Indianapolis-based Marsh Super-markets has crossed the border into Illinois with the opening of a new supermarket in the fast-growing community of Naperville. A Chicago suburb, Naperville is among the state’s largest cities.

The 75,000-square-foot store features Marsh’s new “lifestyle” concept. “Lifestyle” sounds like an apt descriptor in the sense that today’s consumer tends to shop the supermarket perimeter more than the core of the store. Certainly there are plenty of options available in the perimeter of this format, which includes a center courtyard complete with The Copper Moon (a gourmet coffee bar), as well as a meat shop, tobacco shop, sushi bar, international food bar, fresh fruit and grain bar, pie and pastry shop, California-style pizzeria and an international cheese boutique. There’s even a reading center as well as a savings kiosk located at the entrance of the store.

The Naperville store is Marsh’s fourth lifestyle supermarket. The publicly held company operates supermarkets and convenience stores in Indiana and Ohio, and now Illinois as well.

With their huge assortment of computers, software, and audio and video equipment, Fry’s Electronics stores have been described as “techie heaven.”

 If the mega-store in suburban Chicago is any indication, the stores might also be considered a sublimely delicious destination for candy and snack lovers. At the store in Downers Grove, Ill., the long bank of checkout stations (37 of them!) is flanked by a candy aisle of almost equal length.

The assortment is surprisingly varied with peg bags, standard bars, king-size bars as well as a nice selection of premium items and the occasional novelty product. Of course, with store formats ranging from 50,000 square feet to 180,000 square feet, there’s plenty of space.

The 20-year-old Fry’s Electronics chain boasts a total of 31 stores, including 15 in California and eight in Texas.

Chevron Corp. is testing a new convenience store format under the ExtraMile banner in 43 sites in the Seattle area, Convenience Store News Online reported.

The stores are designed to be warm and inviting and to appeal to today’s busy consumers. The ExtraMile concept includes four destination departments. These include HydraZone, which features energy drinks, waters and vitamin-fortified beverages; Food-to-Go, which houses a selection of fresh food and self-serve items; Coffee; and Better Choices, which offers protein bars, nuts, and other good-for-you snacks.

Minneapolis-based grocery chain, Nash Finch Co., has introduced an experimental retail concept into the Omaha market.

The new Nash Finch store, Food Bonanza, offers shoppers exceptionally good bargains by pricing all merchandise in the store at just 10 percent more than the price the retailer pays for it.