The Secret Behind Holiday Market’s Loyal Following

Successful businesses can endure for generations. It often comes down to building on tradition. The brothers who own five Holiday Market locations have made an art form of building on legacy, which is one reason Holiday Market has sponsored this segment to highlight what it means to be made in Michigan. For Matthew and Johnny Shania, the owners of Holiday Market, selling groceries is in their blood. Operating five locations throughout Metro Detroit doesn't happen by accident. These brothers are driven to succeed, raised on a Michigan-made work ethic. One thing our mom used to always tell us is, treat people how you want to be treated. The business of community-first customer service passed down like a family heirloom, starting in 1997 with their dad and his store, Market Plaza. He had a small store in West Bloomfield, and we loved the business. So when they decided to build the Holiday Market brand, they did it on a foundation of family. Big store, small store, just treat people well. Evidence of that can be found in all five locations in different ways, each reflective of the neighborhood they serve. Take the Holiday Market in Clinton Township, for example. We built that store from literally the ground up. From day one, Matthew and Johnny made sure of one thing, set the tone by example. We opened and closed that store every single day. So we got to know customers, employees very well, and it was kind of all we knew was that way. By simply being there, they learned quickly what customers want and they delivered, an emphasis on butchered goods, the deli counter, and quality meats. That was a huge focus for us, and it took off day one. These two take input seriously and still use a customer request form. What does a customer want that we don't have? And within days, we would have that item. Whether it's sold or not, we would continue to bring it in to keep that one customer happy, and I think that helped build loyalty. Over in Madison Heights, it's a family-first approach. The investment in the workforce is clear, and a major reason that customers come back for the sushi, the salad bar, and the bakery time and time again. We did what we had to do in every which way to keep our staffs happy and comfortable coming to work. At Holiday Market Canton, personality shines through immediately. The moment customers walk through the door, they're greeted with the undeniable aroma of fresh popcorn. But the force that is driving the engine are the people behind the meat counter, the ones stocking the shelves with Moomer ice cream, the employees creating made-from-scratch baked goods. If we're gonna continue to grow, you can't do everything, and you have to rely on those top people. With a great team already in place, they worked hard to establish trust. The meat counter here in Canton is one of the most unique, special meat counters I've ever seen, both from the service side, product selection, variety, it's amazing. The trick then was to build on it. We make bread from scratch here. Adding elements along the way and expanding into other Michigan communities. The Royal Oak store, there's people that were there for over 30 years that are still there. Holiday Market Royal Oak has a storied history, customers who want and deserve the very best, and Matthew and Johnny are here to preserve that legacy. In so many ways, in a cultural way, in a family way, in a Michigan way. From produce, cakes made from scratch, and a smokehouse, passion for greatness shines through in every aspect. People get used to shopping at their store. That's why they call it their store. They want to be comfortable shopping there. Holiday Market Birmingham takes all the ingredients from the large stores and puts it to work in a compact form that perfectly fits the environment. Tucked into a neighborhood, a trip here is like visiting an old friend for a family meal. Very unique little store. It's got everything crammed into, how big is it? 4,000 square feet, yeah. Again, proving big or small, there's no room for compromising principles. Especially in the state of Michigan, people like to support Michigan everything. Like the customers who shop at all five Holiday Market locations, these two brothers are hungry for more, always looking to do things better, to grow and expand, putting the customer experience first. For Made in Michigan, I'm Dave Spencer.