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On May 4, Bloom unveiled several improvements to its northern Virginia and Maryland-area locations, including an expanded selection of healthier foods throughout the store and a gluten-free area with hundreds of items.

“If you haven’t shopped at one of our stores in a while, you are in for quite a surprise,” noted Bloom marketing manager Angie Hunter. “It’s a newer, refreshed Bloom offering more distinctive assortments and affordable choices for our guests.”

As well as holding events at its Stafford Va., and Rockville, Md., stores to highlight the enhancements, Bloom awarded the first 100 customers who shopped at all of its Washington-area locations a free Pepsi 12-pack. The banner will also donate $500 each to schools in Stafford and Rockville. To date, Bloom has contributed $393,000 of free educational supplies and equipment across its entire store base.

Ahead of last week’s unveiling, more organic foods have been integrated throughout the stores, a variety of chef-inspired products will assist customers with their everyday cooking needs, and customer kiosks now offer new recipes and cooking ideas, as well as listing each product needed and its location in the store.

Further changes include brighter colors in wall décor and additional lighting, particularly in the produce section. And some products in Washington-area Bloom stores have been moved to make them easier to find.

“We really want to continue to enrich the lives of Washington, D.C., area families by offering healthy choices,” added Hunter. “We invite nearby residents to check out our newly refreshed stores which offers a greater selection of items at affordable prices.”

When asked whether Bloom's stores outside of the D.C. metro area would see any of the enhancements being touted in that region, company spokesman Benny Smith, on his way to Virginia to take part in the May 4 Stafford event, told PG, "All of our stores will be experiencing the changes in some ways," but did not elaborate. He added that the banner had rolled out similar improvements to eight of its Norfolk, Va.-area stores on April 6.

A subsidiary of Delhaize Group in Belgium, Salisbury, N.C.-based Bloom operates 41 stores in the northern Virginia and Maryland areas, and eight stores in southern Virginia.

Source: Progressive Grocer