Other locations
Jungle Jim’s International Market will be one of six “mega stores” featured on a fall episode of The History Channel’s Modern Marvels. The show is set for Oct. 29. Five of the six stores are set:
• Jungle Jim’s International Market, Fairfield
• Macy’s, New York City
• Home Depot Superstore, Vauxhall, N.J.
• Richie Bros. Auctioneers, Olympia, Wash.
• Bass Pro Shop, Springfield, Mo.
Recent Jungle Jim’s notoriety
Jungle Jim’s is a marquee attraction for Fairfield, and has garnered attention nationally and internationally. Here are some recent highlights:
• In May 2009, author George Whalin, the owner of California-based Retail Management Consultants, released a book titled “Retail Superstars: Inside the 25 Best Independent Stores in America,” which featured Jungle Jim’s and the store’s owner, Jim Bonaminio.
• In July 2008, writer and producer Julie Hassett, a 1988 Badin High School graduate, filmed scenes of her independent movie “Joy” at Jungle Jim’s. The movie was shown at several film festivals.
• After Jungle Jim’s was not included on a “Good Morning America” segment on the greatest seafood departments in America, the show was inundated with e-mails asking why Jungle Jim’s wasn’t included. The producers at Good Morning America decided to highlight the Fairfield supermarket in January 2007.
• Later in January 2007, The Daily Mirror, a British publication, published a story on Jungle Jim’s. The photographer for the story wrote in an e-mail to the Fairfield Echo saying, “It’s a unique shopping experience. It was a fun assignment and being British, it was great to see foods from home. Some of the products in there reminded me of my childhood.”
• After the story appeared in The Daily Mirror, BBC Radio Five Live attempted to interview Bonaminio but could not due to breaking news. Dave Goodman, a broadcast journalist with BBC Radio, wrote in an e-mail to the Fairfield Echo in January 2007, “We love good human interest stories and with so many bland supermarkets in the UK, we thought our listeners would enjoy hearing about a different type of shopping experience. We’re interested in the design of the supermarket and what inspired Jim to fill it with such unusual decor.”
FAIRFIELD — Jungle Jim’s International Market — touted as a one-of-a-kind destination — will be highlighted on The History Channel’s Modern Marvels this Fall.
The iconic Fairfield grocery store at 5440 Dixie Highway will be one of six “mega stores” highlighted in an 8- to 12- minute segment of the hour-long show to air Oct. 29.
The History Channel contracted with Jupiter Entertainment, which hired a production crew from Knoxville, Tenn.
Randall Shuptrine, the segment producer, said shooting the grocery store will be difficult. He anticipates his crew will shoot a minimum of six hours of footage.
“This is especially challenging because it’s so big,” he said of the 300,000-square-foot store offering 150,000 different items from more than 75 countries.
The crew will shoot a variety of aspects, promotions manager Debby Hartinger said, including the store’s seafood and meat departments, the Jungle Jim workshop and the live fish harvest process. Hartinger said on average 75,000 people shop at Jungle Jim’s weekly.
The exposure adds to the mystique of the store, Hartinger said.
“It’s really nice to be recognized for the stuff that makes us different, and it really shows how different we are from other grocery stores,” she said.
Modern Marvels is a documentary series that features how technologies affect and are used in today’s society. A research team found Jungle Jim’s and officials with The History Channel liked the store.
“They were really excited about such a unique venue,” Shuptrine said.
The production crew will shoot the lion’s share of the work July 27. They shot some B-roll footage Monday, July 26, after a near-90 minute tour.
“It’s overwhelming,” said audio technician Chris Gurney. “It’s over-overwhelming. You could spend a whole day and not see it all, probably a whole week.”
Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5112 or mpitman@coxohio.com.
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