By Miles Flynn | Southern Indiana Business Report
JASPER — Sen. Mike Braun and Mayor Dean Vonderheide were among officials who turned out Aug. 18 to help cut the ribbon on the new Schnucks Fresh location in leased space in Jasper’s Germantown Shopping Center. Schnucks is based in Saint Louis, Missouri, and operates 110 grocery stores across Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.
“We have six Indiana locations in the Evansville area, and we appreciate the support we have seen from that community since we started serving the area in 1977,” Paul Simon in the firm’s media relations department told Southern Indiana Business Report. “Schnucks Fresh in Jasper was a natural extension of our Evansville market and will bring new customers in that area access to fresh, quality products with a heavy focus on produce, meat, seafood, deli and bakery. Ultimately, it’s the customer that tells us what they want by the choices they make with their purchases.”
He explained the Schnucks Fresh model provides an opportunity for growth into markets that may not be able to support a conventional supermarket size but that otherwise lack access to fresh food offerings.
“Our Jasper, Indiana, store is about 18,000 square feet, which is quite a bit smaller than our traditional store footprint,” Simon related. “This store was planned with our customers’ needs in mind for the Jasper community, and we’re excited to see how customers engage with the store and the products we have to offer.”
The new store opened with a staff of approximately 30 people, Simon said, with the vast majority coming from the local area. He noted that number could increase if the store performs well. “Store manager Ted Walker relocated to the area from our store in Columbia, Illinois, and a few teammates joined from our Evansville stores,” he added.
So far, Simon reported, the reception from the community has been “phenomenal.”
When asked if Schnucks is considering expanding into any other locations in the region, Simon noted that while the firm is always evaluating opportunities, there are no announcements to make at this time. “We will continue to look for opportunities to expand the Schnucks Fresh format, especially in smaller towns and rural areas that may be limited with their infrastructure to support a traditional supermarket but may benefit from local, convenient access to fresh foods,” he said.