Fareway expands niche format with second Meat Market

Fareway Stores is rolling out its new Fareway Meat Market concept to a second location after debuting the format in Omaha, Neb., last year.

The second Fareway Meat Market, slated to open late this fall in Lincoln, Neb., will feature a store design and product assortment similar to the first location, Emily Toribio, a Fareway spokeswoman, told SN. The 6,500-square-foot store will feature USDA Choice and Prime beef, all-natural chicken and pork, seafood, artisan cheeses, craft beer and wine, among other convenience and specialty grocery items.

“The store will specialize in fresh-cut, made-to-order requests,” said Toribio. “You can work with them directly on the specific cuts that you need, and the prep you need — everything you need to make a great meal.”

A huge chrome steer signals Fareway’s commitment to “unparalleled meat products.”

With a 56-foot meat counter, the Fareway Meat Market allows a broader selection than in typical stores, she explained. The format includes a selection of value-added options, such as marinated meats, and heat-and-eat prepared foods such as tamales and barbecued pork.

The first Meat Market location offered a handful of produce items, such as pre-packed asparagus spears for grilling, according to local reports, along with a few basic grocery items such as milk and eggs, some snack items, and seasonings for the meats.

The focus on high-quality and high-service meat offerings leverages Fareway’s strong reputation, said Jim Hertel, senior VP at consulting firm Willard Bishop, Long Grove, Ill.

The store’s 56-foot meat counter offers a broad selection including value-added product.

“I think it is an interesting idea, and something that trades off of their brand equity,” Hertel told SN. “They are really well-known as meat retailers.”

In fact, Fareway features online ordering of its meat products for delivery throughout the continental U.S., including gift-style packages such as the Heartland Pork Bundle and the Midwest Steak Bundle. The company’s website also features a “virtual meat counter” where customers can read about different cuts of meat, cooking methods and nutritional information.

“We have a 79-year history of providing unmatched customer service and unparalleled meat products, so we are taking that successful market concept to the stand-alone Fareway Meat Market store,” said Toribio.

The small format facilitates quick and easy shopping and checkout.

The fact that Fareway is opening a second location is a strong indication that the first was a success, Hertel said.

The small-format concept was designed to make shopping quick and easy, so that customers can get in and out in 10 minutes, the company said at the time of the Omaha opening last year. It seeks to appeal to both everyday gourmet shoppers seeking the ingredients for a meal, as well as shoppers who are splurging for special occasions.

Toribio said the Lincoln store is being designed by the same firm that designed the first — Omaha, Neb.-based Tack Architects, and will feature the same type of high-end finishes and modern design. Specific details are still in the planning stages, she said.

Boone, Iowa-based Fareway operates about 120 stores in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota, often in rural locations.

The new Meat Market format gives the company an alternative expansion vehicle, CEO Reynolds W. Cramer said at the time of the first store opening last year.

“This new concept not only offers a unique Fareway shopping experience, but it adds a great dynamic to our commitment for expansion by allowing us to explore alternative options,” he said.