Do Smaller Supermarkets Help Us Eat Better?

The trouble with smaller supermarkets is that they are worse for people whose tastes differ from the mainstream. Whereas I can get unsulphured apricots from a large Sainsbury store in the UK, when I venture into a small one I am usually disappointed. Frankly I try to avoid giving these corporate swindlers any money at all, but when I am forced by circumstances to sell my soul to the devil there's nothing worse than finding out that I still can't play a mean guitar.

From experience I can say that around here, smaller supermarkets mean more crowds, stolen trolleys, and long lines. No thanks!

Personally, I like going to stores that have a wide variety - it's frustrating when you can't find a certain brand that you really like.

I shop by time and race, I'm a 50 yr old white guy, I won't go into Valarta, thousands of years of bull fighting has the mexican people banging into each other and they do the same at the market. No food for less either, Black people love that store and the prejudice ones give looks to kill. I shop mid week in the morning at stater Bros, but they completely rearange the store from time to time, what a hastle. There is a great little store I love but the asian people look thru you like you don't exist, they will not move until they are darn well ready. I hate shopping. And no I am not prejudice and someone has to be honest.

Smaller food stores generally have a greater number of manufactured food items, not real food. Perhaps if the trend switches to smaller stores selling mostly real food this would be good - but real food generally has lower profit margins than manufactured and prepared foods. This trend is happening for convenience to the shopper and increased profit to the vendor.

I still end up going to the bigger place because it has more variety and lower prices. I can get a rutabaga if I want one. I may have to tell the checker what it is, but at least I can get it.

Hmmm. In our city, the smaller supermarket has such a limited variety and the prices are way higher than Walmart. I do, however, do most of my grocery shopping at Aldi, a discount grocery store that is small and has only one brand of everything. It's great because I just pick up say, frozen berries instead of navigating through 8 different brands of frozen fruit. The prices there are a LOT lower and I get my shopping done really quickly.

thank you Mia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

my local grocery downsized and started to focus on prepared foods and gourmet items. there is now a very small selection of basic items that should be a part of every grocery trip. the prices have also went way up. i dont want an 8 dollar jar of sauce or bison in the meat case i just want some hamburger for less than $4 a pound thats not brown inside and two flavors of ragu to choose from. the fruits and veggies arrive on the same truck that delivers to the huge chain store so i dont see how the quality is better but it sure costs more. its the only market this side of town so many of the carless masses must shop there.

I love smaller stores, especially if they specialize in organic produce or health food. Whole foods is pretty big, so shopping there can be a drag. But smaller places tend to be more relaxed and less crowded, more neighborhoody

I love visiting supermarkets, big or small. Yet, I visit the small one more often due to my lack of time.

Different from what according to Food Marketing Institute that the average size of grocery stores SHRUNK in 2007 after 20 years of steady growth,in my country those hyper markets develop fast; Carrefour, for example. People here like to visit big supermarkets which make big supermarkets more crowded and have longer queue. Hyper-markets seem to be one of the resort place for people to relax with the multi brands of products to compare.

While a smaller supermarket might be nice, to be selection AND quality are important. Overall there is just no way you can fit the amount of vegetables, produce and meats in a tiny corner grocery as in a large super centre.

I like the idea of the focus going from quantity to quality. Bigger isn't always better, and although it's hard to get the variety in smaller supermarkets I think it will encourage people to buy better quality foods... which is a good thing. Cost is clearly going to be an issue though.