Hot Dot Foods Market to Open in Winooski, VT
WINOOSKI, Vt.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 26, 1999--Hot Dot Foods Market, an exciting new food retailing concept featuring exceptionally low prices in a limited assortment format, opens with a Grand Opening ceremony at 8 a.m. on Wednesday (January 27, 1999) at 40 Malletts Bay Avenue.
Lt. Governor Douglas A. Racine and Mayor William Norful will officiate at the ribbon cutting ceremony.
The Hot Dot Foods Market occupies a 20,000-square-foot building that will feature some 6,000 different grocery, produce, meat and general merchandise items. Most products will be sold directly from their cardboard cases and the store will have areas with warehouse-type shelving. Only the highest-quality branded and private label items will be sold.
"Hot Dot Foods represents a bold departure from traditional food retailing," noted Jasper Meadows, Corporate Vice President in charge of Specialty Store Formats for The Grand Union Company which operates the store. "We have eliminated the normal overhead expense of a supermarket, reduced the amount of services available and combined that with high-quality merchandise to give our customers prices that will truly amaze them. And those low prices will continue week after week."
"Items selected for sale in the store represent those products which account for the highest volume movement in a traditional supermarket," Meadows said. "We will not be undersold. We guarantee the lowest prices on 10 basic commodity items the customer buys on a weekly basis."
Since the emphasis is on low prices, service to the customer is limited. Customers must supply their own bags or purchase paper sacks at 5 cents each. Cardboard boxes for packing groceries will be available free. Purchases may be made by cash, check (for the amount of purchase only and with two forms of identification), and all major credit cards. Money orders will be available at a charge of only 29 cents each.
The store will feature an opening sweepstakes with a grand prize of a Toro 8HP snowblower with electric starter, light kit and protective cap. The prize is valued at $1,900. "Hot Dot Foods" shirts will be given to the first 200 customers on opening day, free of charge. Balloons will be available for children.
Craig Gutchell, a veteran store manager, is general manager of the new store. The store will be open from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
The Winooski store is the first Hot Dot Foods Market to be opened by The Grand Union Company (Nasdaq:GUC0). |
