Fresh Market and Trader Joe's, one always empty the other always crowded (Baltimore: sales)

[Eugene80]

When I'm out and about in the Baltimore area, I see that Fresh Market grocery stores are always empty. There are hardly any customers there, like 3 or 4, and the cashiers are bored and have nothing to do. It's a good alternative grocery store but it doesn't get any customers. How do they stay in business? Some examples are the Towson, Pikesville, and other locations.


On the other hand a total contrast to that is Trader Joe's. People love Trader Joe's so much that all the locations are packed and it's hard to find a parking space. You almost can't squeeze through in a typical Trader Joe's. I don't find it all that outstanding of a store chain so I'm puzzled as to why it's so popular.

[NJ2MDdude]

Originally Posted by Eugene80

When I'm out and about in the Baltimore area, I see that Fresh Market grocery stores are always empty. There are hardly any customers there, like 3 or 4, and the cashiers are bored and have nothing to do. It's a good alternative grocery store but it doesn't get any customers. How do they stay in business? Some examples are the Towson, Pikesville, and other locations.


On the other hand a total contrast to that is Trader Joe's. People love Trader Joe's so much that all the locations are packed and it's hard to find a parking space. You almost can't squeeze through in a typical Trader Joe's. I don't find it all that outstanding of a store chain so I'm puzzled as to why it's so popular.

It's a status thing. Same with Whole Foods. Some consumers buy into the snob appeal of shopping at a niche organic grocer. It's a marketing gimmick.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by NJ2MDdude

It's a status thing. Same with Whole Foods. Some consumers buy into the snob appeal of shopping at a niche organic grocer. It's a marketing gimmick.

It's about having a barrier to entry by the deplorables. It shows up in home prices too (but more at the real high end)

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by NJ2MDdude

It's a status thing. Same with Whole Foods. Some consumers buy into the snob appeal of shopping at a niche organic grocer. It's a marketing gimmick.

It's not a marketing gimmick to anyone who knows how or where your food is raised/produced and not under the impression all food comes shrink-wrapped out of the same factory to be distributed to different retailers at varying prices.

Whole Foods and The Fresh Market aren't even competitors in that TFM doesn't restrict items sold to primarily organic or ban the use of over 200 ingredients like WF does, or have standards that limit how humanely livestock is raised or how seafood is caught.

The Fresh Market is an upscale conventional grocer that separates themselves from other grocery stores in terms of better produce typically with less travel time to shelves, more butcher store type of service in the meat department, an emphasis on prepared foods and a selection of food specialty items (pantry items) not found at many grocery stores in an upscale environment with complimentary coffee. Prices tend higher overall but have via new ownership trended more toward value/sales also. TFM is also known for their weekly specials on Tuesdays with especially big discounts in their Meat Department.

TFM has grown double digits in sales since 2022 and is set to open over twenty new locations in 2024 so apparently they're doing something right. https://www.delimarketnews.com/headl...gs-fiscal-year