When The University Marché, a multi-platform retail venue featuring a locally-sourced grocery component, opened in 2001 at the University of Vermont in Burlington, it was something of an industry novelty. Marché catered to a unique clientele: an assortment of vegetarians, vegans, and those (at the time) seeming oddballs who were interested in connecting with their local food growers and providers. The concept was friendly, functional, and intensely concerned with its products' zip codes.

Onsite c-stores specializing in natural and organic products are cropping up all over, from Brandeis University (left) to the University of Oklahoma (right)

Nine years and a quantum market shift later, sustainable, natural and organic foods own the hottest corner of food retailing. Sales of organic products alone reached $24.6 billion in 2008, growing 17.1 percent over 2007 sales*, while sales of “natural” products — a term that's slicker than soymilk — have seen similar growth.

Those benefiting from this boom include the increasing number of c-store operations augmenting (and in some cases, replacing) their inventories of traditional retail food products with alternative choices in dedicated eco-convenience stores or c-store sections.

Emerging Markets

Many of the customers looking for such products find that the traditional convenience store model too often leaves them out in the cold. Marché is changing that. Its footprint measures 4,000 sq.ft and includes a number of grab-and-go type options. Its surprisingly stylish approach to convenience centers around Vermont-produced items that support the state's sustainability initiatives.

At left: Staffer Zivana Dzafic passes out samples in front of It’s All Good, a natural food convenience store at Oregon Health & Science University’s Hospital (OHSU). Right, Steve Hiatt, the hospital’s director of food & nutrition services, discusses the store’s extensive retail product mix.

About 35 percent of the space is home to the convenience grocery area that features items such as maple syrup, jams, jellies, salad dressings, salsas, chips, ice cream, cheeses, yogurt, and specialty condiments. The list has grown over the years to include soymilk, pastas, cleaning products, toothpaste, and even paper products.

“As awareness has grown over the years — both within our campus community and within Sodexo — we have added layers of sustainable, organic and all-natural products to the mix,” says Paul Bahan, director of marketing, Sodexo Campus Services at University of Vermont.

“A local produce purveyor supplies us with products from a network of over 60 local farms,” says Bahan. “We are also contracted with a local orchard that delivers over 43,000 lbs of locally grown apples to our campus.”

As demand for these types of foodstuffs has increased over the years, so have the challenges associated with procuring, stocking and selling them.

“A campus c-store doesn't have the buying power of large grocery chains and, as a result, some organic/specialty products can border on being very pricey,” says Bahan. “Delivery can sometimes be a challenge at both ends of the spectrum, whether it be meeting minimums or, in the case of limited storage, getting more frequent deliveries.”

To maintain its substantial product mix, the University of Vermont invites local purveyors to introduce products with tastings in the Marché during high traffic times. “We also feature new products in recipes or as part of a meal at the Marché's dining platforms,” says Bahan.

Establishing a network of suppliers has also been an important factor. The University of Vermont's chefs, marketing director and account general manager are involved in a statewide consortium called The Vermont Fresh Network (VFN). VFN encourages farmers, food producers and chefs to work directly with each other to build partnerships.

“Building these regional connections contributes to stronger local communities and their economies,” says Bahan.

VFN recently hosted a “Matchmaker” event that introduced new state producers and their products to select food service operations, like the University. “At that event, we selected a number of new products that we have since introduced to Marché,” says Bahan.