There have been big changes over the past several years in how Chicagoans go grocery shopping. National retailers have closed dozens of chain store locations in and around the city; in their wake a number of local, independent retailers have grown strong and are thriving. Why are these neighborhood markets doing so well, where big supermarkets couldn’t afford to stay open? One straightforward answer is that independent stores have more flexibility when it comes to honoring customer requests. If you ask the produce manager in your neighborhood’s family-run store to carry a specialty item, the store is very likely to stock that item as soon as possible to keep you happy. The employees at a store run by a national corporation have to answer first to a hierarchy of managers and ultimately to the expectations of the corporation’s board. A national chain is most likely to stock items that can be consistently sold for a high margin, on a national scale. A smaller independent store is most likely to stock items that will make it a destination for neighborhood shoppers to maintain community loyalty.
Chicago is lucky to have many unique markets, health food stores, and co-ops, responsive to the needs of unique local shoppers. Neighborhood markets frequently have a better variety of fresh produce and ethnic foods relative to chain stores. Skokie’s Marketplace on Oakton has steadily increased organic offerings in response to customer demand. Online, customers rave about their freshness, selection, low prices, and international specialties. Caputo’s Fresh Market is so responsive to customers that their Naperville store carries completely different items than their store in an Italian neighborhood, Elmwood Park. Hyde Park Produce just re-opened about a block away from its original location in a new location more than three times the size of the original, with room for more selection on everything and for more cash registers. Hyde Park Produce is still a relatively small store, but it’s always busy. There are organic options in every aisle, and in their first week after reopening, they practically sold out of organic produce. I spoke with loyal Hyde Park Produce shopper Joy Rosner, who enjoys watching people walk in to HPP because so many jaws drop reacting to the beautiful array of fresh produce. She has always shopped at HPP for her produce and explains that “It is a relationship of mutual loyalty. The neighborhood is loyal to HPP because they’re so loyal to us.” Online reviews of this store glow brightly, frequently citing high quality produce at low prices. Stanley’s Fruit Market on Elston has become famous by promoting their competitive pricing with big signs in every window. Their expansion a few years back has made way for increased variety of organic produce, frequently offered at sale prices. Woodman’s Food Market in Wisconsin and Rockford is an employee-owned store that has taken the neighborhood market idea, and expanded it to a massive scale—with more selection for every item than any store for miles. Some of Woodman’s most loyal shoppers make the weekly trip from Chicago.
Other independent stores that are succeeding as Chicagoans flee from big chain stores include County Fair on Western Ave, newcomers like Soy Organic Market in Pilsen, and more than I could mention in one article—check http://www.goodnessgreeness.com/retailers/ to find the stores nearest you. This is a consumer-powered trend. If you’re looking for a meaningful shopping experience, get to know the green grocer at a locally-owned store. A grocer who knows you by name is more likely to respond when you ask for organic options you have trouble finding elsewhere—like organic daikon, plantains, blood oranges, or whatever your heart desires. Sarah Aubry
