Inside the Store: Jungle Jim’s serves up the Disney World of grocery stores

What if grocery shopping was as thrilling and adventurous as a safari?

Jungle Jim’s International Market is trying to do exactly that with its two stores in the Cincinnati area, using merchandising and decor to serve up a shopping adventure of food spanning dozens of cultures and geographies. 

With the grocery industry’s ongoing buzz around how to “surprise and delight” shoppers, Jungle Jim’s serves as a prime example of doing just that — on steroids. 

As grocers seek out eye-catching and snazzy strategies both in-store and online to draw customers in, Jungle Jim’s can provide inspiration while raising questions about how much creativity is too much.

On a recent trip to Cincinnati, Grocery Dive editor Catherine Douglas Moran visited the Jungle Jim’s in the city’s Eastgate neighborhood. 

A look inside the “jungle”

Before stepping inside the “Foodie Entrance,” customers are greeted by a playful soundtrack of jungle noises in the parking lot, setting the scene for zaniness ahead. 

Similarly, the Jungle Jim’s in Fairfield, Ohio, sets the tone with a “jungle scene” complete with fake giraffes and elephants at its larger entrance. 

It’s clear upon entering the Eastgate store that this is not designed to be a quick shopping experience. The abundance of visuals alone — cartoon drawings on signs, theatrical CPG displays, whimsical decorations — creates an entertaining sensory overload.

With its cartoonish and whimsical nature, Jungle Jim’s seems designed to enthrall both kids and adults — a tactic that can serve as not only a mood booster but also as a way to slow down shopping trips. Getting customers to linger longer in aisles can help fuel product discovery and lead to bigger baskets. 

Case in point: both stores have a movie theater showing the 8-minute “The Jungle Jim’s Story” sharing how founder James O. Bonaminio went from a semi-permanent produce stand in the early 1970s to the current grocery experience on display.

“I wanted to see what would happen if I could make a store that’s entertaining and fun for shoppers,” Bonaminio says in the video.

Jungle Jim’s assortment now spans well beyond groceries to include toys, natural foods, alcohol, cookware, pet supplies and health and beauty items, with each area merchandised like a shop-within-a-shop. 

Similar to how produce departments are often the jewels of grocery stores, the international and multicultural food selection is Jungle Jim’s marquee offering, with a sprawling assortment representing over 70 countries. The stores’ “International” departments sort items by country or region, with in-aisle signs like “Dutch” and “Hispanic” at the Eastgate location.

“If you truly want to shop without borders, there’s no better place to do so,” the grocer says on its website. The site also has store guides highlighting which aisles customers can find country-specific items in.

Product discovery is ripe at Jungle Jim’s. The stores offer food samples Wednesday through Sunday and, for $5, people can make a reservation for a one-hour tour at either location on weekdays for “a fun-filled, informational, and entertaining safari through the wilds of Jungle Jim’s!” The tour includes food samples and, for an additional cost, people can add in a scavenger hunt. 

Taking the adventure online

The experiential shopping continues outside of the brick-and-mortar stores. Jungle Jim’s uses its online presence to bring the “adventure” online with its website and app providing maps of both stores, podcast episodes, a weekly ad circular and events calendar. 

On the app, users can use a “Wine Discovery” questionnaire feature to find appropriate options. The app also includes a list of deals on popular seafood items and exclusive deals like $1.59 off Nabisco premium saltine crackers and $2 off Vienna hot dogs, which customers can claim by scanning an in-app barcode. 

App users can search for products and find the aisle where they’re located, toggle a feature to “Show In Stock Items Only” and find out which brands are available. 

More than just a grocery store

Both Jungle Jim’s locations have an alcohol tasting bar with a range of options including sours, fruit beers, hard seltzers, cream ales, IPAs, lagers and stouts. The Eastgate store has a kombucha bar serving up hard kombucha, lagers, flavored malt beverages and other alcoholic drinks. Tapping into the Cincinnati area’s extensive brewing scene, both locations host in-store events in partnership with local breweries. 

Both stores have dedicated venue spaces available to rent for corporate events or parties. The Oscar Event Center at the Fairfield store, for example, can serve as a wedding venue or corporate event space, Jungle Jim’s website notes. Each store has an indoor space with an outdoor patio and bourbon bar. Jungle Jim’s offers event catering by Executive Chef James Trent and his culinary team. 

Jungle Jim’s Fairfield store hosted the grocer’s International Craft Beer Festival in June and will host its Hot Sauce and Hot Rides event showcasing hot sauce, salsas, mustards, rubs, hot sauce, marinades and beef jerky at the end of August.

Meanwhile, The Cooking School at the Fairfield location provides in-person and virtual group classes, international culinary trips and private lessons. 

With its embrace of maximalist decor and the array of options and services for a choose-your-own-adventure trip, Jungle Jim’s creates an environment similar to Disney World. 

While the over-the-top nature of Jungle Jim’s makes the shopping experience entertaining, it also could hinder customers who just want to get their milk and eggs.