Could a new brick-and-mortar concept pairing the strengths of a meal kit and a grocer gain ground on Amazon's fresh focused Whole Foods? Basics Market is game to find out—looking to “reinvent...grocery” with its small-format concept that emphasizes healthy, fresh food. Backed by Pacific Foods Co-Founder Chuck Eggert, the store will include a market, classroom, and discovery kitchen and is slated to open in Portland, Oregon, this summer—with a second location in Tualatin opening later in the year and a third opening in Beaverton in 2019.
According to a company press release, Basics is a fraction of the size of a regular supermarket, standing at just 7,500 square feet. Designed for access and offering “just what people need to cook healthy meals at home,” Basics will offer ingredients organized by recipes at five “meal stations” that have been developed by an in-house culinary director and vetted by a nutritionist for optimal health.
“We think one of the best things for your health is to cook your own food, and that the most nourishing ingredients you can use are in season, grown locally,” said Eggert. “One of the ways we saw to help people get the best nutrition was to make what we grow and raise here in Oregon more accessible, and we’re working with others to do the same.”
Shelves will be stocked with just a few choices in every category, prioritized by local and sustainable suppliers whenever possible. The format both allows consumers to select their own fresh products and gives them the culinary direction provided through a meal kit.
The company noted that the best produce of the season will be delivered fresh daily from a network of local partners.
“When you have the skills to cook your own meals and a little nutrition guidance, you’re really taking your health into your own hands,” added Store Manager Erin Leiker. “What’s important to all of us is fostering heath and connections in the store, around the table and at the farm. That’s what attracted me to Basics.”
According to the company’s press release, a collective of farmers, ranchers, grocery veterans, and consumer packaged goods experts are building Basics with Chuck Eggert—whose family members practice regenerative agriculture while also managing some of the largest organic farming operations in the state. Eggert is also working to nurture new agricultural ventures and manufacturing throughout Oregon.
Could Basics Market be a disruptive presence on the better-for-you shopping scene? Deli Market News will continue to report.
