I'm wondering if there are any good successful independent local grocers to check into.

Focus would be on local, farm to table, grass fed/finished, necessities.

I've sorta looked at the automated vending building but I feel now might be the time to plunge into some form of local/direct/farmers-market-esque business while the big chains consolidate themselves to failure.

We might be closing on a building that has 4k sqft of refrigerated space. I'm trying to envision business models that might flourish.

Algorithmic Epiphany said:

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I'm wondering if there are any good successful independent local grocers to check into.

Focus would be on local, farm to table, grass fed/finished, necessities.

I've sorta looked at the automated vending building but I feel now might be the time to plunge into some form of local/direct/farmers-market-esque business while the big chains consolidate themselves to failure.

We might be closing on a building that has 4k sqft of refrigerated space. I'm trying to envision business models that might flourish.

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Sounds like a perfect Aldi location as long as it's in an area where median incomes are around the national average or state average. If incomes are high, go get a lease with Trader joes.

Why do you think that the big chains are going to consolidate themselves into failure? Has that happened in any indispensable commodity industry in the past? Are there any signs that the survivors of the consolidation are doing more poorly than they did before consolidation?

I hate consolidation, but not because I believe that the survivors will fail. To the contrary, they will succeed, but perhaps to the consumers' detriment.

Yeah, not seeing that the big chains are going to fail.

The grocery business wouldn't be for me, too many employees and inventory that can spoil. Two things I would avoid. But hey, to each his or her own.

As far as farm to table, what I have seen is some people in the livestock business talk about forming a coop and marketing directly to the consumer, bypassing the processors and grocers both. So far, it has only been talk, and I suspect that is as far as it will go, at least with the local and semi-local people.

I do see a few local guys who are selling directly from the farm to the end user, typically beef cattle. So far from what I have seen it is pretty low volume though. And a lot of people don't have room to take half an animal so who knows if it will become commonplace. When meat prices rise, someone not wanting to pay the going price for the better cuts of beef would seem unlikely to buy 100 or 150 pounds of meat all at once.

Arlans is a small grocer that is in smaller towns - might not be what you are looking for as farm to market but size wise definitely a small grocer.

Another in would be
brookshire brothers


I would bet that there are a couple of Aggies that work for grocers supply that might be able to give you a clue as to what you are looking for. Look on linked in.

Hadn't heard of Arlens, familiar with Brookshire bros (tried selling them a variety of different it/energy mgmt services back in the day).

I don't really know what I'm looking for. Probably just need to read some case studies on the supply chain mgmt of smaller grocers.

There was an automated 24/7 club membership that you can scan a card to get in and basically "Amazon checkout" to get out. Scan and grab a few items and bounce and your card was charged automatically. I'm thinking something along that line. Minimal overhead and labor outside of stocking.

I can't find the video anymore of what I'm talking about, iirc it was in australia.