Retailer of the Year New Seasons Market ushers in a new era of natural products retail stores.
“I ordered it online from a store based in Bangladesh.” Twenty years ago, such a statement would never have been heard, but today, the retail world is a very different place. Technological advances, the Internet, regulatory changes, globalism and environmentalism are all at the forefront of what it means to run a retail store today. Adapting to this new world can be a challenge for natural products retailers, especially when it comes to convenience versus quality. But one business has been a shining example of stepping up to the challenge.
New Seasons Market, based in Portland, OR, has evolved over the past 10 years to embrace this new era to create an increasingly successful business, while maintaining its core principles. Embracing new ideas (and improving upon old standards) about product offerings, customer service, community involvement and sustainability has helped this chain of stores grow. In 1999, three families and a group of friends decided they wanted to open a store founded on the principles of giving back and sustainability. Now, with this philosophy still the priority of its business model, New Seasons has grown to a total of nine stores in only 10 years with a staff coming close to 1,700 people, and more on the way...
