Near East at Mill Valley Market
Mill Valley Market is a specialty independent running 1 Bay Area store, mid-size at about 8,590 sq ft each.
Near East® is a brand known for its grain-based food products, including rice pilafs and couscous, founded in 1962 by Armenian immigrants in Worcester, Massachusetts.
It’s already on the shelf here, with 15 SKUs across 5 categories. The growth is depth and breadth: 3 categories to widen.
Lead with Quinoa & Brown Rice Blend, Roasted Red Pepper & Basil in Quinoa.
Mill Valley Market stocks quinoa thinly, so a differentiated snack stands out instead of becoming the Nth option on a crowded shelf. It already earns space at 2 other Bay Area grocers.
The more differentiated opening is quinoa: Mill Valley Market stocks only 5 there, so Near East Quinoa & Brown Rice Blend, Roasted Red Pepper & Basil stands out rather than blending in.
Mill Valley Market merchandises 5 of the 5 categories the brand sells.
non-gmo, vegetarian against the store's assortment lean.
brand excitement 45/100.
enters a thin quinoa shelf as a point of difference.
The full runway
Every category Near East plays in across the Bay Area grocers we track, and where it stands at Mill Valley Market. Depth is the distinct SKUs the store carries there versus the fleet median, shown next to the rival brands already on that shelf.
On shelf here, but only 11 of 14 SKUs. Room to widen the line.
On shelf here, but only 1 of 2 SKUs. Room to widen the line.
How it prices
Where it would price in quinoa. Each dot is a product on the shelf, by its cost per oz (hover for which). Near East (orange) sits well above the shelf.
What to bring to expand
Near East’s SKUs Mill Valley Market doesn’t carry yet, ordered by how many other Bay Area grocers already stock them.
Already on the shelf
Presence and depth are measured from Mill Valley Market’s current Bay Area storefront: its online catalog plus our shelf photos, a partial view. A widely-distributed brand shown as a new door may already be carried through channels we don’t index. Mill Valley Market profile →
