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Health & Fitness

The Fresh Market of Mount Lebanon - Initial Impressions

I do not like to patronize stores and restaurants that are mobbed with cusrtomers, but I made an exception for opening week of The Fresh Market to see the offerings for myself.  Had I needed to find a parking space in the jammed lot, I would not have visited at this time, but my traffic woes were wiped away by my wife and I walking over from nearby Primanti Brothers, where he had enjoyed a delicious dinner.

I had visited a branch of The Fresh Market during business trips to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where it is located in the exclusive Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley, and I had been impressed.  

The store is attractive and spacious, and will seem more spacious when it is not mobbed with opening week shoppers.  It carries exclusive and extensive lines of the finest foods, beautiful gift baskets, and an assortment of unique greeting cards for most occasions.  There are some items for the value-conscious, which this week included gourmet salad dressings, buy one, get one free (two twelve ounce bottles for $3.98) and Fresh Market apple pies, $3 off (a bargain at $4.99).  Mangoes are competitively priced at $1.00 each as are sweet onions at 98 cents per pound.  Samples of fresh peaches and sushi were being provided.  The staff is cordial and welcoming, but I did not receive a "thank you" for my purchase nor do the cashiers seem to be trained to use those magic words.

This fine store is close to my home and I pass it multiple times each week.  It is a store that is not going to be one I rely up-no for everyday shopping, but a place I will visit regularly for certain items.

It will be interesting to learn whether The Fresh Market, Giant Eagle Market District, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods: the primary players for the affluent shopper dollar, will be able to survive (I suspect all of them will), and which one, if any, becomes the dominant force.  Will there be any price competition to secure superior status in this market?  

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