Since 1998, Ralphs Grocery Co. has been upgrading older stores with newer, more visible formats such as Marketplace stores, which stock a more comprehensive range of non-grocery items. Fresh Fare is another brainchild of the grocery chain with roughly 250 locations across the country.
What is Ralphs Fresh Fare? What does it entail that it is thought to be the solution to the waning economy? We dug deep into Ralphs Fresh Fare and uncovered the answers for you.
What Is Ralphs Fresh Fare in 2023?
Fresh Fare is essentially Ralphs that has been redesigned to resemble a Whole Foods Market, with more food prepared in-store and more organic options. It is Ralphs response to the worsening economy, which has seen individuals cut back on eating out and specialty food business sales slow.
Ralphs is pushing prepared meals more than ever, and other grocers are providing people with high-quality food at lower prices than restaurant dining.
Fresh vegetables, bakery items, a deli, health and beauty products, and more are available at Ralphs Fresh Fare. Stop by for all of your household necessities and fridge favorites, including fresh boar’s head meat from the deli.
Fresh Fare is Ralphs’ attempt at leveraging the possibilities of smaller stores in upmarket districts and taking advantage of smaller real-estate opportunities that larger Ralphs units may not be able to accommodate.
What Is The Difference Between Ralphs and Ralphs Fresh Fare?
Fresh Fare has a more extensive selection of organic vegetables than Ralphs. Its deli department sells goods that aren’t available at other Ralphs locations, such as chicken Florentine and beef Wellington and desserts like white chocolate truffles.
Here’s the deal:
- Ralphs Fresh Fare offers a wide range of fruits and vegetables cultivated in the region
- More organic, soy, vegetarian, wheat-, lactose-, and gluten-free options
- Organic/natural products aren’t kept in a separate section of the store (they’re right next to the non-organic)
- Chef Shoppe is a 20-foot-long space containing prepared, ready-to-eat meals
- Starbucks Sushi Bar (coming soon)
- Large wine/cheese section with a wine steward on hand, free sample events, and more.
The store is a little smaller than a typical Ralphs, but that’s because the focus is different. One of the most features you’ll appreciate is the combination of organic/natural goods alongside non-organic options.
It isn’t easy to keep everything organic in a specialty area. Not only that, but it also allows individuals who are new to organic goods to compare pricing simply. They might actually try some organic if they don’t go to the specialized department otherwise.
Fresh Fare stores have a different itemization than other Ralphs locations. With about 25% of the 45,000 stock-keeping units unique to the format, it includes gourmet items and home-meal replacement varieties in all perishables categories. Plus, nutrition centers and a more extensive selection of specialty nonfood items.
What Offerings Are Unique to Ralphs Fresh Fare?
Several of the store’s items, which highlight some of Ralphs Fresh Fare format’s unique traits, include:
- Madrage hams from France, Columbus Renaissance, processed meats from San Francisco, and 80 SKUs of cheese in the service deli
- In the hot deli section, a rotating series of new-to-Ralphs HMR goods
- New varieties of cookies, dough products, muffins, and Danish in the service bakery
- Over 400 SKUs in produce, as well as a floral department with single-stem flowers in addition to the chain’s typical selection, and home floral delivery
- A service fish counter with a 25% increase in variety, including Scottish salmon
- Ralphs’ Chef to Go HMR product line and a service meat counter and a self-service meat section containing solely Choice beef.
- In the liquor nook, there are over 200 SKUs of wine, as well as enhanced selections of spirits and micro-handcrafted beers
What makes Fresh Fare unusual? According to Tom Dahlen, a former senior vice president of marketing at Ralphs, is “that it has all the ambiance of a specialty food store but a full product range that allows the client to conduct her total grocery shopping.”
Fresh Fare showcases specialty products at eye level to highlight the diversity, while commodity products are displayed at a lower level “are readily available in large quantities, but have a subdued shelf appearance. “
“We had to be mindful of the price-sensitive consumer,” Dahlen said, “so we included many of their needs into the store as well.” While Fresh Fare is aimed at an upmarket clientele, “we had to remain cognizant of the price-sensitive buyer.”
How Was Ralphs Fresh Fare Conceptualized?
Ralphs collaborated closely with local citizens and community organizations to identify which new and expanded goods, services, and products would best satisfy the community’s needs. Ralphs Fresh Fare has been uniquely created to deliver a unique overall shopping experience based on shopper requests and input.
The Ralphs Fresh Fare offers a broader range of products and services, including an abundance of fresh produce, a fully staffed meat department with high-quality meats, a fresh seafood department, a full-service bakery with fresh pieces of bread, rolls, and desserts, a service delicatessen with new items for shoppers on the go, a full-service pharmacy, and a wide range of organic/natural and gluten-free options.
What Is Murray’s Cheese Shop?
The Ralphs Fresh Fare has an in-store Murray’s Cheese Shop, in addition to offering people one-stop shopping convenience for all of their grocery needs.
Murray’s Cheese, New York City’s oldest cheese shop, was founded in 1940 and is noted for its cheese expertise and an extensive assortment of cheeses from throughout the world.
Ralphs Fresh Fare Murray’s Cheese Shop will include over 175 different types of cheese, including dozens of local varieties and a variety of specialty goods like crackers, dried fruit, and an olive and antipasto bar.
Ralphs Murray Cheese Shop offers periodic “Meet your cheesemaker” events and tasting as part of its dedication to educating its customers.
Does Ralphs Offer Kosher?
A full-service Kosher experience department is available at Ralphs Fresh Fare. Deli, bakery, meat and seafood department, frozen food section, and many aisles of non-perishable kosher food goods are all part of Ralphs Fresh Fare Kosher experience.
The store’s Kosher experience is overseen by a Mashgiach, who ensures that kosher standards are followed, as per Jewish tradition. In addition, the store’s Kosher Experience department has its own meat processing room, ensuring that no Jewish dietary regulations are violated.
Conclusion
Ralphs goal is to provide the most outstanding service possible to their consumers. That is why Ralphs has unique items that you won’t find anywhere else. When it comes to a passion for the best, Ralphs offers Fresh Fare – a service that brings the best of the world to their customers.