Farmer Jack to Introduce 'Food Basics' to Detroit

Farmer Jack announced today that it is bringing Food Basics to the Detroit region. Ten of the 13 Farmer Jack Food Markets, slated to close in mid-February, in southeast Michigan will be transformed into deep discount Food Basics stores by early April.

"I am excited to bring Food Basics to the Detroit area marketplace, affording customers a choice in grocery shopping," said Farmer Jack president Mike Carter commenting on the decision to convert 10 stores to Food Basics. "The new agreement with UFCW, Local 876, made it possible for Farmer Jack to introduce Food Basics to the Detroit metro area and both the employees and Farmer Jack will benefit from its successful implementation. The Food Basics stores provide our Detroit area customers with a new, no-frills option," Carter continued.

Food Basics is a new concept in food shopping where shoppers save as much as 30 percent on the grocery items they buy most. It is already well established in North America with a total of 105 stores in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Ontario Canada, including three stores in Windsor.

"Food Basics offers shoppers the kind of savings associated with other deep discount retailers without the hassle of membership fees, multi-pack purchases and frequent shopper cards and with the convenience of being close to home," said Earl Weissert, president of Food Basics USA.

"Food Basics offers a variety of fresh, high-quality produce, meat, and poultry, the most popular national brand groceries, as well as seafood and baked goods. Selections of food items are limited to the regular grocery items shoppers buy most frequently, with about 20,000 products available compared to about 45,000 at the average supermarket. Food Basics is 100 percent self-service. Shoppers bag their own groceries in bags they bring or purchase at the store," Weissert continued.

Weissert indicated Food Basics will renovate 10 stories to fit the Food Basics format. He said, "As Food Basics, these stores will have approximately the same retail space as they had when operated as Farmer Jack Food Markets. Our stores may be simple, but we have clean operations with value-priced merchandise." Those stores, which currently have pharmacy and bank services, will continue to operate their pharmacies and banks during the remodeling process.

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick voiced his support of Food Basics at a meeting with Farmer Jack and Food Basics senior management. He said, "The concept of Food Basics affords shoppers with a choice. Moreover, it shows that Farmer Jack has a renewed commitment to the City of Detroit and the region by bringing a new concept in grocery retail. I commend them on their decision," Kilpatrick commented.

Carter thanked Mayor Kilpatrick by saying, "We appreciate the Mayor's cooperation and leadership spirit as we move forward with Food Basics."

The stores to be renovated into Food Basics include: Wayne on E. Michigan Avenue; Lincoln Park on W. Fort; Detroit on Telegraph at Seven Mile; Harper Woods on Harper at Moross; Detroit on W. Outer Drive at Southfield; Highland Park on Woodward; Hamtramck on Joseph Campau; Detroit on Rosa Parks Blvd.; Melvindale on Oakwood Blvd., and Sterling Heights on Fourteen Mile Rd at Ryan.

Farmer Jack Food Market is southeast Michigan's market leader with 106 locations. Based in Detroit, Farmer Jack is an operating unit of the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P, NYSE: GAP) headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey. A&P operates more than 645 stores in 10 states, the District of Columbia and Ontario, Canada under the following names: A&P, Waldbaum's, The Food Emporium, Super Foodmart, Super Fresh, Farmer Jack, Sav-A-Center, Dominion, The Barn Markets, Food Basics and Ultra Food & Drug. Farmer Jack is on the web at www.farmerjack.com .

Source: Farmer Jack Food Market