Why your local grocery store is making a comeback

[inanna]

By Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Business
Updated 7:05 AM ET, Fri April 17, 2020

New York (CNN Business) Small town grocery stores have been struggling, first against the rise of Walmart and then from the growth of Dollar General. But for many independent grocers across America, the coronavirus has provided an unexpected lift.

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However, grocery owners and experts say the coronavirus crisis has led many customers to rediscover their local grocery stores. Some shoppers are turning to local grocers because items they are looking for are out of stock at big box chains. Others are shopping at their local stores to stay closer to home and avoid large crowds.

"We're not as crowded as the big chain stores," said Chet Davis, owner of Chet's Foods in Kingsley, Iowa. "There are no people elbow to elbow as you're shopping."

Like larger chains, small grocers have adapted to the crisis by expanding curbside pickup and delivery, adding dedicated hours for older shoppers and partnering directly with farmers to buy their produce and other products. Sheriffs' deputies and police officers have helped out by delivering groceries to vulnerable residents, too.

"The shift from eating in restaurants to eating in home has created a much needed demand from our rural grocers," said Lori Capouch, development director at the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives. Capouch said rural grocers' sales in March were up 100% to 125% compared with last year. "It has slowed some now, but still running ahead of last year by 25% or more.

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https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/17/business/small-grocery-stores-rural-america-coronavirus/index.html

I read this with great interest. I do not drive and live in the downtown core which has become a total food "desert".

I can recall when I was younger that mini-grocers were everywhere in this town. Especially in the area where I live. But they're all gone now, and nearly all of the big box stores are situated near the outskirts of the city.

COVID-19 is (obviously) making this even more of an issue than it already was.

[Freddie]

1. Same with my town

Of about 10000, less when I was a kid. Back then there were 4 or 5 mom and pop groceries, now 0. And the downtown supermarket, accessible by walking for many, closed when Aldi bought out the Bottom Dollar chain, turned some of them into Aldis and the rest into empty stores. Worse, I understand that Aldi’s is paying the shopping center owner for the rest of the lease (another 10 years!) so the store will remain empty therefore no competition for the Aldi’s we already have on the other side of town. That kind of crap should be illegal.

[FoxNewsSucks]

6. Worse yet

are a lot of leases where big national corporate chains get non-compete put into the lease. Meaning that the landlord can't lease any other property to one of their competitors.

No local grocery, drug store etc.

[Freddie]

7. Our town has 2 Giants

One has a pharmacy, the other does not. The one that does not, there’s a Rite Aid in the shopping center and per their lease they’re not allowed to have a pharmacy. That particular Giant is the one that sells beer and wine (here in PA a supermarket selling those things is still a novelty) and doing booming business since the state stores are closed.

[SamKnause]

2. My towns only grocery store closed 2 or 3 years ago.

It is a small rural town with no stop lights.

It was the first time in over a 110 years that our town didn't have a grocery store.

The last time I was in town I noticed it is being reopened as a church.

The town already has 3 churches.

I think this town needs a grocery store, not another church.

[oswaldactedalone]

4. Yes

and I remember my shock when I had a penny in my pocket, walked to a nearby store, and the price was two cents. This was around 1969. They actually wouldn’t sell me the candy so had to walk back home and ask mom for another penny.

She was just as shocked that the price had gone up.

[Freddie]

8. Yes brings back memories

My Granny lived in Reading PA, longtime widowed, never learned how to drive. She existed because of Stan’s Market down the street. When we visited Granny my dad would give me a dollar to get him cigarettes and I could spend the rest on candy. I can still remember asking Stan for a pack of Kents at age 7.

[mitch96]

5. My local grocery, which is latin oriented has EVERYTHING. even TP..

They are open at 7 am each morning and pretty much empty.. That's when I go..
I suspect they purchase from different places than the " big box" stores as the names are not familiar..... but they work!!! All staff use PPE and you can smell the bleach on the check out counters... Good job..
m

[Alex4Martinez]

9. I long for an end to giant megastores, return of local you-can-walk-to-it stores. nt

[DonCoquixote]

10. to be fair

the ability to pick up groceries without having to go into them has been a godsend, and yes, the big boxes do offer that

[Alex4Martinez]

11. Smaller stores can, and have in the past, offer deliveries.

It was a job when I was a kid, bagger and grocery delivery by bike.