The Fresh Market has grown its number of curbside orders since rolling out its new Friendliest Curbside Experience in America program to all 159 stores, last month. The average guest rating is 4.7 out of 5 stars, wait times have decreased to under five minutes, and order completion rates have substantially improved, according to the retailer.
The program includes having designated personal shoppers who communicate with the guest for whom they’re shopping as they pick the items, managers who double-check every order, fast delivery to the car, and a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee on every item in the curbside basket.
The retailer reimagined its curbside pickup experience after seeing a significant increase in the number of customers shopping online for at-home and curbside pickup, during the pandemic,” Kevin Miller, chief merchandising officer for The Fresh Market, told SFA News Daily.
“Our vision is that the online shopping experience and curbside pickup experience will be as exceptional and enjoyable as shopping in our stores,” he said.
In order to place a curbside pickup order, guests can visit shop.thefreshmarket.com or visit the app. After placing an order, the order is surfaced to a team member one or more hours before pickup time. The personal shopper then initiates a conversation with the guest, which is viewed either on their web browser or via text message.
“The TFM personal shopper will ask questions like: ‘Is there anything else I can get for you?’ or ‘We’re out of stock on this item, I recommend the following item as a replacement,’” said Miller. “Each personal shopper is empowered to give surprise and delight rewards for shopping with curbside at The Fresh Market like a free bag of popcorn, bottle of water, or piece of fruit for children in the car.” Personal shoppers also write personalized thank you notes with recipe and product suggestions.
