The Central Expressway freeway was backed up bumper to bumper on Monday night. SMU student, Anna Leigh Collier left her nursing internship 20 minutes late. Her friends were coming over in an hour to watch The Bachelor and were expecting appetizers, wine, and dessert. Sitting in traffic, she was exhausted and worried she wouldn’t have time to go to put everything together.
As she approached Snider Plaza, out of the corner of her eye she saw black and white striped umbrellas in front of huge glass windows. She did a double-take and noticed that through the floor to ceiling windows was a small corner market with a sign that read, “Foxtrot Market & Cafe”. She pulled into a parking spot in front of Foxtrot to avoid driving through the always packed Snider Plaza parking lot to get to Tom Thumb grocery store.
To her surprise, the contemporary market was a millennial’s heaven. Premade cheese boards, a selection of over 50 different wines and beers, refrigerated grab and go meals, ice cream, local specialty items, a gift section, and a coffee bar all sat in the sleek and modern “next-generation” corner market. “Next-generation” corner markets are popping up like crazy in order to create convenience for people who want the best items in the quickest way possible. Markets carrying a curated selection of the most exciting new brands with everything from coffee, wine, everyday grocery items, and premade meals and snacks are insanely attractive. As stated in the article, “Next-Generation Considerations: Data Visibility, Labor Force, Store Layout,” published by the Progressive Grocer, “The challenge for retailers today is to recognize that the people who are in their 20s now grocery shopping are more different than ever before, and we need to adapt to that,” says Mike Griswold, research VP for the consumer value chain team at Gartner Inc. “One-stop-shop” corner markets such as Foxtrot have adapted to complement the exact needs of millennial grocery shoppers.
“We’re helping shine a light on convenience. We really think of ourselves as a modern-day convenience market and you just really shouldn’t have to settle for convenience,” Foxtrot Senior Director of Marketing, Sarah Sitz said. “It’s a place you can study, a place you can meet your friends for a quick bite or a place to grab groceries. We really try to adapt to every way possible so that people can really use the store.”
The new Foxtrot location takes corner markets to new heights for SMU students by not only acting as a “one-stop-shop” but also a workplace and social scene. On any given day, the long community tables are filled with people working on their laptops or enjoying a snack and a drink with friends.
“When Fondren Library is too crowded, I’ll often walk over to Foxtrot and do my homework,” SMU student Kate Vogel said. “It’s really nice to get my work done at a place where I’m also able to grab a snack or coffee.”
Within just 10 minutes Collier left Foxtrot with a premade charcuterie board, raw beet and endive salad, fresno chili hummus, pita chips, a six-pack of sparkling rose in a can, salted caramel ice cream, and a large iced coffee to wake her up before her viewing party.
“Not only does Foxtrot offer a huge selection of everything I might need to host a viewing party, but I learned that they also deliver which makes things that much more convenient,” Collier said.
