DES PERES • When the new Dierbergs supermarket opens, shoppers will be able to do all kinds of things that don't involve grocery shopping.
They can hold a bridal shower, listen to live music, or get a nurse to look at their child's earache. They can participate in a wine-tasting with a celebrity chef via Skype, or sample a glass of Pinot noir as they push their cart through the aisles. They can sit down on a couch – then buy it.
“Shopping isn't always the most pleasant activity,” said Laura Dierberg Padousis, vice president and secretary of the Chesterfield-based chain, walking through the store's massive produce section Monday. “So we're trying to offer a lifestyle, and something fun.”
A grocery store used to be a place that sold food. But in the fiercely competitive world of American supermarkets, stores are constantly striving to outdo each other, offering up more features and services, from health clinics to restaurants.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: St. Louis Post Dispatch
