New York – Ever wonder how the small kosher grocery stores are faring, particularly in light of the rapidly expanding kosher supermarkets?
Very well, thank you, according to a survey of some of these stores in Brooklyn and Queens.
While few are still matchbox stores like the old Mom/Pops, the smaller stores appear to have carved out a niche that many customers love.
Chasia, a 38-year old mother of 6 says that she “is intimidated by the larger stores and maybe I am crazy, but I still like to see the owner behind the counter.”
Indeed, nationwide it appears that smaller retailers have grown more than twice the rate of larger supermarkets in the last year, according to Nielsen.
Supermarkets grew by 2% while the smaller stores grew by 5%.Perhaps more and more Americans feel like Chasia and enjoy the quick trip to a small store.
Experts say that despite the dominance of supermarkets, we may well see the return of the small grocers or bodegas in many areas. In places like Rego Park, Flatbush and Boro Park, that trend has been in place for years and with their lower overhead, they may actually turn a profit much faster than the large stores.
{Matzav.com Newscenter}
It involves added service (including friendly staff) and convenience and the availability of special products. If the small store provides none of these, it stands to lose out.
Not blaming the small stores and understand why it is that way but the fact remains that the small stores are way too expensive for people like me with families
And the fact that they sell mostly companies that is of very very poor quality and extremely overpriced
here in Toronto, we have two such fantastic stores: The Kosher Grocer-where Mr Kurtz always goes the “extra mile” & Kolbo, which is owned & operated by someone who is l’o blind! It is a true Kiddush H-shem to watch how honest everyone is in both describing their products & telling him which cash bills they are paying with