ZAANDAM, THE NETHERLANDS - Ahold Delhaize looks to be setting itself up for a wave of innovation in 2019. According to a report by the Portland Press Herald, Ahold Delhaize-owned Hannaford is testing a new concept in Portland, Maine, that will give its shoppers better access to natural and organic foods by way of several high-tech innovations pilots.

“The only way we can figure out what will work or won’t work is to actually set it up in the store,” Kim Gray, Hannaford’s Director of Category Management told the source.

Hannaford’s Portland concept will include a new section of the store focused on “health and active-lifestyle” options. An additional 1,500 products in the organic and natural foods category will show up on store shelves, and new digital displays, touchscreen stations, and sensored shelves will help guide shoppers to items each store wishes to highlight. An in-store nutritionist will also be added as an extra boost toward customer clarity. The Herald noted that the goal of the new concept is to test whether the health and lifestyle-focused changes will lead to increased sales and a better customer experience.

Some highlights from the new concept include additions such as:

• Higher and extended product shelves
• Endcaps that feature locally made products and specially curved shelves that indicate organic goods
• A new color scheme that denotes different product sections: green for lifestyle, blue for health, and yellow for beauty
• Cold storage cases with semitransparent LED displays to show product ads
• Shelf sensors that display detailed product information
• A touchscreen kiosk that lets customers learn product information related to health and wellness.

Retail competition is already heating up just days into the new year. Will Ahold Delhaize be the one to beat? AndNowUKnow will keep the updates coming as fast as you can read them.

Ahold Delhaize