Grocery stores Valleywide are trying to get a leg up in the industry by striking a balance between the low prices of supercenters and the look of upscale grocers.
Shopping centers near campus have jumped on the trend with Safeway, Bashas' and Fry's supermarkets upgrading their interiors and offering more products.
Safeway added softer lighting, new flooring and a wider variety of wines, sushi and pre-cooked meals to its store at Rural and Broadway roads last year, said Nikki Daly, a spokeswoman for Safeway's Phoenix division.
This was part of a companywide campaign to upgrade the majority of its locations, Daly added.
"We're just trying to make the atmosphere better for any type of customer," she said
These upgrades could help differentiate Safeway from its competitors by creating a more enjoyable shopping experience, she added.
Religious studies senior Shad Morrow usually gets basics like milk and cereal from Fry's Food and Drug and fruits and vegetables from Safeway because the store offers more choices.
If Fry's offered a better selection of produce, Morrow said he would shop there more often.
"I can get it all in one spot," Morrow said.
A store with a better interior would also be more attractive, he added.
"It makes it feel you're getting more for the money," Morrow said.
Other supermarkets in Tempe are also decking themselves out in new paint and offering more produce.
The Fry's Marketplace at Baseline Road and McClintock Drive expanded its home products department. Now selections include wine glasses and patio furniture, said Kendra Doyel, a Fry's spokeswoman.
Improvements are constantly taking place at Fry's supermarkets and any renovations are influenced by customer suggestions, Doyel said.
Bashas' will begin expanding the deli and bakery departments at its McClintock Drive and Southern Avenue store in January, and finish renovations in April said Alison Bendler, a Bashas' spokeswoman.
Improvements include new copper signs, a Starbucks and a Mexican kitchen that would serve fresh takeout food, she added.
Redesigning stores to have a modern, pleasant appearance is an effective way to attract customers, said Mary Jo Bitner, an ASU marketing professor.
"If your physical place becomes run down or looks out of date, people may then feel that the products you sell there aren't as good," Bitner said.
Bridget Goldschmidt, managing editor of Progressive Grocer magazine, a publication that analyzes the grocery business, said companies are upgrading their stores because of competition from discount stores and upscale retailers.
There were 69 annual trips to the grocery store per household in 2004, down from 83 in 1999, according to Progressive Grocer. But average annual trips to supercenters like Wal-Mart increased from 15 to 27 during that time.
"Many people, especially those struggling to make ends meet and raise families, find a bargain irresistible," Goldschmidt said.
More upscale grocers like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are attractive to shoppers because they offer foods traditional grocery stores don't, like ingredients for ethnic dishes, she added.
Maggie Curtin, a recreation management and psychology senior said she usually goes to Fry's for the basics and Trader Joe's for its selection of organic produce and imported sauces and spices.
But even if Fry's offered those products, Curtin would still go to Trader Joe's, she added.
"I'm still loyal to Trader Joe's because they have provided organic produce for a long time and a lot of it is relatively inexpensive," Curtin said.
Reach the reporter at grayson.steinberg@asu.edu
