Mariano’s and Roundy's: At the Forefront of Grocery Chic

Amanda Puck, VP of communications and brand development at the Roundy’s and Mariano’s divisions of The Kroger Co., joins the TWIG Podcast to talk about cultivating brands. 

Both Midwest banners are big supporters of local vendors and sharing their stories with the public. 

“We have hundreds of local brands in our store and I'm happy to say that we really know our vendors," says Amanda. "They all have a story, whether it's a heart-healthy dressing because they had a family member afflicted by heart disease, whether it's two moms whose kids have allergies and they wanted a healthy snack so they created a snack company, or whether it's two brothers who whose mom has this amazing giardiniera recipe that was passed on from her mom that they put on everything. It's just really wonderful to hear these stories.”

Not only do Roundy’s and Mariano’s support local food vendors, but they provide an environment to support the surrounding community as a whole, whether it be showcasing local entertainment Friday nights, holding cocktail-making events, or displaying local artwork. 

“Grocery chic is what we’re going for,” Amanda says. “We make the shopping experience fun. If someone's shopping on a Friday night, they don't expect to see an incredible band or DJ but it really gets them interested, it's that whole surprise and delight.”

The Kroger banners are also traveling abroad to bring global trends home to the Midwest. Case in point, the tinned fish trend.

“We took an innovation trip where we saw in Europe conserva everywhere,” Amanda explains. “There was tinned fish everywhere, there were small displays and large displays and we didn't really realize the impact of how customers would enjoy this so when we came back and we were putting our plan together, our leadership was like, ‘Let's just go big with this because it's really interesting.’” 

Sure enough, the in-store displays are stopping shoppers in their tracks.

“We're very excited mostly about innovation, what can we bring in to our customers that's exciting, what's new, what's on trend,” adds Amanda.  

She goes into a myriad of strategies to keep customers interested, including sampling events, education, social media, in-store signage, plus Mariano’s Magazine filled with recipes, cooking tips and coupons. 

Watch the complete episode to find out more about how Mariano’s and Roundy’s are keeping grocery on trend and their shoppers engaged. 

Progressive Grocer’s podcast focuses on the trends, topics and interests that move women forward in grocery retail. If you have an idea for a TWIG podcast topic, contact [email protected] and/or [email protected].