ALLSTON, Mass. -- bfresh, a new grocery shopping experience with a focus on fresh foods and convenience, opened in Allston, Mass. on September 4 and will celebrate its grand opening on September 18.
Created by Fresh Formats, an Ahold company established in 2014 to explore and develop new format opportunities, bfresh is a test model that the company said is a "complete departure" from traditional brick-and-mortar grocery stores. A novel concept with a small-store format, bfresh is targeting neighborhood foodies who value fresh, healthy food options and affordable pricing.
The Allston location is the first bfresh opened by Fresh Formats.
The 10,000-square-foot store will offer more natural and organic options than a typical market, with a selection of vegan, gluten-free and international items. It offers fresh organic produce, full-service meat, seafood, and deli departments stocked with organic, antibiotic-free meats and fresh, sustainable seafood. bfresh will also offer indulgence items and a selection of locally relevant household, health and beauty items to make it a one-stop shop for many neighborhood customers.
“Today’s grocery shoppers face several challenges including balancing food needs with tight budgets, finding convenient shopping options to fit tough schedules and feeding a strong desire to support local businesses,” said Suzi Robinson, marketing magus for Fresh Formats and a developer of bfresh. “We sought to provide an easy-to-shop solution for the Allston community. bfresh is designed for anyone who loves food and wants healthy, affordable, locally sourced options in their neighborhood.”
In addition to fresh grocery offerings, bfresh customers can shop for freshly prepared foods in its Little Kitchen. Based on a model from La Place, a fresh-food restaurant business in the Netherlands and Europe, Little Kitchen offers a "fresh-on-the-spot" customer experience that brings scratch-made, fresh, seasonal meals into the store. Menus change daily, showcasing simple recipes, and all the food preparation is done in front of customers. Shoppers can choose to order fresh smoothies, salads, pizza, Asian stir fry, breads, desserts, coffee and more.
The store’s streamlined, simple layout allows for products to speak for themselves. Prior to debuting in Allston, Fresh Formats developed an independent learning lab in Center City Philadelphia where teammates and customers experiment with and evaluate new ideas to change the grocery shopping experience.
bfresh is operated by Fresh Formats LLC, an Ahold company. Ahold is based in The Netherlands. Ahold USA is based in Carlisle, Pa., and Quincy, Mass. Grocery brands include Stop & Shop, Giant Food, Giant Food Stores and Martin’s Food Markets, as well as online grocery service Peapod. Stop & Shop, Giant Food, Giant Food Stores, Martin’s Food Markets, Peapod Stop & Shop, Giant Food, Giant Food Stores, Martin’s Food Markets, Peapod.
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