New supermarket chain Fresh Thyme Farmers Market expects to open at least four new grocery stores in metropolitan Detroit in 2016, according to Crain’s Detroit Business.
Fresh Thyme Farmers Market is going head-to-head on site selection with other top grocers in the region vying for the same target customer base, including Whole Foods Market and Papa Joe’s Gourmet Market.
The Phoenix-based natural grocer has already selected two sites – one in the Troy Commons shopping center and the other in Hampton Plaza shopping mall – where 30,000-square-foot stores will be developed. Another store has received site plan approval in Northville Township, while a fourth store is planned for Farmington Hills.
“Over the next few years, Fresh Thyme will bring 500 to 1,000 jobs to the greater Detroit area and offer the community an extensive selection of fresh and healthy food at great prices,” Chris Sherrell, president and CEO, told Crain’s.
Some industry observers expect that competition for Fresh Thyme will be steep as it expands.
“Fresh Thyme is not a traditional grocer with a heavy dose of center-store packaged goods and frozen aisles,” said Wade Hanson, a principal at Chicago-based Technomic Inc., a food consultancy and market research firm. “In Detroit, they are entering into a market that already has a half-dozen Whole Foods stores. While Fresh Thyme is a different experience, they will be competing for many of the same types of shoppers. Consumers will look to see if they can achieve any sort of cost savings over a typical Whole Foods.”
The grocer’s signature offering is an extensive produce department with organic and local fruits and vegetables. Fresh Thyme’s full-service offerings include a natural meat department, healthy deli foods to go, bakery goods, 400 bulk food bins, natural and organic groceries, dairy and frozen, as well as vitamins and body care products. Fresh Thyme says it is offering a new shopping experience to the Midwest and is scheduled to open a total of 60 stores by 2019.
