Most of our readers will never have heard of Wegmans but they
are a supermarket phenomena on the East Coast of the US and they are setting
new grounds for customer adoration.
A business journal recently asked its readers if Wegmans
deserved all their hype and a staggering 70% said they were. So what is it
about a humble supermarket that earns
this following?
By US standards, Wegmans chain of 88 stores makes it pretty
small. But they stock nearly
twice the average number of products (up to 70,000)
and have a higher level of gluten free and organic content than their
competitors. They engage in a lot of theatre with specialty food displays,
cooking and preparation demonstrations, and employees in work aprons.
However, Wegmans claim their employees are the secret
ingredient and although that sounds like a bit of PR hype, reviews from
customers suggest they place the employee presentation and attitude well above
normal supermarket standards.