HARTFORD, CT - In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Jordan Baker expresses, “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” It seems this notion is ringing true, in a particular sense, for Stop & Shop, which debuted 21 stores featuring a renovated and remodeled look, as well as a redesigned logo, after investing $70 million to improve in-store experiences. The new look hones in on fresh, fast, local, and healthy options for consumers and is featured in Hartford as a test market that is piloting features—including an in-store smoker, poke bowl and taqueria stations, and frictionless checkout.

The company’s 400+ stores will become privy to the test market’s results over the course of the next several years, as the stores aim to provide what customers want and need, including lower prices on thousands of items that customers purchase most and a larger assortment of affordable items from own-brand lines like Nature’s Promise.

“We recognize that our customer is changing, and we’re evolving our entire shopping experience to better serve them. They’re focused on getting back to their lives, juggling many responsibilities, and we want to make grocery shopping even easier and faster for them,” said Stop & Shop President Mark McGowan. “Hartford is the first step in our journey towards repositioning our brand for future success and in helping our communities enjoy better food and better lives.”

In addition to the exciting new happenings with the store offerings and focuses, Stop & Shop is donning a new logo, a nod to its past and its legacy of breaking new ground in convenience. Customers are the focus and a commitment to reshaping shopping experiences and catering to the customer’s evolving needs is paramount in the company’s revamped store format.

According to a press release, the refreshed stores include the following assets:

• Smoker– Customers can choose from meats like brisket, pulled pork and baby back ribs slow cooked up to 14 hours over solid hickory wood
• Focus on Local, Fresh, and Quality – Stores will feature more space dedicated to fresh produce and more locally grown and produced items like apples from Rogers Orchards in Southington, beer from CT favorite Two Roads, plus coffee beans roasted right in Hartford
• New In-Store Experiences – Customers can create their own olive oil and vinegar blends like fig-infused balsamic at DIY machines. They can also fill up growlers at a kombucha fountain, or find out what food pairs best with a hoppy IPA at an informational craft beer kiosk
• Community Tables – In-store cafes will feature “community tables” made from reclaimed wood so neighbors can gather together with family-style seating. Digital community boards will also share local fundraisers and other events around town
• Poke Bowl & Taqueria Stations – New stations will make it easy to grab fresh, healthy meals with global flavors to-go.
• Curbside Pickup – Customers can pull up beneath solar-powered canopies to pick-up their online Peapod orders, which will soon be assembled by a miniature robotic warehouse thanks to a new partnership with Takeoff Technologies
• Frictionless Checkout – Customers can save time when shopping in-store by using the SCAN IT! mobile app, which provides a frictionless checkout experience. No waiting in line required

To honor the opening of the re-envisioned stores, the company is holding grand re-opening festivities throughout the month and donating $25,000 to its longtime partner Foodshare, one of the largest anti-hunger organizations in the Greater Hartford region.

How will the rest of the produce industry feel the rippling effects of this transition for Stop & Shop? AndNowUKnow will provide you with fresh updates.

Stop & Shop