Photo courtesy of Feel Rite Fresh Market
Whether you’re sticking to a limited, Vegan, or allergy-free diet, trying to shake a stubborn case of Dad/Mom Bod, looking to make socially conscious purchases or getting yolked – Feel Rite should be one of your go-to stores.
The health food company is locally owned and has been in the game since 1971 and is set to celebrate the grand opening of a big new store on Niagara Falls Boulevard that will better serve the wide range of people who go the extra mile when it comes to deciding what they put into their body.
On a recent visit to the new place, the management at Feel Rite explained to me that the new store isn’t an expansion, but more of an upgrade, including better lighting; shorter wider aisles: better parking and access from the road all should make for even better customer service than what was provided at the old store, and quicker shopping experience than shopping at any of the big “Super Markets”.
Like many stores, the produce section is the first thing you see when you walk in. At the new location and all Feel Rite stores, all the produce available is organic.
“If you go to Whole Foods, Trader Joes or Wegman’s –they carry-both,” district manager Brenda Boyle told me. “When you walk into Feel Rite, the produce is always fresh, it’s all organic and as the season permits us, we carry as much local as we possibly can.”
The new location is chock full of local favorites, including ferments from Barrel + Brine and kombucha from Bootleg Bucha. In fact, the store has kombucha on tap (!!) that’s very convenient to pick up with a salad or wrap from their Café for a quick bite on the run.
Buying local products means supporting local people and one of Feel Rite’s favorite local producers are Waverly Pond, which provides farm fresh eggs. Each carton of eggs from Waverly Pond has its’ name hand-stamped and contains full-color printout of the chicken variety with a paragraph “from the chicken” thanking you for buying her eggs.
It’s those kinds of quirky touches that you usually only find with local products.
Besides a wide range of Nutritional supplements and Herbal remedies, fitness supplements and protein powders, in particular, are also big sellers at Feel Rite. I was told the stores used to feature a massive section of fitness supplements, but now they specialize in fewer, but more responsibly made products.
“Really, the supplement industry, in general, is evolving and we’re continually educating people who are working out regularly,” Boyle said. “These products are healthier for you, and yet, still sports protein.
“More companies are making sports protein derived from cleaner whole food sources,” she added.
The new store also has many fair trade items and socially conscious products, especially in their Health & Beauty department. If you’re one of those people who go on social media to advocate for responsible living, then shopping at Feel Rite is a great way to literally put your money where your mouth is.
With so many great things at Feel Rite, it can be a little overwhelming. That’s why the company placed such a heavy focus on customer service. “Who we are as a company is our customer service,” Feel Rite’s management told me on my visit. “We’re as good as our employees who are helping you. Otherwise, you’re just going to go into any of “The Big Chain Stores”, and pick something up and walking out. You’re not going to get someone to answer questions and explain things to you. And that makes a difference.”
Boyle said part of that commitment to customer service includes keeping employees properly trained.
“We go out of our way to make sure that they get constant education on all our products,” she said. “We have companies come in and host dinner trainings and they’re getting training from us, people who have been here for a long time. They’re like sponges – they’re constantly learning and asking. So when our customers come in, we can really take care of them. They can’t go anywhere else and get that level of service.”
Feel Rite Fresh Markets
New Store: 1445 Niagara Falls Blvd., Amherst, NY 14228
(716) 834-3385
feel-rite.com
