Small market holds its own

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor

CHICOPEE With the Chicopee Wal-Mart having broken ground on expanding its current store to a "super center" which includes a full grocery store the stage is set in the city for renewed competition between food giants Big Y, Stop & Shop and Price-Rite.

The owners and management of one of the city's oldest grocery stores, Fruit Fair, aren't too worried about the Wal-Mart expansion, though.

Founded in 1936 the same year as the Big Y and operating in the same location since 1954, Fruit Fair was purchased in August by three brothers who had operated a pizza shop in Boston for 15 years.

Ziad Odeh, the eldest of the three siblings, spoke to the Chicopee Herald last week and said that business at the store has been "very good, as expected."

"There have been no surprises," he said with a smile.

Business has improved 13 percent since the brothers assumed ownership.

He said that he and his brothers have made cosmetic changes to the building and re-designed some of the aisles.

Rick Tremblay, the store's manager, said the brothers have also reduced some prices and added more in-store specials to pass along savings to the customers.

Tremblay and Odeh explained that on meat, deli items and produce they can beat the larger chains on prices.

Tremblay said the difference is Fruit Fair can offer customer service the other stores can't.

"We have a close relationship with our customers," he said.

Tremblay noted they have one employee that has been with the store for 35 years and another for 30 years.

"They know everybody," Tremblay said.

Tremblay said that while the store has a base of older customers, he has seen an increase in younger people shopping after work over the past several months.

The management has been working on ways to effective compete against the larger stores. Their efforts have included offering more Goya products for the city's Hispanic population and buying much of their produce from local suppliers for increased freshness.

Tremblay pointed to the produce section and noted the potatoes, onions and butternut squash all come from local farms. The amount of local produce increases during the growing season to almost 90 percent, Odeh said.

Tremblay said that at least one of the three owners is on the premises at all times and if there is a problem, they attend to it personally.