Lin’s grocery store in Richfield became the center of significant excitement last weekend as the town was listed as one of three U.S. cities in the path of the annular solar eclipse listed by major news media. The whole town buzzed with anticipation as news of the upcoming solar eclipse spread and people from all over the world flocked to Richfield, hoping to catch a glimpse of this extraordinary event.
As the day of the eclipse approached, store team members were unsure of what to expect, but celebrated the celestial phenomenon by offering exciting eclipse-themed promotions and discounts.
The bakery team, led by Jill Carter and Emma Nichols made eclipse-themed iced cookies along with dozens of other sweet treats. Danerish Root, John Thang, Jeff Rice and other Richfield team members ensured every visitor had an opportunity to grab some of Lin’s quality offerings. Jeff Brough and the produce team had the cut-fruit sets fully stocked and ready for the party and Darci Lee, Cindi Bradshaw and the Starbuck’s staff kept people hydrated and happy all weekend long. Store Director Jeff Brough and Assistant Store Director Daniel Jacobson both gave up their day off to make sure the store was prepped and ready and Bakery Manager Tera Bybee, Delicatessen Manager Felisha Simmons and Starbuck’s Manager: Sheila Dale all delivered in big ways.
The eclipse event not only brought joy and awe to Richfield but also an economic boost for Lin’s. Performance levels soared to heights no one could have anticipated. Total store sales were up by a remarkable 19 percent. Meat sales increased by 20 percent, produce by nearly 20 percent, bakery by almost 17 percent, deli by 19 percent and Starbucks Coffee, in particular, saw an incredible surge with more than a 38 percent increase, making it the top-performing Starbucks in the entire company for the week.
Beer sales shot up by almost 54 percent, and the pharmacy also had an impressive 19 percent increase, becoming the top-performing pharmacy in the company for the week as well.
Steve Holm, district manager, said, “We couldn’t have done it without the support from our sales and merchandising team! We owe them a debt of gratitude.”
The excitement for Lin’s isn’t over yet. The store in Hurricane will welcome approximately 30,000 visitors to a UTV takeover this week and the St. George store is in the middle of the Huntsman World Senior Games, so there’s more sales success to come in southern Utah.