On Wednesday, Strack & Van Til of Valparaiso on U.S. 30 celebrated their grand re-opening, following a comprehensive remodel that expanded their vegan and organic options, improved their deli and meat offerings, and made changes to the store layout promising a smoother flow of traffic and a better shopping experience.
It took months of planning and work to complete the remodel while disrupting customers’ shopping experience as little as possible. The store’s team was excited to cut the ribbon and let their shoppers see the final result of all the work they saw being done during their visits.
“I’m really happy. All the effort was well worth it,” said Jason Boardman, Store Manager for Strack & Van Til of Valparaiso. “I think these renovations are going to be big, especially with the ongoing pandemic. People aren’t really going out to restaurants as much right now, so they’re going to come in and see the variety we have to offer and what we can provide to their families. It’s going to make a big impact on their shopping needs.”
The biggest change in the remodel is that rather than having all their organic and natural goods collected in one location, those products have been spread to the appropriate locations throughout the store. For example, if you are looking for organic beverages, you can find them in the drink's aisle, and if you are thinking of stocking up on frozen meals, the organic options have their own freezer among the rest of the frozen foods.
“The way it was before, all the natural and organic items were kind of landlocked,” said Michael Tyson, Chief Marketing & Merchandising Officer at Strack & Van Til. “By moving all those items to the appropriate categories, we’ve also been able to expand our number of organic options.”
The Strack & Van Til team noticed that the Valparaiso community had a uniquely high demand for vegan and organic options and wanted to make sure that it was satisfied.
“We’re always paying attention to what our customers want,” Tyson said. “We’ve been wanting to make this change for a while, so we’re happy to get it done.”
Their deli and meat market also saw big additions that Boardman hopes will satisfy shoppers looking for more convenience as well as variety in flavor and quality.
“We have a smokehouse that will let us offer smokehouse meals and things like specialty baked beans or mac and cheeses,” Boardman said. “There’s more grab and go dishes that customers can just pop in the oven and have a full meal in 20 to 25 minutes. We’ve also got great prices on prime angus meats and seafood items, which is a big step-up in quality.”
Boardman encouraged the community to drop by the store and check out the changes and new additions.
“I just want to say how proud we are to be a part of and to serve the Valparaiso community,” he said. “And I want to thank the customers who’ve shopped with us each and every day and every week while we were going through the remodel.”
To learn more about Strack & Van Til, visit https://strackandvantil.com/.
