Harmons is out to be different. The 13-store Utah-based grocery chain isn't big enough to overwhelm the competition with its buying clout and low-ball pricing so its management is focused on listening to the customer and delivering a shopping experience that sets it apart from both conventional competitors and natural/organic supermarkets as well.
A case is point is the company's new store in Draper, Utah. The 70,000-square-foot unit includes professional chefs and sous chefs creating fresh and organic foods on-premises, an espresso bar at the Park City Roasters inside the store, a carving station for roasts, fresh bread baked daily with organic ingredients and much more.
Bob Harmon, co-owner and vice president of the family business, said the company's management made road trips around the U.S. to pick up the best ideas in store design and customer service before starting on its new jewel.
"The nature of this is you must be competitive to go forward," he told the Deseret News. "We're bringing a choice and an offering to the public."
Choice is what Harmons is about and the company has looked to fill the new store with a wide selection of organic and specialty gourmet items that have a targeted appeal for the Draper's stores customer demographics.
David Livingston, principal with DJL Research and a member of the RetailWire BrainTrust, told the Deseret News that Harmons is taking the steps it must to remain competitive.
On one hand, Mr. Livingston said, is Wal-Mart and others touting low-prices and self-service. On the other are stores such as Albertsons and Smith's that "have been upgrading over the years... raising the bar of what plain vanilla is."
Discussion Questions: Is the upscale grocery niche that Harmons and others seek to fill a more risky proposition in the current economic environment than it would be during a period of more rapid growth? What do Harmons and other small grocery chains and independents around the U.S. have in common that enable them to succeed against much larger competition?
[Author's Commentary] "Plain vanilla" may reside inside some of Harmons' ice cream freezers but it is the last thing the grocer is about. The company has a reputation that goes well beyond its size with a culture of service excellence embraced by the entire organization. The company's stated vision for itself is "To be remarkable. People will be disappointed shopping anywhere else." It's been awhile since we were last in a Harmons but even then we could see how customers would be disappointed by the experience at shopping at one of its competitors.