Cliff's Local Market Uses 'Local' to Its Advantage
MARCY, N.Y. — When a small chain wanted to recommit to the communities it served in a new way, it made "local" its middle name, literally. Cliff's Local Market emerged in 2017 after being a part of the Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes franchise program for many years.
"Our franchisor was acquired by a local entity and we saw similar consolidation across the industry," recalled Mike Clifford, vice president of Cliff's Local Market. "The 'local' part of our brand name is exactly how we sought to distinguish ourselves. We prioritize local partnerships, selling local products, and investing in and giving back to our local communities. This helps us stand out and craft our own identity while competing with larger chains."
[Read more: Thinking Like a Future-Forward Retailer]
Cliff's currently owns and operates 22 convenience stores, many of which have been recent knock-down and rebuild projects to expand and strengthen the chain's dedication to the local neighborhoods it serves in Central New York.
"Given our size and locale, we focus on our adaptive and flexible abilities to provide an elevated customer experience," said Jeff Carpenter, director of education and training at parent company Clifford Fuel Co., which has roots stretching back three generations to 1961. "With all the consolidation that has been prevalent in the industry, we are proud to have all that comes with the 'local advantage' in serving our customers."
A Made-to-Order Experience
With most stores hovering around 4,500 square feet, Cliff's new sites were designed to include a labor-intensive, fully made-to-order (MTO) foodservice program.
"Even in our early days, foodservice played a prominent role, but as we've expanded and remodeled stores, it has become a core focus," explained Derek Thurston, director of foodservice for the chain, which is now known for offering high-quality, fresh and convenient options such as made-to-order sandwiches, hot breakfast items, pizza and house-made ciabatta sandwiches. With a wide selection of freshly baked breads, proteins, cheeses and vegetables, patrons can customize their orders to their liking.
"Our deli lines are customer facing, which allows them to see our fresh product offering, but also to be involved in the experience of their food being made. A little extra lettuce? Sure. Too many tomatoes? No problem," noted Carpenter.
Cliff's also caters to those customers who are in a rush, but still crave fresh, ready-to-go options. For them, grab-and-go coolers are stocked with freshly made salads, wraps, sandwiches, fruit cups, yogurt parfaits and protein bowls. During peak times, warmers hold breakfast sandwiches, burgers, chicken sandwiches and soups.
The local angle has enhanced the foodservice experience at Cliff's. "We've really raised the bar by introducing quarterly, limited-time offers (LTOs) and fostering local partnerships," Thurston said. "For example, we partnered with Utica Coffee, a respected local brewer, to offer their coffee in our stores. This partnership aligns with our values of community connection and sets us apart from competitors."
Added Thurston: "Our MTO staff takes pride in offering exceptional service and it's not uncommon for customers to compliment them for the quality of the product and the experience."
A Personal Appeal
While Cliff's foodservice program was created to appeal to a wide range of customers, the chain is focused on increasing visits from female shoppers. To do this, the retailer is partnering with the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women luncheons.
"This gives us the opportunity to showcase our heart-healthy options to a group of successful women entrepreneurs. We'll distribute coupons at the event to encourage future visits," Thurston said. In addition, Cliff's is working on targeted marketing campaigns that expand awareness of its food offerings.
Streamlining the customer experience is a priority for the retailer as well. When customers walk into a Cliff's Local Market, they're immediately greeted by the open-air case stocked with fresh, made-in-house items. Just next to it, right near the registers, pizza warmers offer hot, freshly made slices to encourage impulse sales. Then, the heart of the store features the large MTO area where customers can engage with staff to create their perfect sandwich. In this area, three large digital menuboards showcase LTOs with professional food photography and motion to capture attention.
"The layout is designed for smooth customer flow from ordering to checkout, creating a seamless experience with minimal friction," Thurston told Convenience Store News.
To this end, Cliff's also offers online ordering and is proud of the progress it's recently achieved with the program. "Our existing foodservice program has provided a great foundation from which to build customer engagement, and we intend to lean in further on this newer offering," said Carpenter. "The dichotomy of our online vs. in-store experience allows us to capture customers who enjoy the customized personal engagement, as well as those who prefer the 'don't talk to me deliveries' with a 'leave on porch, don't ring bell' request. Pickup works very similarly."
The chain has added online order pickup racks to all its locations to improve convenience for customers in a hurry. "Looking ahead, we're focused on further streamlining the customer experience and exploring new ways to enhance both the in-store and online ordering process," Thurston added.
Cliff's is looking at other technology advancements, but treading cautiously as there are a lot of factors to consider, including team member impact, according to Carpenter.
"Being a smaller retailer, it can be challenging to tie together different pieces of necessary technology to create a seamless customer experience and not overwhelm your support/store teams with all the technological pieces," he said. "It is important for us not to rush into solutions and ensure they're a good fi t for all parties — especially our customers. It's also worth noting that you have to be extremely conscious of how today's decisions can affect future initiatives."