[Source: Steve Davis, Smart Growth America] — For those who live in urban areas, especially neighborhoods in the process of returning from decades of disinvestment, you may sympathize with the difficulty of trying to find a good grocery store nearby. The dearth of food outlets in cities can be partially attributed to national chains failing to adjust their largely suburban business models for urban environments. Because many chains are used to building large stores in the suburbs, they naturally set out to do the same in the city, but the large box surrounded by parking with monstrous stocks of food isn’t appropriate for a dense urban fabric. Large stores built in the city also have to serve a larger share of the population to make a profit, so drawing from within a 10- or 15-minute walkshed often isn’t good enough. Is there an opening in the market for smaller urban stores?
The British chain Tesco believes so. They are developing “Fresh & Easy” stores for urban and transit-oriented settings, with footprints as small as 10,000 square feet (a fraction of conventional supermarkets), stocked with staples as well as ready-to-eat meals. Prototypes are set to open in Phoenix and Los Angeles. Success with the more compact format could prove a boon to the many communities that are trying to develop walkable neighborhoods with convenient shopping nearby. [Note: To read the full blog entry, click here.]
Downtown Voices Coalition 