To gauge the reaction of U.S. consumers to its concept, Picadeli, which runs salad bars in more than 2,200 grocery stores in Europe, worked with Albertsons to install the equipment in supermarkets in urban, suburban and rural areas, said Patrik Hellstrand, CEO of Picadeli U.S., which was formed to manage the company’s expansion across the Atlantic Ocean.
Albertsons installed its first Picadeli unit in a Safeway store in Washington, D.C., in late September, followed by another Safeway in the city a day later. Albertsons also has Picadeli salad bars at Kings Food Markets in the New York City suburbs of Cresskill and Montclair, New Jersey. The other bars are in Acme locations in Fort Lee, New Jersey, and Salisbury, Maryland.
Initial interest by Albertsons shoppers in buying meals from the high-tech salad bars, which are equipped with sensors to detect if food is uncovered and built-in hand sanitizer dispensers, has been promising, said Hellstrand.
Source: Grocery Dive
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