Is St. Petersburg Feeling Lucky?

West Side Stories

St. Petersburg, FL - Rumors that Lucky’s Market is coming to St. Petersburg have been swirling for months,

Lucky’s Market, a grocery store chain, founded by husband and wife chefs, Trish and Bo Sharon, is based on organic, natural and local foods sold at affordable prices and first opened in Boulder, CO in 2003.

On Thursday, Sept. 25, that vision came a little closer to St. Petersburg, when a group of residents near the Sears in the Tyrone Square Mall on Tyrone Boulevard at 22nd Street North, were invited to a presentation about Sears possible closing, and then the building’s possible demolition, to make way for a number of smaller retail operations, including, but not limited to the popular Lucky's Market.

This reflects an effort to Internet-proof malls by shaking up the mix of retail with reasons to go to the mall for a meal, class, beauty treatment or some other experience that can’t be shipped in a box.

Lucky’s Market, recently signed a partnership deal with Cincinnati-based supermarket/grocery giant Kroger Co.

Kroger Group Vice President for Corporate Affairs, Jessica Adelman, said in a corporate release at the time of the merger, “Kroger’s stake in Lucky's is its first affiliation with an independent natural foods grocery chain. The company is hopeful it will have the same success with Lucky's as it has had with its own organic brand, Simple Truth, which generated millions of dollars in sales in the first two years after its launch in 2012. We wanted an offering for our customers who are interested in natural and organic foods, and we wanted it to be affordable, Adelman said, "We liked the fact that Lucky's considers itself the natural and organic food grocer for the 99 percent."

Lucky's Market would be a serious competitor to Lakeland-based Publix Supermarkets, a major economic force in St. Petersburg.

Publix has an especially high profile in the west St. Petersburg area, with two Publix stores on 66th St. North. One located in the Shoppes at the Royale on 66th between 13th and 18th Ave. N. and on 66th St. and 38th St. North.

Lucky’s stores average approximately 30,000 square feet and their layout resembles an indoor farmers market, with “garage door” entrances, field bins, barrels and wooden crates. Its culinary department showcases great tasting, restaurant-quality prepared foods made from recipes that include those developed by CEO and former chef Bo Sharon and his wife Trish. Through its “L” private label, Lucky’s provides a broad range of grocery items at great value that have no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, according to the Lucky’s website.

Speculation has been high in the Tampa Bay area that Lucky’s Market has been scouting the area for multiple sites.

The Lucky’s Market’s website shows stores in Orlando, Naples, Coral Springs, Tallahassee and Gainesville, with opening soon in Plantation, Neptune Beach and Melbourne.

The website shows store locations with red “conquering” type banners. So far, no such flag is planted in St. Petersburg, but Thursday’s presentations portend a flag may well be planted soon.

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From the Lucky’s Market website

6328 Monarch Park Place

Niwot, CO 80503

Phone: 303-530-0782

http://www.luckysmarket.com

Founded in 2003 and based near Boulder, CO, Lucky’s Market and its affiliates employ more than 1,800 associates and operate 17 stores in 13 states throughout the Midwest and Southeast United States. Lucky’s “Organic for the 99%” store format emphasizes its expansive selection of natural and organic food, including fresh produce, meat and seafood, prepared foods and baked goods, as well as wine and beer and personal care goods

10% of profits from its private label are reinvested in the communities it serves.

Every day, the Kroger Family of Companies makes a difference in the lives of eight and a half million customers and 431,000 associates who shop or serve in 2,778 retail food stores under a variety of local banner names in 35 states and the District of Columbia.

Kroger and its subsidiaries operate an expanding offering – a personalized, order online, pick up at the store service – in addition to our 2,231 pharmacies, 784 convenience stores, 323 fine jewelry stores, 1,387 supermarket fuel centers and 38 food production plants in the United States.