FRESH FORMAT STORES: Sales +10.4% in 2013
Fresh format stores (Sprouts, The Fresh Market) emphasize fresh perimeter items and offer center-store assortments that differ from those of traditional retailers—especially in the areas of ethnic, natural, and organic - and in 2013, sales rose 10.4% to $14bn.
Looking ahead, sales at fresh format stores - which trend-watchers say do a better job of helping shoppers decide what to have for dinner tonight than traditional supermarkets - are expected to continue at a rate of 12.1% annually over the next five years.
Pictured: Fresh Thyme Farmer's Market, a new chain of fresh food format stores opening in the mid-west.