In just a little more than two years, the beverage alcohol category at The Fresh Market specialty grocery chain has been transformed from one experiencing declining consumption to a segment seeing year-over-year weekly sales growth. The change in course can be credited to the category’s new leadership team which, through a combination of vast experience in both wine and fashion retailing, is spearheading a push to make beverage alcohol as much of a destination for its customer base as are many of its gourmet food departments. Already, the inroads are getting noticed.
“I enjoy turning a vision into a reality,” says Olivier Kielwasser, adult beverage director at the 172-unit chain, based in Greensboro, North Carolina. Indeed, with nearly 30 years of experience in beverage alcohol retailing and a reputation for masterful merchandising, Kielwasser is uniquely qualified to lead the category. Shortly after joining the Fresh Market in 2024, he brought on Kristen Bennett— herself with numerous years working as a retail buyer—as retail category manager. Together, Kielwasser and Bennett are making tweaks to product selection to best appeal to changing consumer interests while expertly merchandising brands both inside and outside the stores’ beverage alcohol section.
For their quick success in achieving desired results during a challenging time for the industry, Olivier Kielwasser and Kristen Bennett have been named 2026 Market Watch Leaders.
The Great Turnaround
This isn’t the first time Kielwasser has been recognized as a Leader. He also received the distinction in 2008 when he served as senior director of beer, wine, and liquor at Ohio-based Giant Eagle supermarkets. (He additionally received the Leaders Best Merchandising award in 2011.) Following that position, Kielwasser worked as director of wine at Sam’s Club and then as wine category lead at BevMo.
Since first getting involved in wine and beer retailing in 2000 at hypermarket Auchan Retail (which no longer operates in the U.S.), Kielwasser has enjoyed “the constant challenge and the discovery of new items and trends,” he says. The retailer also appreciates the social component of the business. “I enjoy the interaction with supplier partners and our customers,” he says. But Kielwasser is most proud of the guidance and support he’s able to lend to his co-workers. “I’m proud of the continuous development of the people on my team,” he says, pointing to Bennett, who also oversees all non-alcoholic adult beverages. “Non-alcoholic adult beverage sales are up over 100% year over year at the Fresh Market,” he reveals. For her part, Bennett says that while her role at the Fresh Market is in its early stage, she’s most proud of launching the chain’s THC beverage program. “I fast-tracked the category when I joined the company, launching it in seven states, rolling it out, and keeping on top of state regulations” she explains, noting that, like beverage alcohol, the THC landscape is constantly changing. “Seeing the response from guests and store employees has made me proud that I launched it. It’s brought in new guests. People at the company are now talking about adult beverages again.” Prior to joining the Fresh Market in 2024, Bennett served on the spirits buying team at Total Wine & More, having previously worked with Family Dollar and in the fashion industry. Within adult beverages, she most enjoys “the stories behind the brands,” Bennett says. Whether it’s Bourbons, non-alcoholic beer, or THC, “many of these stories are very inspiring,” the retailer explains.
Both Bennett and Kielwasser note that the beverage alcohol category is particularly challenged these days, requiring a vigilant eye on consumer buying trends and product performances. Bennett points to “the health-conscious mood of younger demographics” and the impact of GLP-1 medications on the category. She believes that’s why THC drinks and non-alcoholic adult products are succeeding today. “Consumers are drinking less so that’s why we’ve seen those two categories boom,” Bennett says. Kielwasser, meanwhile, cites the upheaval that major distributor moves are having on the business. “The consolidation in the distributor tier and the fact that brands are moving from one distributor to another has resulted in a very fragmented industry,” he says.
Best Grocery Store
The Fresh Market was founded in Greensboro more than 40 years ago by former 7-Eleven executive Ray Berry and his wife, Beverly, as an ode to the charm of European food markets. By 2010, the concept expanded rapidly to multiple states and became publicly owned. Six years later it was acquired by Apollo Global Management, the asset-management company. Then in 2022, Chile’s Cencosud S.A. acquired a majority stake in the Fresh Market. Last year, the South American retail giant purchased the remaining shares in the chain.
The stores’ farmer’s market approach to retail has proven popular with U.S. consumers. In 2025, USA Today’s best readers’ choice awards named The Fresh Market the “best grocery store in America,” also citing its bakery, deli, produce, and prepared food departments. Cencosud doesn’t report the Fresh Market’s annual sales revenue nor break down dollar sales by category. Today, the chain operates 172 stores across 22 states, stretching from Massachusetts to Oklahoma. While there have been recent store closures, Cencosud still sees opportunity for new locations. In the first quarter of this year, four new Fresh Markets were unveiled, including two in the Miami area, which brought the chain to more than 50 stores in Florida.
When it comes to beverage alcohol, wine is the big leader, according to Kielwasser, accounting for 73% of total adult beverage sales, followed by beer and THC at 25%, and spirits at 2%. Wine is available in 151 locations across 15 states. The average store offers around 600–700 wines, priced from about $15–$50 a 750-ml., with the sweet spot around $18. These days, white wines and sparklers are the best performers, Kielwasser says. Top-selling labels include LaMarca Prosecco ($18 at the Greensboro store), Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Champagne ($71), Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc ($19), and Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay ($16).
In addition to branded wines, the Fresh Market sees growing opportunity for private label or “winery direct” and “direct import” selections. Under the Curious Drop label, for example, Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG ($17) launched earlier this year while Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon ($17) and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($35) were scheduled at press time to be unveiled in August or September. Additional launches are also planned.
Imported Beer Opportunity
Beer is sold in 161 Fresh Market stores across 19 states. The stores offer between 250–400 beer SKUs, with 6-packs generally priced from $9 to $16. Top-selling brands include domestic brews like Michelob Ultra ($18 a 12-pack of 12-ounce cans) and Miller Lite ($14), Bennett says, but imports also get a big focus. Import-style brands like Peroni ($12 a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles) and Stella Artois ($12 a 6-pack of 11.2-ounce bottles) have experienced “a sudden resurgence in the last few months,” she says, while Guinness ($12) is another brand that’s growing. Bennett sees opportunity to specialize in niche beer imports, given its reputation for gourmet and European-style foods. “We want to be a destination for imports,” she says.
Due to state regulations, The Fresh Market only sells spirits in ten grocery stores in Illinois, Louisiana, and Massachusetts, in addition to a singular full-fledged wine and liquor store in Florida. Between 100 and 200 SKUs, excluding RTDs, are typically stocked at the groceries, with an average price of $24 a 750-ml., Bennett says. Top-selling spirits brands include Tito’s Handmade vodka ($21 at a Chicago store), Hendrick’s gin ($39), and Surfside ($19 an 8-pack of 12-ounce cans).
The 7,000-square-foot Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida liquor store opened last year and according to Kielwasser, “response has been very enthusiastic. We’re seeing some nice growth coming from that store.” Located adjacent to a Fresh Market grocery store, the liquor store boasts about 1,600 spirits and more than 2,500 wines. While there aren’t any current plans to open additional liquor stores, the chain sees potential to further expand with local spirits brands in some markets. Pointing to the success the Fresh Market has had promoting locally produced items in other categories around the store, Bennett says there’s potential to do the same with home-grown spirits in some of its Louisiana and Illinois stores.
Earlier this year, The Fresh Market unveiled another new concept store that highlights adult beverages. To comply with Pennsylvania regulations, the chain opened a Pittsburgh store with an on-premise license to sell beer, wine, and spirits-based RTDs. “It’s huge for us,” Bennett says of the ability to sell adult beverages for both on-site and off-site consumption in the Keystone State, adding that guest feedback has been “very positive.” The store features a bar serving up four draft beers and four wines by the glass. While there are no immediate plans to extend the service to other Pennsylvania stores, Kielwasser says the concept could be considered for future renovations.
In addition to beer and spirits, Bennett oversees adult non-alcoholic beverages at the Fresh Market, which, she says, are thriving. Non-alcoholic brews are particularly performing well, she notes, led by the Athletic brand ($12 a 6-pack in Greensboro) and Best Day Brewing products ($11). THC beverages, meanwhile, are sold in seven states. After adding numerous NABs and THC products in the last year, she says, “We’re now interested in seeing what guests are choosing and growing those products.”
Cross-Merchandising Master
While the stores vary in size, according to Kielwasser, the current new Fresh Market prototype dedicates nearly 1,900 square feet to adult beverages. “In addition, we cross-merchandise wine in a number of out-of-department locations,” he notes, including produce, cheese, floral, and meat and seafood. Innovative displays also highlight wine and beer such as the ongoing “90 Points for Under $20,” which features brands like Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc + Viogner ($13).
With so much accomplished in just two short years, Kielwasser and Bennett aren’t planning any major changes to the Fresh Market’s beverage alcohol department aside from the addition of more non-alcoholic and THC beverages, niche beer imports, private label wines, and local spirits. Their focus will continue to be ensuring that the best possible product selection is available to their guests, while employing convenient and innovative merchandising practices to grow category sales.
