Page 65 - February2019
P. 65

RETAILING IN FLORIDA
Florida boasts a variety of supermarket retailers, and many grocery stores base
their operations in, or do large business in, the Sunshine State. The following is
a brief look at some of the grocery store chains that compete along Florida’s I-4 corridor.
BY DOUG OHLEMEIER
ALDI
Economy grocer Aldi markets an assort- ment of fresh produce in more than 1,800 stores. Since 2016, Aldi has been revamping many of those locations, with nearly 75 percent slated to be remodeled nationally and more than 83 of 128 Florida locations to receive upgrades by the end of 2020. The refreshed looks also will include product-line expansions, including a plan to make at least 20 percent of Aldi’s o erings as organic and fresh.
“We partner with a wide variety of growers, including some local farmers, to o er a wide variety of fresh, in-season produce, including organic fruits and vegetables,” according to Aldi’s website.
BRAVO SUPERMARKETS
Promoted as multicultural neighbor- hood grocery stores, Bravo Group operates 100 Bravo Supermarkets in the Northeast and Florida. Owned by Alpha 1 Marketing Corp. in White Plains, NY, Bravo focuses on Hispanic shopping needs. Other stores are
in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
One of the reasons the Bravo Group started Bravo Supermarkets was to bring to Northeastern transplants in Florida the shop-
ping experience they enjoyed in New York. The independently owned 48 Florida loca- tions allow stores to better serve the neigh- borhoods they operate, according to Bravo’s website.
COSTCO
operates 766 warehouses in the U.S. and others overseas. Costco, which is based in Issaquah, WA, began operations in 1976.
DETWILER’S FARM MARKET
Shoppers who enter the four Detwiler’s Farm Markets on Florida’s Suncoast are imme- diately greeted by large produce displays and sales. Henry Detwiler, Sr., who operated a roadside stand, opened his  rst store in 2009. Other Florida stores are in Sarasota, Venice, and Palmetto, which opened in 2018. The Bradenton, FL-based chain uses large, handwritten signs to merchandise its produce, which accounts for about a third of its store sales. Local is a big focus. During the winter, about 60 percent of Detwiler’s produce is from Florida.
Detwiler’s also sources from Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, New Jersey, Pennsyl- vania and California. “Produce is what Detwil- er’s Farm Market is known for,” the chain says on its website. “It’s a farmer’s market inside of a grocery store. It’s not uncommon to see a mountain of broccoli or a pyramid of
Aldi, Apopka, FL
Bravo Supermarkets, Apopka, FL
Costco’s 26 stores in Florida attempt to reduce costs and provide savings to its members. The membership warehouse club
Detwiler’s, Sarasota, FL
Costco, Orlando, FL
PRODUCE BUSINESS / FEBRUARY 2019 / 65
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