Smaller Stores

So, I ran across this article by Mark Morford in the San Francisco Gate this morning [via tmn]. Morford is out in force, with a rant against all the worst of grocery shopping -- attacking the worst of what passes for food along with the experience itself. Yes it's a little over-the-top hippie ranting, but it's meant to incite. And I definitely lean that way. I'd much rather shop smaller, local & ethnic groceries than warehouse stores any day.

Just this weekend, my brother and I went to Wohlner's Grocery to pick up some BBQ supplies. For those of you not from Omaha, Wohlner's is an old-fashioned neighborhood grocery, well-known for it's meat department. We did pretty well for ourselves, too. Got some ribs on sale which turned out extremely well, just ask anyone who sampled them.

The store itself is pretty small, so we were out of there within fifteen minutes. On our way out, we shot the shit with our checker, and our conversation carried over to some other customers. In short, it was a community experience rather than just a consumer experience. As I left, I thought to myself, "I need to shop here more often." Even though it's a bit more expensive than say a warehouse food store.

As I'm writing this, I'm finishing up a salad from Bob's Grill downstairs. I don't wish Bob's any ill will, but I'm positive that their chicken is frozen instead of fresh. Now, this is probably a slightly different rant, but I've started to be able to taste the difference. Bob's is doing pretty well for themselves since they've managed to crack the $5.00 lunch barrier [which seems to be the tipping point for casual lunch in downtown Omaha].

Cafe 317, the previous occupants of the space had salads & sandwiches just over $5.00, but they used higher quality ingredients. Don't want to be a total food snob, but I'm willing to kick an extra $0.50 or so, if it means that it's fresh, and not super-processed.  Then again, if you grill and bread the hell out of your lunch, it probably doesn't make a whole lot of difference. But again, maybe I just have sour grapes since one of my favorite places to eat closed down for lack of business.

What it really comes down to are the trade-offs. I think it's worth the price to pay a little more for better food, or for a better shopping experience. You skip the extra-calories, or the ultra-processed snack items that are designed to get you to eat more, rather than satisfy your hunger. It's an experience that's a little more human, rather than just another transaction.

Comments

[Max]

On the community tip: I love Stoysich for all my sausage needs. I also think HyVee is actually really good about community needs despite the fact that they are a large chain. No two HyVee's are ever the same; the managers customize each store to fit the neighborhood they are in. I think that is great.

[ben]

Have to give it up for employee-owned Hy-Vee. Even if the stores are a bit massive. But let's give it up for the wine/liquor department at 78th & Cass for bringing wine & bourbon tastings to the people.

[christian]

I'm also like the smaller grocery stores over the bigger ones. Super Target is the biggest time-stealer on the face of the planet. I walk in wanting to grab blank CDs and 2 hours later I have the blanks CDs, wrapping paper, dog food, and a copy of Maria Shriver's new book. And don't get me started on Wal-Mart. Aside from being an evil-minded corporation bent on world domination, the last time I was there I almost got into a fist fight BEFORE standing in line for 45 min to buy blank VHS tapes. You will have to pay me to get me in there again. However, living in the heart of Generica (i.e. West Omaha) affords me few options. Hopefully, once I settle in at 7214 Burt, I will have more opportunities to go to Wohlners (which will probably have a tough time competing with Wild Oats, just scant blocks away).

That said, somtimes you get higher quality food from restaurant chains than local joints. Honestly, you want high quality chicken in your chinese? You're gonna have to go to PF Changs and spend $9.50 instead of $4.50 at Three's Happiness. Not that I don't enjoy the crispy chicken in hot garlic sauce (ordered extra spicy) dinner special at Jade Garden for $3.95 (that also gets you an eggroll, a crab rangoon, and a cup of soup), but you can really tell the difference in quality after you've experience the delights of Chang's Spicy Chicken. Not only that, but its healthier, too! Instead of deep frying, it's flash fried in a skillet and you can get brown rice. Better ingredients and better for you? That makes feeding the beast of Corporate America a lot easier to stomach when you're feeding your face.

[Mike]

With no real ideology of dissent the large store has no real ideological inferiority to the small one.

If you are against capitalism (and I don't really suspect that you are but let's just say you were) some theorists believe that it is the small producer who is key in the generation of capitalism.

Now if you favor the brutish mechanisms of market forces you'd favor that venue that allowed you more perfect information, the best prices, had a low barrier to entry, good competition and so on.

The ability of a merchant, even one you feel "closer to" to have what you perceive to be a "community experience" is a tremendous selling advantage. In a sense the clerk has become a part of your consumption experience.

And make no mistake, that clerk may be under significant pressure to be friendly - or be fired. So you like the coerced friendliness of the local clerk as opposed to the coerced less friendly and more efficient larger store clerks.

It seems that this is a far cry from any real community experience. There is no rebellion in commodities or consumption - no matter how local, how green, how politically correct, run by hippies, organic, worker-collective,etc. These are all, essentially, market-niche facades that let more or less identical goods be marketed to you - the so-called enlightened consumer.

[Max]

As a consumer, I don't give two shits about WalMart's "taking over the world" crap. If it has a lower price there, I may go there. As would most people, principles be damned. However, if the experience sucked, as it did in Christian's story, most people wouldn't return.

In this day and age, it is all about the experience, not whether you are big or small. Look at Target, a large corporation bent on taking over the world (they just aren't quite as good at it as WalMart - seriously) but they are selling well-designed goods at a terrific price and gaining market share on WalMart.

Bring it down to the local level: comic book shops. There are two in Omaha, Dragon's Lair and Krypton Comics that have been around for awhile. Most people grew up going to Dragon's Lair because it was the only real game in town for 15-20 years. A store with that sort of longevity would more than likely garner a lot of loyalty, yet we now have a newer store that offers a better experience in Krypton Comics (family-friendly, bright, nice clerks, community builders, and good selection). And people have flocked to it in droves!

Bringing it back to food, you are right Ben, HyVee provides an excellent experience with their food and spirit tastings, and places like Wohlner's are going to have to take those sort of things into consideration (which I think, judging by your story about the checkout conversation, they probably do - unconsciously). I don't care if you are big of small, but I do care about how I feel when I leave your store.

And I've been to a ton of small, local merchants who I'd like to support but quite frankly blow. Being small and local isn't enough anymore, and it probably never was.

[Andrea]

My dad always taught me that big companies like WalMart were evil and trying to kill hardworking small businesses and draining all the life out of small-town America. He bought things at much higher prices from local businesses and didn't care and encouraged us to do the same. Then I realized two important things. First, I'm not exactly in the same tax bracket as my dear father and until I am I may not have the same means to fund my ideology. Second, I found out that it was not only the whole premise of corporate evil that kept my dad out of WalMart, it was the fact that he just doesn't like shopping around poor people. There you have it.

[ben]

As far as being at the bottom of the supply chain, there's not much I can do. I'm not out to dismantle capitalism, or to kowtow to the original hippie activism of the original article. Am I ultimately just part of a transaction? Sure. But I'd argue there are differences. Differences between buying local & organic vs. buying whatever is cheapest. It's a subtle difference, but it does eventually add up to a critical mass if enough people buy in. Conversely, if not enough people buy in, for whatever reason, the producers & distributors fail.

And for every helpful Wohlner's clerk, or the guy who runs King Tut Import Groceries in Lincoln, there is a passive-aggressive vegan grocery cashier at wild oats, or whatever health food store you go to.

[josh]

From one downtown Omaha resident (and comic book guy!) to another, I have to also mention that Anarchy Comics in the old market is a great little shop. It's no Krypton or Dragon's Lair in terms of selection, but the atmosphere is that of your folks' dank, moldy basement. Some folks dig it, myself included. Walking distance from where I (we?) live...

Speaking of that, you mention heading downstairs to Bob's. This would put you right next door to the Regis? I live on the 7th floor there...

Found your site via James R. Phillips, he appears to be a mutual friend of ours... Anyways, just wanted to give a shout to a neighbor!

[ben]

Josh,

I don't live downtown anymore [used to live above Cubby's in the 1213 Jackson St. Apts.] but I still work in the Farnam Plaza Building. Bob's is technically downstairs & around the corner.

But I still consider myself among the downtown faithful. If I could afford a condo downtown, I might just move back. But, for the time being, I'm content to build my equity in Benson. Much quieter than above an all night gas station. Especially after the bars close.