Stop & Shop makes health top of mind in store upgrade

Stop & Shop has updated a store in Boston’s Grove Hall neighborhood to focus on community health and well-being.

Reopened on Aug. 19, the Grove Hall Stop & Shop at 460 Blue Hill Ave. features a new look plus a Community Wellness Space built to host health-oriented programming at no cost. The store also now includes an in-store dietitian offering free nutrition advice and information via one-to-one consultations, community classes and webinars.

Starting next month, the Grove Hall location’s Community Wellness Space will offer free programs such as plant-based eating across cultures, high blood pressure classes, and healthy grocery shopping assistance through store tours. Quincy, Mass.-based Stop & Shop, part of Ahold Delhaize USA, also said the programming will also extend beyond nutrition education to offer first-time home buying and financial well-being classes.

The wellness space, too, will include a higi blood pressure and health assessment kiosk that can enables shoppers to measure, track and act on their health data, according to Stop & Shop. The exterior of the space will be merchandised with a 25-foot display of better-for-you foods and beverages chosen by Stop & Shop’s team of registered dietitians. In addition, the retailer plans to spotlight healthier choices in a weekly circular for Grove Hall customers, which will feature savings on items such as healthy proteins, fruit, vegetables and whole grains on the cover.

Related:Stop & Shop steps up investment in New York City stores

With the store refresh, Stop & Shop also became the city’s first grocer to offer Flashfood, an app-driven food waste reduction program that enables customers to shop exclusive deals on products — including meat, produce, seafood, dairy, deli and bakery — that are nearing their best-by date. The significantly reduced prices encourage purchases of food that otherwise would go to the retailer’s waste stream. Stop & Shop said Flashfood discounts are up to 50% off and can save customers over $500 a year on their food bills.

Stop & Shop noted that it picked the Grove Hall store for the health-focused upgrade because of high rates of nutrition-related chronic conditions in the surrounding area, coupled with elevated rates of food insecurity and residents living below the poverty level. The retailer said that created an opportunity for the store to play an active role in driving healthier outcomes via food-driven wellness initiatives.

“As Grove Hall’s neighborhood grocer, we believe we have a responsibility to support the health of the community, and we’re proud of the investments we’ve made to offer first-of-its-kind resources and programming for a grocery retailer in the city,” Stop & Shop President Gordon Reid said in a statement. “We’re also incredibly proud of the work we’ve done to support local nonprofits, public schools and other partners in the neighborhood with innovative programs to drive more consistent access to nutritious food.”

Related:Stop & Shop expands Flashfood program