The Fresh Market is celebrating its 41st birthday with goodies for its customers.
The specialty food retailer announced last week it is selling a surprise goodies box for $49.99 — or $39.99 for members of its loyalty program, The Ultimate Loyalty Experience.
Called “Birthday in the Box,” the product bundle includes a branded thermal tote; Happy Birthday card; 48 oz. vanilla ice cream; plates, napkins and candles from the Caspari brand; and a lemon mousse, strawberry, triple chocolate truffle or gluten-free dark and white chocolate cake.
The grocer said the box “takes all the hassle out of finding the perfect last-minute gift for a friend or loved one's birthday.”
In another birthday-related offering, The Fresh Market held a promotion from June 28 to July 4 where shoppers who bought $50 or more in gift cards for Macy's, Nordstrom, Sephora, Olive Garden, Starbucks, Victoria’s Secret, Ulta or Outback Steakhouse got a $10 The Fresh Market register coupon for use on a future purchase.
The specialty grocer was founded by husband-and-wife team Ray and Beverly Berry, who based the grocery company on the “charm and essence of an open, European-style food market” after a visit to Europe, per The Fresh Market’s website.
The Fresh Market opened its first store in 1982, when it debuted a 14,000-square-foot location on Lawndale Drive in Greensboro, North Carolina, where the company is based. Since then, the grocer has scaled to a current store fleet of 159 locations in 22 states.
Last year, South American retailer Cencosud bought a majority stake in The Fresh Market for $676 million. Existing shareholders, including the Apollo Funds, the Berry family and company management, stayed on as minority stakeholders.
Shortly after the acquisition announcement, The Fresh Market dropped its plans for an initial public offering.
