Several years ago, I spoke with my friend Pip Stehlik, whose family owned a grocery store in Nebraska City, Nebraska, where I served as publisher of the newspaper. A Walmart store was being proposed in the community, and the local merchants were expressing their grave concerns. Pip's father started the family’s supermarket store years prior, when he said there were a dozen or so neighborhood grocers in the community of 7,000 people. Pip, who now teaches about investing in real estate, explained how his dad’s original store was the Walmart of its day, and how that store started the demise of the neighborhood grocers in the community. At the time of our discussion, their store was already struggling (it is closed now), but Pip didn’t blame Walmart. He blamed the automobile, or at least the prevalent use of it. He explained how decades prior, residents would walk to their neighborhood store several times a week to buy fresh produce and meat. Now, Pip said, people think nothing of driving an hour to a store in Lincoln or Omaha to buy groceries. He was right.
I thought of Pip's story this morning when I learned of Fareway Stores debuting its small-town grocery concept in Colfax where the local grocery store owner retired and left residents without an option in the city. It is an interesting approach that could benefit rural Iowans and, possibly, even those living in isolated neighborhoods of urban communities. We should applaud Fareway’s effort on this and do all we can to encourage more of it, as having residents shop in their community benefits everyone.
Have a fantastic Friday, and, as always, thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman President and Publisher Big Green Umbrella Media shane@dmcityview.com 515-953-4822, ext. 305 |