PHILADELPHIA, PA - Ahold USA is testing a new retail concept in Center City Philadelphia called Everything Fresh. Interestingly, this new store clocks in at only 3,700 square feet, less than a tenth of the size of the median U.S. supermarket which is currently 46,000 square feet.

Everything Fresh will sell a range of products, including organics and prepared foods, according to Philly.com.

An Ahold USA spokeswoman shared that the company has a team in place exploring “new formats.” She cautioned that this experiment "may not be representative of a new format, which is expected to be deployed in the future," however, the company must surely be deeply interested in the results of the test.

Shrinking floorspace has become something of a trend in recent years. Companies like Target and Wal-Mart have already opened their own lines of smaller format stores and the successes of these Neighborhood Market and TargetExpress are surely an encouraging sign for competitors. In an industry as competitive as retail, companies are always in search of the next big thing. With more consumers than ever searching for a local, regional shopping experience, smaller format stores offer tantalizing advantages.

According to Philly.com, the new store is expected to open at 1222 Walnut St. in Philadelphia's Center City. Ahold USA has yet to disclose an official grand opening date for the new store, however company representatives did tell Philly.com that it would be “opening soon.” I know I will surely be interested in seeing the results of this new test for Ahold and whether it will be the sign of more to come from the company.

Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for future updates on Ahold USA and other relevant updates on the retail industry.

Ahold USA