There’s just something about a local, mom and pop market that evokes that “hometown” feeling of nostalgia that you don’t get from larger supermarket chains. There’s also some stark differences between the shopping experience, mostly involving customer service and atmosphere.
It’s kind of sad that most smalltown grocery markets have gone the way of the dodo because of larger supermarkets dominating an area. Less than 70 years ago, it was commonplace to do your grocery shopping at a local grocer and in many cases these small markets would offer home delivery.
If you felt so inclined to walk into the store, you might’ve been greeted wholesomely by the owner, who behind the scenes worked hard to keep his store afloat amongst the competition. However, in those days your competition wasn’t a mega-ultra-supreme-deluxe supermarket with automatic doors, self-checkout and 24-hour service. Rather, your competitor was Joe Smith’s Groceries and Pet Food just down the way a couple blocks, past the Baptist church, across the street from McBroderick Brothers Pharmacy.
Instead of going to my regular supermarket, that mega-ultra-supreme-deluxe store with automatic doors, self-checkout and 24-hour service, I decided to pay homage to yesteryear and visit one of the only remaining small-town grocers in East Rochester, NY. Since we’re small enough to be considered a village, according to the city, this market is called The Village Fair.
Earlier in the week I happened upon an ad for The Village Fair in which they were advertising deli meat for $1.99/lb. A steal in my book considering I generally pay about $5.00/lb. and in this household we like (or, I should say I like) sandwiches so we stock up on the fixings.
My first thought upon entering the store was that it was pretty small. I guess I’m used to supermarkets being on average the size of 3 football fields. The Village Fair is probably only about the size of a typical retail space, which is to say they jampack the market with all sorts of things.
While they have a lot of items, I wasn’t surprised when I noticed that many brand named items were replaced by generic food brands, several of which I never heard of in my life. No worries since a box of Kellogs cereal averages about $2.99, wherein these generic cereals cost about a dollar less. I then scoped out the place, keeping note of the aestheticness and overall feeling of atmosphere.
I was stunned when someone asked me how my day was going and whether on not I needed help finding anything. I can’t recall a time in my usual supermarket when someone asked if I needed help finding something. More often than not I’d be on the witch hunt for a floater or stocker to ask them where an item was. In this case it was nice to have someone approach me for a change, something you don’t see in Best Buy, Target or any of the larger chains unless you’re having a lucky day.
After loading my cart with the usuals (bread, milk and cheese), I scooted to the front to checkout. The lady behind the counter smiled proudly and for once it didn’t seem forced or fake for that matter. Rather, it seemed geniune and pleasant and to be honest it threw me off guard since I’m used to little social interaction, save for the unusual occassion.
The only disadvantages that I could see shopping at local markets is whether or not you trust their pricing schemes and the fact that they have a limited selection of items. For instance, I noticed that while some things were marked down in comparison to supermarket prices, other items were slightly higher so as keep a balance.
Overall, it was an experience that I wouldn’t mind going through again. It was kind of neat to take a step back to a time when customer service was at the forefront of shopping experiences, and that’s exactly what they were in yesteryear, experiences and not just parking, rushing in and rushing out.
In roughly 3 days I’ll be enroute to Austin, TX to take part in the SXSW (South by Southwest) Interactive conference. I’m bound to be a bit overwhelmed by the festivities and elbow-rubbing parties, but I won’t lie, I’m pretty excited to meet in person the numerous amounts of online buddies I’ve made and collaborated with over the years.