More and more these days, shoppers can pick up their milk and eggs at the same time they shop for shirts or DVD's.
Retail giants such as Target and Wal-Mart have expanded or plan to increase their food selections at SouthCoast stores as they seek a larger share of consumers' grocery spending. And it's not just 800-pound gorillas who are on the move. Family-owned Trucchi's plans to open its sixth store early next year, this time in Middleboro.
These changes follow the arrival of Market Basket a year ago this week, bringing its "more for your dollar" brand to the region for the first time. Amid the increasing competition, chains of all sizes seek an identity to distinguish themselves from their competitors.
"Every grocery store is looking at what they can do to capture a niche market and then looking at what they have to do to be competitive," said Melanie St. Jean, a professor of marketing at Johnson & Wales University's College of Business.
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