station restaurant. On Valentine??s Day, the store??s restaurant provided fine dining and dancing.

"We try to do things that are special and different," said Mike Maraldo, that location??s manager. "We try to build relationships by creating that 'wow factor.' We're not just a grocery store, but a place where people have fun and have an opportunity to experience food at a different level. It's a competitive market - we're trying to do the things that will bring people in."

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