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Henry Spalding
Galen College of Nursing
ENG 1105
Instructor’s name
September 16, 2019
Supermarket or Local Market
Big supermarket chains continue to lock up most of the food purchases made by people every day, but alternatives exist and provide surprising benefits. Kroger, Albertson’s, and Publix are some of the big supermarket chains that people recognize and patronize. Local food markets might be a small family-owned business, a co-operative arranged by local farmers or churches, or a community group creating open-air markets or a brick and mortar option. The areas of comparison for supermarkets versus local markets are as follows: freshness, personalization, and community.
Freshness
Supermarkets and local markets sell fresh produce, fresh meats, and fresh flowers. The local markets seem fresher because the produce, meats, and flowers come from local vendors. At some local markets, foods are sold that guarantee that there were no chemicals or pesticides used in the production of their produce, meats, and flowers. Supermarket foods must have a longer shelf life, which requires that preservatives, additives, or techniques be employed.
Like all major brands, supermarkets present a uniformed look, layout, and logos. The positive side of this kind of branding remains consumer familiarity and comfort. On the other hand, a small local market can be clean in its simplicity, crisp in its uniqueness, and bright in its airiness. Size distinguishes supermarkets from local markets. A supermarket can be from 40,000 to 150,000 square feet. A local market might be as small as 1000 square feet or just a few tables on a sidewalk. Because of size, local markets have fewer products to offer to consumers, but fewer can also mean better products.
Personalization
Supermarkets promote certain brands in all product categories while local markets feature local products. Consumers follow highly advertised products. Consumers favor many of these brands and cannot imagine living without them, but local markets highlight personalized products such as homegrown and canned jams and relishes, as well as fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, and baked goods.
Local markets advocate for local sellers. These local sellers create one-of-a-kind specialty items that can add to everyday meals. Items such as homegrown and canned jams and relishes boost the color and taste of individual dishes and meals. Baked zucchini and pumpkin breads might be an offering at local markets that are not available in supermarkets. Fruits and vegetables from local markets offer a clean organic product; some such products are available at supermarkets but are much more expensive. Thousands of people shop at supermarkets every day; however, going into a local market can feel like a uniquely personal experience.
Since supermarkets are based on a for-profit business model, foods sold in supermarkets remain frozen foods, canned foods, and boxed foods. Local markets do not have the financial strength or space to offer customers all those food choices. Some local markets become pop-up markets in empty lots, on the sidewalk, or on the side to the road. Local markets can be profit oriented as well, but local markets offer less expensive products. Unlike sales or promotions found in supermarkets that can attract many buyers, local markets do not have pricing gimmicks, and some markets have consumers bring their own grocery bags to hold costs down.
Community
Shopping in a local market can be more relaxed and friendly compared with spending time in a massive supermarket. A local market can be like European or South American experiences of going to an open market with fresh produce, meats, fish, flowers and coffee brewing. Supermarkets give away products that they are selling, but the experience remains sterile and not reminiscent of a community experience. Local markets might be locally owned or owned by a co-op of people who add personal touches to the shopping experience and make consumers feel part of the extended family.
Produce tastes better from a local market because no preservatives and pesticides are used in the production of the locally grown foods. Foods are fresher from a local market, meaning they look riper and taste healthier. Since products in a local market come from local producers, shopping local reduces the community’s carbon footprint. Supermarket products must be transported long distances from distribution centers.
Being at a small local market rather than a supermarket means seeing friends from the neighborhood and market workers who remember frequent shoppers. Conversely, supermarkets have hundreds of workers who work different shifts. Seeing the same people more than once remains unlikely in a supermarket. With a community atmosphere, local markets impress shoppers as warm and friendly. Supermarkets present as large, sterile caverns poorly lit with fluorescent lights.
Conclusion
The choice between a Kroger or other supermarket and a Garden Gate Market or other local market remains. Consumers will continue to patronize both supermarkets and local markets, depending on the experience sought and expected. For a community experience that provides fresh foods and friendly service that reduces the carbon footprint, shoppers will increasingly elect to pay for locally grown produce and other products from local markets where someone knows who shops there and why.
