Dive Brief:

• Good Food Holdings, which oversees five chains spanning Washington to California, is looking to grow its West Coast presence, according to a press release on Tuesday.

• New Seasons Market is planning to open two stores — one in Lake Oswego, Oregon, and the other in Vancouver, Washington, according to the announcement. Two Metropolitan Market stores in the Seattle area and two Bristol Farms formats are also planned, Good Food Holdings CEO Neil Stern said on Morning News Beat.

• New Seasons Market and New Leaf Community Markets also announced on Tuesday new strategic efforts focused on stronger localization and creating a customer-first experience. With the two banners’ CEO, Forrest Hoffmaster, set to leave in late March, a search is underway for a successor, the press release said.

Dive Insight:

The Metropolitan Market and Bristol Farms stores will open before the New Seasons ones, Stern said on Morning News Beat. “There’s organic growth planned for every one of our banners,” Stern said, adding that Good Food Holdings will continue to “selectively look at acquisition.”

The Lake Oswego New Seasons Market is set to debut in spring 2022. The 27,800-square foot store will be at 1377 McVey Ave., taking over the spot of the now-closed Palisades Market Place.

In fall 2023, the 25,000-square-foot store in Vancouver will open at Main Street and W. 15th Street in a new development.

The new stores will each bring more than 100 jobs to their new communities, the press release said.

Currently, there’s a New Seasons Market in a residential area of Vancouver. As of now, the New Seasons store, once open, will be the only full-service grocery location in the city’s downtown area, The Columbian, a Vancouver news outlet, reported.

Hoffmaster’s upcoming exit and the new strategic efforts for New Seasons Market and New Leaf Community Markets come at a time when Good Food Holdings is looking to strengthen its West Coast presence. For the short to medium-term, Good Food Holdings plans to focus expansion just on the West Coast, where its brands have gained a reputation for premium and fresh products, Stern told Morning News Beat.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt the grocery industry, Good Food Holdings has had to pivot. For example, in-store cooking classes at Lazy Acres Natural Market are now taught online, and Good Food Holdings is looking into new technology, like a new food ordering system, Stern said.

Good Food Holdings, which has focused on “high-touch, high-service” retail, is also trying to figure out how to cut down wait times for customers inside the stores, from checkout to deli counters, while also providing shoppers a chance to benefit from employees' expertise, he said.