Harris Teeter 2003 Annual Report Download - page 8

Harris Teeter has long enjoyed a reputation for excellence in produce and we are now extending our private label
program with the recent introduction of the Harris Teeter Farmers MarketTM. Harris Teeter Farmers MarketTM produce
means freshness is verified by Harris Teeter Green Thumb ExpertsTM and all produce is carefully selected to meet our
high standards. We guarantee our fruits will be consistently sweet, ripe, and ready to eat, and Harris Teeter also pledges
to have the widest variety of fruits and vegetables the world has to offer.
We are training our produce department associates to become “Green Thumb” experts. They are on hand to answer
questions about an item’s nutritional content, help customers learn how to store fruits and vegetables properly at home,
explain the difference in varieties, and even suggest a few ways they can cook it up for the whole family to enjoy.
Harris Teeter Green Thumb ExpertsTM can help educate and inform our customers as we introduce them to new
and unusual food items while serving the needs of our more sophisticated shoppers. Although, we already subject our
produce to strict quality standards, we are raising the bar as we work to develop the best Harris Teeter brand in produce,
serving to re-enforce our superior quality, selection and service. We have worked hard to ensure that Harris Teeter
Farmers MarketTM will do for produce what the Harris Teeter Rancher®beef program has done for meat.
Technology Harris Teeter has invested in technology that makes a difference in the overall shopping experience.
This past year, we enhanced our Very Important Customer (VIC) program to provide automated tracking of customer
participation in our continuity-shopping program that will eliminate the need for customers to save receipts. Harris
Teeter is also investing heavily in technology to provide for effective management of our supply chain, creating
efficiencies and value for the customer. We recognize that it is important to have both promotional and everyday items
in stock everyday to meet the customer’s demand.
MARKET EXPANSION We are confident in our strategies to expand into new markets, strengthen our current
core markets, and retain and attract new customers as we go. We continue to grow into new markets, taking advantage
of alternative locations and embracing unique designs for new stores that fit into the architecture of the surrounding
community.
An example is our new store in downtown Charlotte, NC. It is a full-service food market that isn’t just a good urban
design — it’s a perfect fit for the center city community it serves. At 18,000 square feet, the footprint for this store is
smaller and still offers the same product selection that our customers have come to expect from Harris Teeter. One side
of the store is built for walk-in traffic from nearby residences, while the other is set up to reveal everyday shopping needs
of even the most discerning chef. The two-story wine library is lined with a modern steel staircase leading up to a seating
area on the balcony where downtown residents meet for wine tastings and classes.
OUTLOOK We look forward to another year of providing our customers with the best in service, quality and value.
We continue to refine our site selection process and reinvent our vision for store designs to ensure success in new areas.
We know that succeeding in this extremely competitive industry will continue to be a challenge — one we’re ready for
on many fronts.
RUDDICK CORPORATION & SUBSIDIARIES ANNUAL REPORT TWO THOUSAND THREE
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