Jewel Debuts Urban Fresh Store

Sep 19, 2008 6:00 AM


         Subscribe in NewsGator Online   Subscribe in Bloglines

CHICAGO — Supervalu’s Jewel-Osco division debuted its entry into the small-format store race yesterday with a location in this city’s trendy Lincoln Park neighborhood. The 16,000-square-foot store, dubbed Urban Fresh by Jewel, seeks to offer convenience and high quality in the form of prepared and partially prepared lunch and dinner offerings, a spokesman for the chain told SN. “Right now this is a one-of-a-kind store, and we don’t have any plans to roll this out any further,” said Miguel Alba, the Jewel spokesman. The store is soliciting feedback from customers through a new website, urbanfresh.net. The store is located at the site of a former Sunflower Market, the organic-and-natural specialty chain that Minneapolis-based Supervalu scrapped last year after a brief test. Among the offerings at the Urban Fresh by Jewel store are 300 varieties of beer and wine and 300 varieties of cheese. It offers about 6,000 SKUs, compared with a typical supermarket’s 45,000 offerings, but includes basic staples like milk, eggs, bread and produce in addition to specialty and prepared offerings. Of the store’s 10 checkout lanes, six are self-checkout, the company said. Alba said the store has about 75 employees, vs. the 200 that staff a typical full-size Jewel has.

Read More of Today's Headlines

Subscribe / Renew to Supermarket News

Supermarket News

The most reliable source of industry news and insight...in print and online.

Most Viewed News

Read More News

Retail Analytics
Brian Ross

View All Questions

Refresh: A Whole Health Blog

Bob Vosburgh

Bob Vosburgh:

Read More Refresh

Articles by Market
Retail/Financial
Executive Changes
Grocery/Center Store/
Brands
Health & Wellness
In-Store Bakery/Deli/Meals
Logistics
Marketing
Meat/Seafood/Dairy
Nonfoods/Pharmacy/HBC
Produce/Floral
Specialty/Ethnic
Technology
Key Issues
Food Safety/Recalls
Legislation/Regulations
Sustainability/Green
Resources
Profiles & Rankings
Webinars
White Papers/Studies
Whole Health Blog
Total Access Blog: Expo East
Photo Galleries
RSS
SN Data
Campbell: Innovate
for Impact

Back to Top

Subscribe to SN

Latest Cover

IRI Fast Trends

Not much remains the same in the food-distribution industry, whether it's the marketing of supermarket departments, the advent of new formats or rapidly changing consumer preferences. See what's changing now in the latest IRI Time and Trends report.

SN Daily Update

newsletter image

The food trade’s leading daily news service. Register Here

Upcoming Events

2009 Midwinter Executive Conference,
Jan. 11-13,
Food Marketing Institute,
The Ritz-Carlton, Grande Lakes,
Orlando, Fla.;
202.452.8444.

NRF 98th Annual Convention & Expo,
Jan. 11-14,
National Retail Federation,
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center,
New York;
800.673.4692

View All Upcoming Events

Jobs/Classifieds

View All Classifieds

Premium Content

Cool Running

Cool Running

With the entire country as its laboratory, Wal-Mart Stores has been conducting step-by-step experiments to create the ultimate “green store.”

Changing Diapers

Changing Diapers

At a time when the economy in shambles has been a boon for many store-brand categories, private-label diapers are sporting a serious sag.

Supermarket News Casting Lifelines

Casting Lifelines

For 23 years Food For All, through its checkout register drives at sponsoring supermarkets, has raised funds for countless nonprofit organizations both in the United States and abroad.

Little Luxuries

Little Luxuries

Whether it's cupcakes or cookies, mini-tarts or gourmet brownies, small desserts have become a big draw in many supermarket bakery departments.

Supermarket News Secret's Out

Celebrating Cheese

Specialty cheese is expected to hold its own this holiday season even as shoppers trim their entertaining budgets.