by Tina McGrath

It's hard to believe that it's been almost a year since ShopRite of Yardley opened it's doors. Right before the state-of-the-art grocery store opened in the Oxford Oaks Shopping Center, we had the chance to speak to Joseph Colalillo, a second-generation owner of local ShopRite grocery stores in central New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Now, one year later, we're catching up with Colalillo about ShopRite of Yardley's first year- to learn how they're following through on their commitment to provide Lower Bucks County with the very best in food selection and service.

Colalillo grew up in the grocery business, starting with his father's small store in Flemington over 60 years ago. He knows first-hand that a grocery store plays a huge role in the lives of locals, for both customers and employees, and that is a responsibility that he takes very seriously.

“We're not just opening a store in a community. We treat our grocery stores as members of those communities,” explains Colalillo.  Working with local charities, speaking to customers on a daily basis, and bringing in local food vendors are just some of the ways that they are able to truly play a role in their neighborhoods.

For many customers, though, food shopping success boils down to two items- selection and service. In a complex business, where shipments of food arrive every day and thousands of new products are introduced annually, Colalillo and his ShopRite team work from a simple guiding principle- people taking care of people.

It's not just about the relationship with dozens of food distributors or even the team of people dedicated to ensuring the best products are on the shelves.  It's also about a respectful, neighborly relationship with each individual customer.

“We listen to the customers,” explains Colalillo, “Many of our new products are requested directly by the community.”

And we're not talking about a semi-annual focus group or a conversation at the customer service counter. It's not a suggestion box full of unanswered requests.

“It actually just happened this morning,” shares Colalillo.  “A customer came up to ask me about carrying a new product.”

In fact, both Mr. & Mrs. Colalillo are at one of their four ShopRite stores every single day- interacting with customers and guiding their hundreds of dedicated employees to do the same. They also keep dietitians on staff at each location to interact with both customers and buyers to ensure their stores are meeting all of the community's dietary needs.

This type of relationship is what allows them to provide both the selection and the service that their customers deserve.

“Four years ago, a customer requested that we import Coca Cola from Mexico because it was made with real sugar. We were able to bring it in,” shares Colalillo. “We can make decisions without the bureaucracy and remain nimble.”

That philosophy has allowed ShopRite of Yardley to bring in favorite local products, like Maddalena Cheesecakes made in Ringoes, fresh-made ice cream, and even a locally made Kosher pizza. They're working with dozens of farmers to bring in fresh, locally-grown produce. Just recently, they even started a program that flies in fresh seafood overnight from Hawaii and Alaska, sharing the latest catch with eager shoppers immediately on their active Facebook fan page, like this message pictured to the right. They make their own homemade mozzarella each week and even travel to Vermont annually to cultivate their own aged Cheddar.

And, of course, ShopRite's commitment to communication also allows them to learn where they can improve to exceed local expectations.

“This year has gone really well. We're really happy. One service that we learned a lot about from the community is Passover. We're going to be doing a lot more to improve our Passover selection next year.”

Perhaps what is most exciting, though, is that the relationship between ShopRite and the Yardley community has only just begin.  Moving forward, Colalillo and his team will continue to work each day driven by what they do best- helping people eat well and be happy.

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