Independence Day
Fri, Jul 31, 2009
Purple Cauliflower
Dale Kropf, founder of the Hometown Grocers’ Co-op, felt his customers were underserved with local products. To address this, he left his six Sobey’s Foodland franchises, and became independent as L&M Food Markets.
By independently sourcing product, rather than going through national level corporate buyers, Kropf is able to purchase more from local producers, and create more tangible links between farmer and consumer.
That said, there is a cost. Some products are more expensive, but have freshness and social value on their side. Leaving the corporate environment means no support network for purchasing and marketing, but may give flexibility to make strategic choices for a different market edge.
http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/07/14/f-grocery-stores-independent-buy-local-meat-produce.html
Do corporate policies influence how you source product? What are your barriers to sourcing local? Do local sources increase customer loyalty?
During the week, my first stop for produce is the small green grocer just down the street. He refuses to buy Chinese garlic and has more local produce than the nearby Zehrs. Yes, his fruits and vegetables are more expensive (usually, not always) but I am willing to pay more for better, grown-closer-to-home foods.
As a consumer, I’m more loyal to the shops that show they care by being more willing to listen to requests for local products.