Basics Market

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Basics Market

Post by babs »

Interesting...

A new company backed by the founder of Pacific Foods is looking to reinvent the grocery store model.

The new store, called Basics Market, combines a market, nutrition classroom and kitchen under one roof, with a goal of increasing access “to foods at peak nutrition.” It will open late this summer in Portland, Oregon, where it will anchor The Portland Clinic. A second location is expected to open by year end in Tualatin, with a third in Beaverton, in 2019.

The 7,500-sq. ft. store will feature of curated selection of what is needed to cook nutritious meals at home.

Products (or ingredients) will be organized by recipes at five meal stations, developed by an in-house culinary director and vetted by a nutritionist for optimal health. Shelves will be stocked with just a few choices in every category, prioritized by local and sustainable suppliers whenever possible. The best produce of the season will be delivered fresh daily, and shoppers can choose from high quality regional meats and dairy products.

A third of the space will be dedicated to nutrition and culinary education, with a full calendar of diverse classes daily. An in-store nutritionist will be on hand to guide shoppers interested in improving their health.

Basics’ upstairs neighbor, The Portland Clinic, is expected to take full advantage of the store to help patients avoid and improve health conditions, from diabetes to heart health.

A collective of farmers, ranchers, grocery veterans and consumer packaged goods experts are building Basics with Eggert, who sold Pacific Foods last year to Campbell Soup. Eggert family members manage some of the largest organic farming operations in the state. Much of the meat, poultry and eggs carried at Basics will be from Eggert farms, where they provide plenty of access to pasture.

“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.”


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Re: Basics Market

Post by klkla »

Definitely a unique concept. It will be interesting to see if it works out.
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Re: Basics Market

Post by storewanderer »

Not quite what I was thinking when I heard "Basics." The first thing that came to mind was A&P's discount format "Food Basics."

Fortunately I doubt many other people will make that connection.
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Re: Basics Market

Post by SamSpade »

Basics continues to evolve from their original business plan -
I visited the Hillsdale replacement for Food Front. It looks almost identical to the Food Front and Wild Oats that were both in the space. What's that mean? A petite but functional 4 aisle grocer that feels a little bit like going into a rural community market.

There's a decent traditional produce department alongside the "meal stations" around this store as well as a full service meat / seafood / hot deli (combined) counter.

The company has also enhanced their website to explain better what they do. It had a lot of the usual "natural" groceries that are being sold at similarly sized Green Zebra and (larger) New Seasons. I think they would benefit by stocking more house items like Trader Joe's but ((shrug)). Maybe Portlanders don't really care for UNFI/SuperValu brands. It was cool to see Culinary Circle again though, albeit only for frozen pizza.

They also have opened a meat market in a former tiny tiny Burgerville USA in the central Beaverton shopping district. This store does carry a bit more than just a meat counter I learned from their website. It would probably be a good compliment for a certain kind of shopper to the nearby Trader Joe's and (Vitamin Cottage) Natural Grocers.
Basics Market: Meat Market

I realize the owners must be observantly religious as they are closed on Sundays and carry more lamb than any market I've ever seen.
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Re: Basics Market

Post by buckguy »

This sounds a bit like 2 chains in the DC area--Yes! Organic market which operates in DC and MOMS which is mostly in the suburbs. Neither has a lot of prepared foods, although they are sourced by local bakeries and such, but the 4 aisle healthy eating format sounds otherwise similar. The nearest Yes! to me is couple blocks from Trader Joe's and does a decent business, in part because unlike TJ's, it's the real thing in terms of health (good produce, for example), carries niche items like grains and the pricing can be surprisingly good. It's mostly a fill-in store and they've somehow been able to have things hand sanitizer and paper goods when others haven't---there's a lot of creative sourcing.

I'm curious how much Pacific sources Basics. The stuff of theirs I've tried like the soups and stocks hasn't been very good.
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Basics expansion to Aloha 2022

Post by SamSpade »

Not sure who is backing this chain now or what is going on.
I was in Hillsdale last month and the store there was being reset although felt basically the same other than it looked like moving out or around on health/beauty products, perhaps for more food products?

Interestingly enough, the former Bales in "Aloha" (unincorporated Washington County, but urbanized) between Hillsboro and Beaverton is going to become a Basics Market. I thought at first the covered windows may have been random, but they have posted to Instagram they are hiring chainwide, including "...and even a cake decorator for our new store in Aloha."

Unlike all the previous locations, this is actually large enough to be a full traditional grocer, even with extras if they want to try (Bales used to sell a lot of garden products, floral, Christmas trees). This location is adjacent to a center that didn't really see any closures after the loss of the grocer. It has a Rite Aid with weird decor for this area, a Dollar Tree, a community library, several bars and restaurants, a gym, and a church.

The chain also closed their Tualatin location without really explaining why. It was quite small. However, the small meat market is still operating in Beaverton.

Also, the chain is now open on Sundays, albeit with a bit slimmer hours.
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Re: Basics expansion to Aloha 2022

Post by norcalriteaidclerk »

SamSpade wrote: March 2nd, 2022, 6:11 pm Not sure who is backing this chain now or what is going on.
I was in Hillsdale last month and the store there was being reset although felt basically the same other than it looked like moving out or around on health/beauty products, perhaps for more food products?

Interestingly enough, the former Bales in "Aloha" (unincorporated Washington County, but urbanized) between Hillsboro and Beaverton is going to become a Basics Market. I thought at first the covered windows may have been random, but they have posted to Instagram they are hiring chainwide, including "...and even a cake decorator for our new store in Aloha."

Unlike all the previous locations, this is actually large enough to be a full traditional grocer, even with extras if they want to try (Bales used to sell a lot of garden products, floral, Christmas trees). This location is adjacent to a center that didn't really see any closures after the loss of the grocer. It has a Rite Aid with weird decor for this area, a Dollar Tree, a community library, several bars and restaurants, a gym, and a church.

The chain also closed their Tualatin location without really explaining why. It was quite small. However, the small meat market is still operating in Beaverton.

Also, the chain is now open on Sundays, albeit with a bit slimmer hours.
Off Topic
The Aloha Rite Aid(with the 'weird decor')was actually previously a Longs Drugs.In 2007(over a year before the acquisition by CVS Health),Longs exited the Pacific Northwest.Rite Aid then swapped its most of its northern Nevada locations for several Pacific Northwest locations including this one(other confirmed locations were in Mercer Island and Washougal)plus the 900 Sunrise location in Roseville which still has 2000-ish Longs decor.
For your life,Thrifty and Payless have got it.
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Re: Basics expansion to Aloha 2022

Post by babs »

SamSpade wrote: March 2nd, 2022, 6:11 pm Not sure who is backing this chain now or what is going on.
I was in Hillsdale last month and the store there was being reset although felt basically the same other than it looked like moving out or around on health/beauty products, perhaps for more food products?

Interestingly enough, the former Bales in "Aloha" (unincorporated Washington County, but urbanized) between Hillsboro and Beaverton is going to become a Basics Market. I thought at first the covered windows may have been random, but they have posted to Instagram they are hiring chainwide, including "...and even a cake decorator for our new store in Aloha."

Unlike all the previous locations, this is actually large enough to be a full traditional grocer, even with extras if they want to try (Bales used to sell a lot of garden products, floral, Christmas trees). This location is adjacent to a center that didn't really see any closures after the loss of the grocer. It has a Rite Aid with weird decor for this area, a Dollar Tree, a community library, several bars and restaurants, a gym, and a church.

The chain also closed their Tualatin location without really explaining why. It was quite small. However, the small meat market is still operating in Beaverton.

Also, the chain is now open on Sundays, albeit with a bit slimmer hours.
They also closed the original store on Sandy Blvd. They came to the realization that the original two stores were too small to offer an assortment to drive the traffic they needed to survive.
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Re: Basics expansion to Aloha 2022

Post by storewanderer »

norcalriteaidclerk wrote: March 2nd, 2022, 9:47 pm
SamSpade wrote: March 2nd, 2022, 6:11 pm Not sure who is backing this chain now or what is going on.
I was in Hillsdale last month and the store there was being reset although felt basically the same other than it looked like moving out or around on health/beauty products, perhaps for more food products?

Interestingly enough, the former Bales in "Aloha" (unincorporated Washington County, but urbanized) between Hillsboro and Beaverton is going to become a Basics Market. I thought at first the covered windows may have been random, but they have posted to Instagram they are hiring chainwide, including "...and even a cake decorator for our new store in Aloha."

Unlike all the previous locations, this is actually large enough to be a full traditional grocer, even with extras if they want to try (Bales used to sell a lot of garden products, floral, Christmas trees). This location is adjacent to a center that didn't really see any closures after the loss of the grocer. It has a Rite Aid with weird decor for this area, a Dollar Tree, a community library, several bars and restaurants, a gym, and a church.

The chain also closed their Tualatin location without really explaining why. It was quite small. However, the small meat market is still operating in Beaverton.

Also, the chain is now open on Sundays, albeit with a bit slimmer hours.
Off Topic
The Aloha Rite Aid(with the 'weird decor')was actually previously a Longs Drugs.In 2007(over a year before the acquisition by CVS Health),Longs exited the Pacific Northwest.Rite Aid then swapped its most of its northern Nevada locations for several Pacific Northwest locations including this one(other confirmed locations were in Mercer Island and Washougal)plus the 900 Sunrise location in Roseville which still has 2000-ish Longs decor.
Off Topic
Looks like the Aloha Rite Aid actually got a full remodel into the Mary Sammons era Customer World decor (even re-did ceilings). No sign of Longs remains from what I can see.

Washogual still has Longs interior as well. Same interior as 900 Sunrise in Roseville. That store was built by Longs, perhaps in the late 90's. It looks like it is from 1980 because, well, that is how Longs looked.

There was a store in Yakima that Rite Aid got from Longs also. That store was a former Drug Emporium and had a very interesting interior, from Drug Emporium. Looked nothing like the CA Drug Emporiums looked.

Some of the OR/WA Longs were former Drug Emporiums.
As far as this Basics thing goes, I am curious how they expect to be successful, if the Bales Thriftway wasn't. See what they have to offer I guess.
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Re: Basics expansion to Aloha 2022

Post by babs »

storewanderer wrote: March 3rd, 2022, 5:18 pm
norcalriteaidclerk wrote: March 2nd, 2022, 9:47 pm
SamSpade wrote: March 2nd, 2022, 6:11 pm Not sure who is backing this chain now or what is going on.
I was in Hillsdale last month and the store there was being reset although felt basically the same other than it looked like moving out or around on health/beauty products, perhaps for more food products?

Interestingly enough, the former Bales in "Aloha" (unincorporated Washington County, but urbanized) between Hillsboro and Beaverton is going to become a Basics Market. I thought at first the covered windows may have been random, but they have posted to Instagram they are hiring chainwide, including "...and even a cake decorator for our new store in Aloha."

Unlike all the previous locations, this is actually large enough to be a full traditional grocer, even with extras if they want to try (Bales used to sell a lot of garden products, floral, Christmas trees). This location is adjacent to a center that didn't really see any closures after the loss of the grocer. It has a Rite Aid with weird decor for this area, a Dollar Tree, a community library, several bars and restaurants, a gym, and a church.

The chain also closed their Tualatin location without really explaining why. It was quite small. However, the small meat market is still operating in Beaverton.

Also, the chain is now open on Sundays, albeit with a bit slimmer hours.
Off Topic
The Aloha Rite Aid(with the 'weird decor')was actually previously a Longs Drugs.In 2007(over a year before the acquisition by CVS Health),Longs exited the Pacific Northwest.Rite Aid then swapped its most of its northern Nevada locations for several Pacific Northwest locations including this one(other confirmed locations were in Mercer Island and Washougal)plus the 900 Sunrise location in Roseville which still has 2000-ish Longs decor.
Off Topic
Looks like the Aloha Rite Aid actually got a full remodel into the Mary Sammons era Customer World decor (even re-did ceilings). No sign of Longs remains from what I can see.

Washogual still has Longs interior as well. Same interior as 900 Sunrise in Roseville. That store was built by Longs, perhaps in the late 90's. It looks like it is from 1980 because, well, that is how Longs looked.

There was a store in Yakima that Rite Aid got from Longs also. That store was a former Drug Emporium and had a very interesting interior, from Drug Emporium. Looked nothing like the CA Drug Emporiums looked.

Some of the OR/WA Longs were former Drug Emporiums.
As far as this Basics thing goes, I am curious how they expect to be successful, if the Bales Thriftway wasn't. See what they have to offer I guess.
The Bales / Lambs stores failed because they were run of the mill grocery stores with sky high prices and nothing unique or gourmet about it. Customers looking for natural or high end goods weren't shopping there. If Basics can attract customers who want natural / gourmet products, They will do fine. The demographics of the area isn't high end but these days income isn't as much of a factor at these gourmet stores as it used to be.
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