A 13th location is being built in Ridley, Pa., and is expected to open in the fall, said the report. It will be the first store to serve hot dinners such as rotisserie [image-nocss] chicken.
"We're a fill-in provisional store," Paul Friel, Swiss Farms CEO, told the newspaper, comparing his store to the express lane of a supermarket, with a drive-through option. Of the upgrade, he added, "This is a really solid position against the grocery store. We are really trying to be competitive with supermarkets."
Friel said one of the challenges has been, "How do you tell people what's inside the store because it's all drive-through?"
To illustrate that, Swiss Farms hired world-class architectural design firm Chute Gerdeman. For Swiss Farms, the firm reversed the stores' customary colors so that red is now on the walls and the roof is white. More windows have been added to let customers see inside. Another service door was added so two customers can be serviced simultaneously.
And, four 42-inch screen displays were added as was the LED location sign in the front. The screens, which hang on the glass doors, can change with the weather, the report said. The technology is linked to a meteorological website that tells it what the temperature is and can transform the ad to make it appropriate to conditions. For example, if temperatures soar into the high 90s, an ad featuring cold water will appear. "You can change rapidly," Friel said. "You can adapt. It's a much cleaner way to communicate."
He added, "We wanted a real design that told customers what we are."
However, he said, the company has remained true to its original intent. "We're going to sell to families on the go," Friel said, adding that it's also for older people who may find difficulties in getting out of the car.
Friel said customer accounts have increased, and the chain is purchasing more items in the midst of a recession. The stores average 650 daily customers each and the 2008 average store sales volume exceeded $1.6 million, more than $60,000 over 2007, according to the paper.
He attributes the company's success to giving customers what they want quickly and by being aggressive on pricing. A look at a weekly ad showed two gallons of lemonade for $4; two Dietz & Watson hot dogs or sausages for $5; and a dozen large eggs for $2.29. Friel said customers realize they "don't have to pay a premium to get the convenience."
But Friel said he doesn't consider Swiss Farms to be a "convenience store," which serves immediate, consumable goods. He stressed that Swiss Farms fills in items for a meal and doesn't sell items meant to be consumed on the spot.
In addition, Friel highlighted Swiss Farms' interaction with customers. Years ago, he said, it abandoned the idea to use headphones and speakers and to continue having employees come up and talk to customers and put the items in their vehicles. "You cannot not talk to your customers," he said. His employees, Friel said, "are critical to the success of the store."
But, it takes a variety of elements for success. "There's a real strong brand and customer loyalty that you don't find in retail today," Dennis Geraghty of Swiss Farms told the paper.
If you are a parent with a few kids sitting in the back and you need just a few items to complete dinner, Swiss Farms with its drive-through convenience is easier than locating a parking spot, walking into a store with kids in tow and standing behind several people in line, Friel said. "It's a lot easier than to go to our friends at Acme and Giant," he said. "We truly have become America's express-lane market."
The company has adopted "America's Drive-Thru Grocer" as its tagline after discussing with employees what makes the Swiss Farms experience unique, said the report.
Besides the staple products like milk and tea, Swiss Farms is now offering produce, such as bananas, apples and bagged salads, bagged potatoes, cut carrots and celery and apple slices.
Swiss Farms is also offering franchising opportunities for the first time in its 41-year-old history, the Delaware County Daily Times said.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.