ATLANTA -- A Harris Teeter supermarket in the upscale Brookhaven suburb here merchandises beer in a walk-in cooler, which a chain spokeswoman said helps draw customers to the beer section and showcase its variety.The cooler, 19 feet by 24 feet, has an automatic glass door that says "Walk-in Beer Cooler" on it. Various-sized packs of domestic and microbrewed beer, plus some non-alcoholic imports, are
ATLANTA -- A Harris Teeter supermarket in the upscale Brookhaven suburb here merchandises beer in a walk-in cooler, which a chain spokeswoman said helps draw customers to the beer section and showcase its variety. Chest Freezers
The cooler, 19 feet by 24 feet, has an automatic glass door that says "Walk-in Beer Cooler" on it. Various-sized packs of domestic and microbrewed beer, plus some non-alcoholic imports, are stacked on a platform in the center of the floor and on metal shelf units against the walls. A glass-door freezer containing bagged ice stands near the entrance.
When SN visited the store in early June, plastic and foam ice chests were being cross-merchandised with beer inside the walk-in. They were displayed atop packs of beer stacked on the platform.
"The advantage of a walk-in cooler at this store is that it is a high-volume beer market," said Ruth Kinzey, corporate communications manager for Harris Teeter, based in Matthews, N.C. "The cooler permits a large inventory of cold beer and the ability to offer customers extensive variety."
Overall, the store has 283 stock-keeping units of domestic beer and 233 SKUs of specialty beer, which includes imported and microbrewed beer, according to Kinzey. The only non-refrigerated beer the store offers is in end caps or floor stacks for items on sale or with specials, she noted.
The beer department is situated amid the fresh foods area, but that resulted from space considerations and not an attempt at cross-merchandising, Kinzey said.
A colorful painted mural helps draw shoppers' attention to the beer section. The pastoral-themed artwork stretches across the wall above the walk-in cooler entrance and an adjacent 28-foot refrigerated gondola, which displays an array of imported beer plus some domestic bottled beer. Neon letters above the gondola read, "Beers & Ales from Around the World."
The focus on international beers is to underscore the store's beer selection, Kinzey said. "One thing we pride ourselves on is the variety of selection that we offer our customers. And you will find that we have a large variety of imported brands."
Of Harris Teeter's 142 stores, the Atlanta Brookhaven location is the only one with a walk-in beer cooler, Kinzey said. However, she added that there is some discussion about adding walk-ins at two other stores, possibly within the next year and a half.
"Overall, the walk-in coolers are not as visible as open coolers. Also, there is a cost associated with maintaining the larger walk-in cooler vs. the open cooler," she explained. "Therefore, we weigh such factors before making a decision to incorporate the walk-in cooler design feature into a store."
Murals, too, are in other parts of the Brookhaven store as well as in other Harris Teeter locations, according to Kinzey. "Each store is designed individually," she said. "If you've been to one Harris Teeter, you have not seen them all."
Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector.
Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.
Supermarket News - Informa Senior Editor April 2018 - present
Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press Desk/Online Editor Sept. 2008 - March 2018
CRN magazine - CMP Media Managing Editor May 2000 - June 2007
Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman Executive Editor/Managing Editor Dec. 1996 - May 2000
Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications Financial Editor/Associate Editor April 1995 - Dec. 1996
Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC Desk Editor/Assistant Editor Dec. 1992 - April 1995
Testa Communications Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines) Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992
American Banker/Bond Buyer Copy Editor Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991
This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications Reporter/Editor May 1989 - July 1990
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