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    Huffman’s Market Celebrates 24 Years of Tradition

    There’s been quite a bit of hullabaloo about the new Market District store that opened at the Kingsdale Shopping Center last week, and for good reason: It’s a massive store that contains just about everything under the sun. On the other end of the spectrum (and only a half mile down the road) Huffman’s Market continues to offer a more traditional grocery experience that is pleasantly bells-and-whistles free. The employees are friendly, product selection is diverse yet easy to navigate, and the commitment to carrying local products is a priority. To find out more about the store, we conducted a Q&A with Owner/Manager Tim Huffman:

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    Q: Tell us a little bit about the history of Huffman’s Market?

    A: Huffman’s Market will be celebrating its 24th birthday in November. We’ve always been family owned and operated. All five members of the Huffman family have contributed in their own unique way to the success of this business over its life cycle. Huffman’s has many long tenured employees (2 over 20 years, 2 over 15 years, and many with over 10 years), which have contributed greatly to its success throughout its history. The Huffman family views its employees as family, and values their employee’s input greatly. Without our employees we would not be where we are today.

    Q: What do you think is unique about the experience at Huffman’s that draws customers over a more general grocery chain like Kroger or Giant Eagle?

    A: Our employees are what truly makes us unique. The only titles we hand out are that of “Customer Service Representative”. Every employee knows that their primary job function and objective is to make sure that customers are serviced completely and satisfactory. We are old fashioned in nature and we take the time to learn people’s names and develop long-lasting relationships. Our customers have direct access to the owners, and if we don’ t have an item we will go to whatever lengths it takes to get it for a customer. We have everything that those larger chain-stores have, just on a smaller scale.

    Q: When visiting Huffman’s on Saturday, I couldn’t help but notice all of the signs, labels and displays for local Ohio-made products. How long have you been promoting local products and why do you see this as being important?

    A: Local products are huge for us. We are homegrown ourselves and we see the value and supporting our fellow homegrown companies. Ohio agriculture is rich and abundant and we want people to be able to experience everything that our great state has to offer. There is no better way to get the freshest products available then to go homegrown. A lot of our products go straight from the farm to our shelves. Many consumers take pride in supporting their local agriculture and economy, so we want to provide them with an opportunity to do so.

    Q: What sort of changes has Huffman’s made in recent years to stay competitive with newer or larger grocery stores?

    A: I’d say that we look vastly different than we did during our inception 24 years ago. We have listened to what our customers want and have adapted to meet those needs. We have expanded our deli, meat counter, and service foods greatly. We offer extensive amounts of gourmet items in every department. We have grown our catering department over the years and have catered many events, large and small. We have grown our beer and wine departments extensively along with taking on a state-liquor agency. Our employees have taken the time to educate themselves and change with the times as well. We pride ourselves on our flexibility and our ability to do more with less. We keep a constant pulse on consumer trends, and modify the store to meet those needs. We have done four major remodels in 24 years with the primary objective of more fully meeting consumers’ needs.

    Q: Are there any upcoming events, sales or other promotions you want to mention?

    A: We do many in-store events throughout the year, including but not limited to: Annual April Fools Breakfast, Mothers Day High Tea, Beer and Brats for Fathers Day, and a Christmas Event with Santa, Reindeer, and other festivities. Through a partnership with the city of Upper Arlington we offer a cooking class once a quarter to residents on preparing meats. The next upcoming event is our annual Holiday Showcase on Saturday December 4th. This is an event where we line the store with different local vendors and let them demo their best products for the holiday season. We update Facebook and Twitter with information about these upcoming events, but our preferred way to promote events with customers is through good old-fashioned face-to-face communication.

    More information can be found online at www.huffmansmarket.com.

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    Walker Evans
    Walker Evanshttps://columbusunderground.com
    Walker Evans is the co-founder of Columbus Underground, along with his wife and business partner Anne Evans. Walker has turned local media into a full time career over the past decade and serves on multiple boards and committees throughout the community.
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