The ears of corn that shoppers see at a Kuhn's Market at 8 a.m. might have been picked the day before at a local farm.
"I'll put our produce up against anyone else's," said Joe Dentici, co-founder and president of the Western Pennsylvania grocery chain that is closing a Cranberry store, but looking for new locations as it works to stand out from competitors by emphasizing fresh produce, meat, breads and deli items.
Kuhn's competed for customers with Loblaw's, A&P, Kroger and Thorofare in the 1960s and '70s. "Then they left, and the market was wide open for Giant Eagle, Shop 'n Save, Foodland and us," Denitici recalled.
Today's challenges for supermarkets are different. Dollar stores, mass merchandisers, wholesale clubs and discount grocery chains are cutting into traditional grocers' market share, which fell 0.8 points last year to 46.8 percent, retail consulting firm Willard Bishop of Barrington, Ill., said.
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