Wild Oats Markets Opens First Branded Store-Within-a-Store in a Stop & Shop

BOULDER, Colo. -- National natural and organic retail chain Wild Oats Markets, Inc., based here, opened its first Wild Oats branded nonfood store-within-a-store inside a unit operated by Northeastern food retailer Stop & Shop last week.

The 1,100 square-foot Wild Oats boutique, inside a newly remodeled Stop & Shop in Plymouth, Mass., is the first of five scheduled test units with Stop & Shop that Wild Oats will open in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

As reported by Progressive Grocer, Wild Oats said last November that it planned to open what it calls Holistic Health departments in a three-to-five-store test with Quincy, Mass.-based Stop & Shop.

The super natural retailer will host a grand opening celebration at the Plymouth Stop & Shop location this Sunday, June 5, with associates on hand to answer questions and provide health information. The boutique will also offer some items at special prices.

Wild Oats said the boutique is a state-of-the-art holistic health center, where customers can find a full line of nutritional vitamins and supplements, homeopathic remedies, and natural and organic body care products, as well as information on health and wellness. Staffed by Wild Oats holistic health associates, the boutique features information kiosks and educational health brochures as well as products.

"This store-within-a-store concept will provide an avenue for us to bring products and information that support health and well-being to people in Massachusetts and Connecticut," said Wild Oats v.p. of new business development Bruce Bowman Sr. "With more people seeking out natural health solutions, we believe our concept will complement the existing traditional health care and pharmaceutical products offered at the grocery store."

"More and more of our customers are clamoring for these products and wellness information," noted Stop & Shop e.v.p. for merchandising & marketing Don Sussman. "With Wild Oats Markets' credibility and expertise in the natural health industry, we believe Plymouth-area shoppers will benefit greatly from this unique offering inside our Stop & Shop store."

Wild Oats Markets operates 111 natural foods stores in 24 states and British Columbia, Canada, under such banners as Wild Oats Natural Marketplace, Henry's Farmers Market, Sun Harvest, and Capers Community Markets.

The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co., a division of Ahold USA, operates 360 stores in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York and New Jersey.
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