UFCW 324 Communications / News
Supervalu to Spend $1 Billion to Surprise and Delight
November 16, 2006 · Wire Services
At least part of the question as to what Jeff Noddle, chairman and CEO of Supervalu, would do with the stores acquired from Albertsons has now been answered.
Yesterday, Supervalu announced a $1 billion capital expenditure programs to custom remodel existing stores and build new ones under a new program it is calling Premium Fresh & Healthy.
"Supervalu's Premium Fresh & Healthy program is all about surprising and delighting the customer," said Duncan Mac Naughton, executive vice president, merchandising & marketing, in a press release. "Our extensive research tells us that grocery retailing today should provide consumers with products that allow them to 'turn the dining room lights back on.' This program seeks to deliver compelling, timely and localized offers at the right price through combined scale, customer insight and market knowledge."
Mr. Noddle, said of the program, "We can deliver to our customers an in-store experience that leverages our great local retail banner names with some new powerful upgrades in key departments."
Included in those upgrades are:
· Expanded perishables departments for produce, meat, seafood, bakery and deli.
· Shop the World, an international foods department.
· Wild Harvest, a natural and organics store-within-a-store.
· Enhanced and expanded pharmacy and health and beauty care departments.
Supervalu currently has a number of Premium Fresh & Healthy stores in operation. These include new Albertsons opened in Las Vegas and San Diego along with a remodeled Acme in Doylestown, Pennsylvania and a Shaw's in East Hampton, Connecticut.