5 things: The rise of the Asian grocer

The rise of Asian and Indian grocers: Asian cuisine took off on American grocery store shelves like fireworks on the Fourth of July. According to a recent New York Times article, H Mart is a $2 billion company with 96 stores across the country. The chain recently purchased an entire shopping center in San Francisco for $37 million. Then there’s Weee!, an online Asian food store valued at $4.1 billion. Another brand, 99 Ranch Market, specializes in foods from China and Taiwan. It doesn’t stop at Asian cuisine either. Patel Brothers is an Indian grocery company founded in Chicago that now has 52 locations in 20 states. The stores not only cater to the palette of those with Asian and Indian roots. About 30% of H Mart shoppers are non-Asian, according to the Times piece. America has always been a melting pot. —Bill Wilson

Insta-New York Times Cuisine: Last-mile delivery service Instacart partners with New York Times, incorporating shoppable recipes available through the media company’s recipe portal, New York Times Cooking. THE Times announced on June 11 that the new collaboration will allow users to easily add all Times Cooking recipe ingredients to their Instacart order. Instacart users will have access to a number of New York Times Cooking recipes on the Instacart app, and new and existing Instacart+ members will have the chance to access the New York Times Cooking portal free for one year. “This exciting new offering with Instacart aims to save busy home cooks even more time and energy, so they can focus on exploring their own cooking style, trying new dishes or flavors and “Most importantly, enjoying delicious meals – whether alone or with loved ones,” said Camilla Velasquez, executive director of The New York Times Cooking, in a press release. —Tim Inklebarger

The election period could be a food fight: If it were easy to lower food prices, everyone could do it. It’s no surprise that former President Donald Trump thinks he would do the best. Not so fast, says the New York Times, who asked several economists whether Trump’s policies the second time around would help lower Americans’ grocery bills. His plan to deport migrants at a historic rate would have the effect of removing labor from farms across the country, raising the price of products like oranges and lettuce. This is already playing out in real life in the state of Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new immigration bill. The measure forced large numbers of farmers to leave, making buyers pay high prices. In fact, the Florida Policy Institute estimates that the move cost Florida’s economy more than $12.6 billion over the last year. Trump also wants new tariffs on all imported goods, which economists say would also raise prices for goods from domestic suppliers. We’re not talking about short-term spikes either. A second Trump administration could have a lasting effect on food prices. Of course, President Joe Biden has also struggled to find food price relief. There are many issues at stake in the November election, and the cost of food is only one piece of the pie. —PC

The food desert challenge: The city of Chicago’s ongoing efforts to attract grocery chains to food deserts appears to have stalled once again — this time in the South Side neighborhood of Bronzeville, according to an article in Chicago Bouldering Club. The hyperlocal news site reports that Ald. Pat Dowell announced in 2018 that a Pete’s Fresh Market was planned for the neighborhood on the site of a former housing project and elementary school, but that plan fell through. More than two years ago, the project seemed to have new life, but residents haven’t heard anything since the initial announcement, according to the story. And neither Pete’s nor Mayor Brandon Johnson is speaking to reporters. The detailed report gives a historical analysis of efforts to attract more grocers to underserved areas and the closure of South Side grocers and other food retailers in recent years, including the closing of three Walmarts in South Side, two Save A Lot locations and an Aldi – all in the last four years. We’re still waiting to see what happens with the mayor’s plan to open a city-run grocery store and whether or not the tax assistance for Yellow Banana will come to fruition. —IT

Free rides? It’s not just a dream anymore. In Canada, at the Regina Food Bank, this is about to become a reality. Since the pandemic, Canada has seen an increase in the number of food bank users across the country, up 25% in Regina alone. One in eight families – and one in four children – now suffer from food insecurity in the city. The Regina Food Bank’s new community food center, modeled after a traditional grocery store, is expected to open this summer in the city’s downtown core. The center will give those who rely on the food bank autonomy over what they want to take home, rather than receiving a box of standardized items. Other food banks in Canada have tested the choice model on a smaller scale, with limited hours and capacity, but this is the first large-scale store to offer choice to all clients, much like a local grocer. According to David Froh, vice-president of the Regina Food Bank: “This is the future of food banks. » —Chloe Riley

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