In today’s competitive retail landscape, delivering both quality and innovation is what separates successful retailers from the rest. 

Customers are no longer just looking for low prices or convenience; they expect trust, freshness, and creativity in every shopping experience. 

Prisco’s Family Market, a fourth-generation, family-owned grocery store in Aurora, Illinois, known for its award-winning meats, homemade deli items, and specialty Italian products, demonstrates how innovation in retail can work hand in hand with tradition to provide lasting value to customers.

President Andrew Guzauskas and Owner Beth Guzauskas share seven ways they have maintained retail quality, along with practical steps other retailers can take to achieve the same results.

1. Provide Homemade Offerings 

Homemade food has always been at the heart of Prisco’s Family Market’s identity. Their deli and meat departments feature a wide variety of meals and prepared items, offering both tradition and convenience.

“Our Italian beef is the same recipe for 50 years…It’s made here in-house, so it’s fresh. It’s why people keep coming in. They know they’re getting wholesome homemade food, and they didn’t have to prepare it,” Beth and Andrew share. 

They’ve managed to honor tradition while adapting recipes to modern lifestyles with grab-and-go meals and ready-to-cook produce.

For retailers wanting to deliver higher-quality products, try introducing homemade or store-prepared offerings. Refresh recipes periodically to align with customer preferences, and always keep freshness and consistency at the core. Homemade offerings maintain retail quality and add a unique layer of service that customers can’t get online.

2. Master Your Craft

Prisco’s Family Market is renowned for its in-house butchery, a tradition that dates back to when the founder attended butchery school decades ago. Instead of relying on pre-packaged meats, the store continues to cut, grind, and prepare all meat on-site. This means no additives, no unnecessary fillers, and a direct connection to food quality. 

As a retailer, introducing in-house services can become a defining differentiator for your business. If a full butcher shop isn’t practical, consider focusing on smaller specialty areas, such as fresh bakery goods or handcrafted deli items. Enhance transparency by providing customers with a glimpse into how products are made or prepared, whether through open kitchens, live demonstrations, or storytelling displays. These touches showcase innovation in retail and build deeper trust, reinforcing the confidence customers place in your brand.

3. Build Trust Through Partnerships

Prisco’s Family Market carefully selects suppliers to maintain its high standards. They work with trusted partners to make sure their food, sourced from around the globe, arrives safely and fresh. 

As a retailer, prioritize supplier relationships that align with your values. To strengthen sourcing practices, try the following:

• Diversify sourcing to reduce risk and maintain consistency. Relying too heavily on a single supplier or region can leave your business vulnerable to shortages and price spikes. By cultivating a range of trusted partners, you create flexibility in your supply chain.
• Establish regular audits and evaluations. A proactive review system makes for consistency in safety, freshness, and sustainability. By regularly checking supplier practices, you safeguard your reputation and reduce the risks that could disrupt operations.
• Select trusted partners whose standards align with your own. Supplier relationships should be built on shared values and principles. Working with partners who prioritize quality and integrity creates alignment that customers can feel. 

When trust and communication are built into your supplier relationships, suppliers feel empowered to bring forward new ideas, share honest feedback, and collaborate on solutions. When your suppliers know you value long-term collaboration over short-term transactions, they’ll be more invested in helping you deliver excellence to your customers.

4. Maintain Adaptability for Affordability and Quality

Inflation and cultural shifts have brought new challenges to the grocery industry. Prisco’s Family Market has responded by finding innovative ways to keep costs low without sacrificing standards. Navigating these pressures often means renegotiating or even canceling contracts, searching for new sources to purchase more affordable goods, and leaning on trusted industry relationships. 

Support from organizations like IRMA has also been invaluable, helping them interpret government regulations and benefit from lobbying efforts that protect their interests during difficult times.

Prepare for similar challenges by carefully analyzing cost structures and identifying areas where greater efficiency can be achieved. Investing in technology that streamlines inventory management and reduces waste helps protect margins and enhances overall operational efficiency. 

Maintaining open communication with customers about your commitment to retail quality, even during fluctuating prices, builds confidence in your brand. By embracing adaptability, you can navigate external pressures without compromising the customer experience.

5. Create Innovative Solutions 

Prisco’s Family Market was able to stay profitable during the egg supply shortage because they partnered closely with their grocery co-op. When the time came, they were able to source affordable yet high-quality eggs, allowing them to continue meeting customer needs at a time when eggs were scarce nationwide. This was innovation in retail in action, finding creative solutions without compromising on quality.

In the retail business, turning crises into opportunities showcases authentic leadership. By building collaborative relationships with cooperatives, suppliers, and local farms, you can diversify your sourcing options. 

It’s essential to establish clear contingency plans for crucial products so that even in the face of shortages, customer confidence is never compromised. For example, if a key supplier experiences production delays or seasonal weather impacts crop availability, having a local partner can help you pivot to ensure shelves stay stocked.

In moments of scarcity, the ability to consistently prioritize retail quality protects your reputation beyond the crisis.

6. Cultivate Culinary Knowledge for a Better Customer Experience

Through partnerships with local schools and a culture of in-store education, Prisco’s Family Market empowers customers with cooking knowledge. Their staff is trained to answer questions about food preparation and safety, helping people enjoy their purchases with confidence. This approach integrates quality and innovation into the very act of customer service.

Retailers can adopt similar strategies by training staff to act as knowledgeable guides. Consider adding value through:

• Cooking demonstrations that give customers hands-on experience and spark inspiration.
• Recipe cards or meal guides that pair easily with in-store products.
• Online tutorials or short videos that extend product education.

Empowering customers deepens their relationship with your store, and they’ll likely start associating your brand with quality offerings. Adding knowledge to products makes the shopping experience even more enjoyable and memorable.

7. Continuously Meet Changing Shopper Needs

Prisco’s Family Market is never stagnant, recognizing that today’s shoppers demand different things than those of decades past. They evolve their products by listening to feedback and introducing new offerings, such as prepared vegetables and deli items. Constantly adapting means customers can count on new selections while still relying on the market’s trusted quality.

You can put this into practice by creating feedback loops that capture customer preferences in real time. For example, you can run short digital surveys after purchases, track what shoppers are asking about in-store, or monitor which products get the most engagement on social media. Then, you can use those insights to shape decisions.

By evolving with customers’ needs while staying true to your core values, your store becomes a place to shop and an essential part of their daily rhythm.

Conclusion

Prisco’s Family Market proves that quality and innovation are not opposing goals but complementary pillars of successful retail. From homemade meals to strategic sourcing, their model blends trust with adaptability.

For other retailers, the lesson is clear: embrace innovation in retail while never losing sight of your quality. When you balance these two forces, you create a business that customers trust for generations to come.

If you loved learning about Prisco’s Family Market and know a retailer who deserves recognition, Nominate A Retailer!