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SCHENECTADY, N.Y. — The multiyear rebranding of Price Chopper supermarkets into Market 32 stores celebrated a milestone late last month with the opening of the first Market 32 store built from the ground up, in Sutton, Mass.
The multiyear rebranding of Price Chopper supermarkets into Market 32 stores celebrated a milestone late last month with the opening of the first Market 32 store built from the ground up, in Sutton, Mass.
The three previously opened Market 32 stores were remodels.
Price Chopper’s owner, Golub Corp., announced a year ago that it would develop the new brand across the majority of its 135 stores in six states in the Northeast over a period of about seven years.
"The look and feel of Market 32 is distinctively more modern than Price Chopper, though many of the differences are subtle," the company said in a statement. "Marked by open space, a decor filled with soft earth tones and product-focused displays, murals and lighting, the brand emphasizes convenient, easy-to-eat foods; fresh, handcrafted, and locally grown, produced and manufactured products; and intuitive product/department adjacencies (e.g., greeting cards next to the floral department)."
The changes are aimed at positioning the chain for a more competitive retail landscape, Golub officials said. Price Chopper has a reputation built over four decades as a no-frills discounter. The transition to Market 32 should help the company position its stores as a place shoppers can go for an assortment of ready-to-eat food and dining.
The newly opened 57,000-square-foot store in Sutton has a full-service pharmacy, a deli, a bakery and departments designed to highlight offerings of flowers, cheese, seafood and produce.
"Our Sutton Market 32 is a grocery store for this and future generations," remarked Jerry Golub, Price Chopper’s chief executive officer. "While maintaining our focus on quality and value, we’ve added modern conveniences like a patisserie/cafe equipped with Wi-Fi; a drive-through pharmacy; a Chef’s Table offering food demonstrations and sampling; a new, higher standard of service; and a host of wonderful signature items throughout the store."
Since introducing the Market 32 concept, Golub and other company officials have emphasized that the $300 million upgrade is a response to feedback from customers, and that the project presents the company with an opportunity to incorporate some of the best thinking across the industry as supermarkets come to grips with demographic, technological and economic trends.
"This is not merely about beautifying our Price Chopper stores," Golub commented last year. "It is a complete refocus of our company on the core values that our customers are looking for in a store."
The Market 32 stores will incorporate key elements of the savings platform in place at Price Chopper, as well as its rewards program, weekly features and special promotions.
