February 26, 2006

Food News: Grocers go green

"Grocery shelves in San Diego County are getting greener.

Fueled by shoppers' concerns about diet and food purity, natural foods chains are expanding and traditional grocers are stocking more organic and health foods.

The county has about 30 alternative grocery stores that devote a lot of floor space to such foods, with more on the way. This year alone, plans call for three new Henry's Farmers Market stores and an additional outlet each for Jimbo's, Windmill Farms and Bristol Farms.

Henry's, with a dozen stores in San Diego County, will open its new, 30,000-square-foot flagship outlet in Carlsbad on Wednesday. The largest store in the Henry's chain will have wide aisles, wooden shelves and signs, a broad selection of organic produce, a sushi bar and seating where customers can eat food from the store's deli.

The natural foods segment “is the hottest topic in the supermarket industry,” said Ted Taft, managing director at Meridian Consulting in Connecticut."

Full article here.