Family Fresh Market launches curbside pickup

Grocery wholesaler and retailer SpartanNash has brought its Fast Lane click-and-collect shopping service to its Family Fresh Market stores.

Under the program, customers at five Family Fresh Markets in Minnesota and Wisconsin can order groceries online at ShopTheFastLane.com and pick up their items in their selected time frame at a designated curbside parking spot. Orders placed before 3 p.m. are available for same-day pickup.

Fast Lane personal shoppers, who are SpartanNash associates, select the ordered items from Family Fresh store aisles. In submitting their orders, customers can make notes for the Fast Lane shoppers to follow, including requests for specific items, such as green bananas or thick-sliced ham from the deli, the company said.

According to Ted Adornato, executive vice president and general manager of corporate retail for Grand Rapids, Mich.-based SpartanNash, Fast Lane will provide a more personalized shopping experience to Family Fresh customers, along with added convenience.

“Our click-and-collect program takes our company’s digital customer experience to a whole new level,” he said. “The entire Fast Lane experience is tailored to fit the needs of our on-the-go store guests, while providing quality products at an affordable price.”

To support the Fast Lane launch at Family Fresh, SpartanNash is waiving the pick fee for customers’ first three orders when they enter the code “FASTLANE.” The Family Fresh stores offering the service are in Farmington and St. Peter, Minn., and Hudson, New Richmond and River Falls, Wisc.

Members of SpartanNash’s “yes” loyalty program and repeat Fast Lane shoppers will automatically have their preferences loaded into their Fast Lane account. The company said this makes it easier to perform such tasks as clipping digital coupons, selecting commonly purchased items or sorting products (by department, sale items or dietary restrictions) when placing an order.

Customers can sign up for annual and monthly Fast Lane memberships, which cost $99 and $16.95 respectively, or pay per-order fees, which vary by store.

SpartanNash said 58 Family Fare Supermarkets, D&W Fresh Market, Family Fresh Market, VG’s Grocery and Dan’s Supermarket stores in Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin now offer Fast Lane curbside pickup. The service made its debut at a Family Fare store in Grandville, Mich., last July. Overall, SpartanNash currently operates 142 supermarkets.

“Our goal is always to find ways to better serve our customers, both in-store and online, and Fast Lane ensures our customers get the biggest bang for their buck. Customers are looking for quality, convenience and savings, and Fast Lane gives them all three,” Adornato  said.