How Raley’s O-N-E Market in Truckee is revolutionizing grocery shopping
Written by Natasha Bourlin
Photos by Connie Saint
Have you ever wished a grocery store could help you on your wellness journey? This nearly mythical scenario is now the norm at the new Raley’s O-N-E Market in Truckee.
A first-of-its-kind store for the notable grocery chain, the acronym in its moniker stands for “Organics – Nutrition – Education,” the three brand pillars on which the market concept was structured. Shelves and bins are stocked with highly curated products, all of which are fresh, nutritious, organic when possible, minimally processed, and sustainably sourced.
But the market also uses education to help customers make more informed decisions while shopping. Scott Brown, a registered dietitian and the store’s nutrition adviser, is an on-site expert who guides customers toward the best choices for them.
Raley’s O-N-E Market has elevated simple grocery shopping into a highly personalized, nourishment-seeking experience.
Sky-High Standards
This store blends meticulously researched food standards, high-quality organic ingredients, on-staff educators, and bold, informative signage for area customers’ healthy shopping ease.
Long in creation, the living “banned ingredients list” is the filtration system Raley’s O-N-E Market uses to make sure offerings are free from nutritionally undesirable ingredients such as hydrogenated oils, artificial colors, and artificial flavorings.
To create this list, Raley’s corporate team members, such as Nutrition Strategist and Brand Influencer Yvette Waters, a registered dietitian — and University of Nevada, Reno grad — identified attributes to exclude in the product-sourcing process through extensive research, resulting in careful and methodical product curation.
For instance, they researched what Canada and the European Union were doing as their organic standards tend to be higher than those in the U.S. Customer perception, research, and legislation also were factors taken into consideration.
“I’m proud to say our list is more stringent than most,” Waters says. “It’s a progressive list.”
It will be re-analyzed yearly to keep it relevant and altered to accommodate new research, adding and removing ingredients as needed.
Thanks to this list, everything in the entire store is considered “clean label.”
From deli items and pet food to goods from the bakery or prepared foods counter, all offerings have strict standards they must meet before customers lay eyes on them. For instance, seafood is wild caught, responsibly farmed, and third-party-certified sustainable, while all meats are antibiotic free and contain no added hormones, nitrates, or nitrites.
The meat and seafood case at O-N-E Market
When questions arise, Scott Brown is there to engage and educate using his expansive nutritional knowledge. Brown is available for store tours, signage explanations, and answers based on his expertise in nutrition and wellness.
He also teaches his team how to be a resource for shoppers, especially when they ask for items such as traditional soft drinks and popular snack brands, which the store doesn’t sell but offers plenty of alternatives for.
If Raley’s O-N-E Market guests have questions they’d like to research on their own, they can visit the Something Extra Health kiosk and use a software tool called Aisle7, which is evidence based, with educational resources available in real time. The digital kiosk shares the most up-to-date news, blogs, research, and nutrition education, along with abundant information on vitamins and supplements.
For example, if a customer were prescribed statins but isn’t sure about food or supplement interactions, he or she is able to look up adverse statin interactions and avoid selecting those products.
Curious about new vitamin C research? Type in “Vitamin C” and get up-to-the-minute updates.
“It’s a new model for what a grocery store looks like, the first of its kind … it’s really cool to see that there are plenty of options that are not only delicious but also better for us,” Brown says. “I’d definitely like to build a strong relationship with the Truckee-Tahoe region and serve as a resource for everyone … to be the new normal for what a grocery store looks like, but more importantly to do everything we can to improve the health of the community.”
A Flagship in Truckee
“Retail is crucial in the area of preventative health,” Waters says.
After years of planning and effort, Raley’s O-N-E Market came to fruition in the small mountain town.
Raley’s owner, Mike Teel, runs a purpose- and vision-driven company. Both Brown and Waters are inspired daily by his corporate vision of “infusing life with health and happiness by changing the way the world eats one plate at a time.”
Teel’s wife, Julie, grew up in the Tahoe area, so the community remains near and dear to her heart. The Teels wanted to provide something that this area, with its abundant health-conscious residents and athletes, didn’t already have.
“Once upon a time, the market used to serve as a hub of the community, the only place you can go and get your food, and in my heart, I truly believe your food is your nourishment,” Brown states. “So if this is where you’re getting your nourishment, you’re getting what you’re coming for, but also taking away a piece of info that is going to impact your health.”
A Place to Gather
More than a grocery store, the McKinney Loft in Raley’s O-N-E Market is a place for people to meet or a spot to relax and get some work done over healthy, delicious foods and brews. With three fireplaces, an outdoor patio, and power outlets everywhere, the loft was created as an aesthetically pleasing alpine escape for the community.
McKinney Loft
At the Raley’s O-N-E Market Café, visitors can nosh on wholesome snacks, enjoy coffee from Stumptown Coffee Roasters, or sip on plenty of organic options, including freshly pressed juices, smoothies, and kombucha.
The staff also loves working with locals.
When working with regional vendors, farmers, ranchers, and food producers, this store has a two-pronged approach. Should area foodstuffs its managers would like to sell not meet Raley’s strict standards, the store team works with the producers to get those items to the desired level.
When seeking merchandise such as Tahoe stickers and gear, Brown also has done his due diligence as an ambassador to area vendors looking for outlets in which to sell their wares.
Eventually, on its quest to ingrain itself more into the community as a positive resource, the market’s team plans to provide cooking classes, educational sessions, biometric screenings, and more as a part of the new Something Extra Health program.
This first-ever store is the realization of the path that Raley’s wants to follow. The Sacramento-based company is on a health and wellness journey as a whole, and its leadership team wants to open more stores similar to the pioneering Truckee market.
“So far it’s been a raging, awesome success,” Waters says with a grin.
For more information on Raley’s O-N-E Market, visit Raleys.com/truckee.
