#grocerystore — Public Fediverse posts on home.social

Dining and Cooking @[email protected] · 2026-09-05 · 08:00 UTC

Kathy Kolasa: Healthy eating in a food desert hard, but not impossible | Features

Dear readers: Kyajia Mourning is a fourth-year medic…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Food #canning #Cooking #cuisine #Disease #Eating #eatingbehaviorsofhumans #Food(Industry) #foodbank #FoodDesert #foodswamp #foodwatchlistarticles #Foods #Fruit #grocerystore #healthydiet #Pantry #recipe #Vegetable
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2801091/kathy-kolasa-healthy-eating-in-a-food-desert-hard-but-not-impossible-features/

#dining #cooking #diet #food #canning #cuisine

Dining & Cooking @[email protected] · 2026-09-05 · 07:58 UTC

Kathy Kolasa: Healthy eating in a food desert hard, but not impossible | Features https://www.diningandcooking.com/2801091/kathy-kolasa-healthy-eating-in-a-food-desert-hard-but-not-impossible-features/ #canning #Cooking #cuisine #Disease #Eating #EatingBehaviorsOfHumans #food #Food(Industry) #FoodBank #FoodDesert #FoodSwamp #FoodWatchlistArticles #Foods #Fruit #GroceryStore #HealthyDiet #Pantry #recipe #Vegetable

#canning #cooking #cuisine #disease #eating #eatingbehaviorsofhumans

(Roughly) Daily @[email protected] · 2026-08-04 · 08:00 UTC

“I went down the street to the 24-hour grocery. When I got there, the guy was locking the front door. I said, ‘Hey, the sign says you’re open 24 hours.’ He said, ‘Yes, but not in a row.'”*…

As Max Burns reports, a wave of corporate consolidation is reshaping the grocery industry; today, the U.S. has one-third fewer grocery stores than it did 25 years ago. The result is that just four corporations—Walmart, Kroger, Costco, and Albertsons—control more than two-thirds of the U.S. grocery market, This is squeezing workers, limiting competition, and giving this handful of retailers unprecedented control over what Americans pay for food…

If it feels to you like American consumers have fewer choices than ever before, your mind isn’t playing tricks on you. Federal regulators are approving corporate mega-mergers at the fastest rate since the 1980s. Consumers are feeling those industry-spanning consolidations everywhere, as hardly a sector of American life has escaped Wall Street’s goal of building the largest and most powerful corporate conglomerates in world history.
From power utilities and artificial intelligence to broadcast news networks and railroads, a few massive corporate players have come to dominate American commercial life in ways not seen since the Gilded Age trusts of the 19th century. Those consolidations have generated historic profits for executives and major shareholders while working families are faced with lower quality goods and services, fewer options, and a hostile labor market unfairly skewed toward the interests of the ultra-rich.
Democrats have been quick to criticize some of the nation’s biggest mergers as anti-worker and anti-consumer, but one critical sector of the U.S. economy has managed to escape widespread public criticism: grocery stores. Thanks to a record rise in special interest cash donations to both Democrats and Republicans, grocery-industry lobby groups have managed to keep prices high, wages low, and consumer choice limited while avoiding federal policymakers’ crosshairs. The result is an invisible crisis in the nation’s food industry that threatens to reshape how and what Americans eat.
In a corporate landscape defined by Republican deregulation, America’s grocery stores and food suppliers are consolidating despite active federal laws explicitly intended to prevent anticompetitive behavior. Perhaps the most important of those laws is the Robinson-Patman Act of 1936, or RPA, also known as the Anti-Price Discrimination Act. For decades, RPA ensured fair competition by banning food suppliers from charging different prices to different stores; at least it did until the Reagan-era Federal Trade Commission largely stopped enforcing it in the 1980s. Even though RPA is still the law of the land, food suppliers like Pepsi now routinely ignore the law without consequence.
“Big corporations have buying power, and they can oppress and dictate to producers what they want to pay for crops,” Rhode Island Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos told me. “A corporation can come to a farmer and say ‘we’ll pay you this price for potatoes, but you can’t give that price to anyone else,’ so they fix prices in a way that hurts independent supermarkets and independent businesses.”
Megacorporations aren’t subtle about flexing their market power to fix prices in ways that protect other megacorporations. Last year President Donald Trump’s FTC dismissed an RPA claim against PepsiCo which alleged that Pepsi illegally offered grocery chain Walmart unfair pricing discounts while charging smaller chains more for the same products. When independent grocery stores undercut Walmart by lowering the price of Pepsi products, PepsiCo allegedly responded by raising wholesale prices or refusing to do business with the smaller stores until they raised prices above those at Walmart.
As independent grocery stores struggle, they become more likely to sell out to larger national chains, leading to consolidation that makes both prices and employee wages less competitive. As president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 3000, Faye Guenther represents over 50,000 grocery and retail workers across the Pacific Northwest. Guenther has spent years fighting the growing imbalance between rising prices and falling wages. Now, she says, things have reached a crisis point for regular Americans…

Read on for Burns’ looks at the impact on workers (TLDR: fewer jobs, lower wages), availability of stores (TDLR: or its opposite, food deserts), and food prices (TLDR: they’re rising), and for his suggested remedies.

The painful reality behind the joke “I’m getting stronger with age. I can now lift $100 worth of groceries with one hand!”: “America’s Grocery Monopoly Problem,” from @themaxburns.bsky.social in @damemagazine.bsky.social.

Also apposite: “Big Food Versus the People” (what court battles reveal about the ultra-processed food industry’s corporate litigation strategies). Further to which: “Is the recycling symbol free speech? A judge just ruled it could be“…

A pioneering California law meant to sharply limit use of the familiar “chasing arrows” recycling symbol has been blocked by a federal judge who said it probably violates the First Amendment.
In a preliminary injunction issued earlier this month, U.S. District Judge William Hayes halted enforcement of SB 343 after food, packaging and retail groups sued, finding that key provisions were “unconstitutionally vague” and likely infringed protected commercial speech. Enforcement of the law, passed in 2021, was expected to start this fall.
The decision is a blow to environmental advocates, who had hoped to remove the familiar symbol from a huge array of plastic products, in line with a statewide study showing that only a fraction are widely collected and actually recycled. SB 343 said only goods and packaging accepted by recycling programs serving at least 60 percent of Californians and then actually sorted for recycling — not collected and thrown away — could bear the chasing arrows.
Hayes’ constitutional reasoning surprised supporters of SB 343 because similar arguments against environmental marketing regulations have historically struggled in court….

Of course, there’s always eating out… but of course, that’s got its own issues: “The restaurant business is changing beyond recognition,” gift article from @economist.com.

Oh, and we might note that this is National Farmers Market Week.

* Steven Wright

###

As we chow down, we might recall that it was on this date in 1930 that the officially-adjudicated “first supermarket” opened: King Kullen in Queens, New York.

Grocery chains had been around since 1859, when The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P) was established. But they rarely sold fresh meat or produce and relied on the old mercantile system of clerks puling items from shelves on request. As long-time readers may recall, the first self-service grocery store was the Piggly Wiggly, which shifted to self-serve in 1916.

The first modern supermarkets appeared just over twenty years later, offering a full range of food items, beverages, and household items under one self-service roof, often with an emphasis on low prices as well as convenience. There were a number of contenders for the “first supermarket” crown…

To end the debate, the Food Marketing Institute in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution and with funding from H.J. Heinz, researched the issue. They defined the attributes of a supermarket as “self-service, separate product departments, discount pricing, marketing and volume selling.” They determined that the first true supermarket in the United States was opened by a former Kroger employee, Michael J. Cullen, on 4 August 1930, inside a 6,000-square-foot former garage in Jamaica, Queens in New York City. The store King Kullen, operated under the logic of “pile it high and sell it cheap.” The store layout was designed by Joseph Unger, who originated the concept of customers using baskets to collect groceries before checking out at a counter. Everything displayed for sale in the store “had prices clearly marked”, meaning that consumers would no longer need to haggle over prices. Cullen described his store as “the world’s greatest price wrecker.” At the time of his death in 1936, there were seventeen King Kullen stores in operation. Although Saunders had brought the world self-service, uniform stores, and nationwide marketing, Cullen built on this idea by adding separate food departments, selling large volumes of food at discount prices and adding a parking lot. Moreover, the supermarket format as pioneered by King Kullen was not only cheap, but convenient, in how it combined so many different departments under one roof which had formerly required trips to separate stores. – source

source

#acquisitions #business #consolidation #culture #Food #foodDesert #foodPrices #grocery #groceryIndustry #groceryStore #history #KingKullen #labor #mergers #Monopoly #oligopoly #Retail #supermarket

#business #consolidation #culture #food #foodprices #grocery

Slow Mover @[email protected] · 2026-07-25 · 07:56 UTC

Slippery Slope

walking along
whistling
thinking what a beautiful
winter's day it is
passing the grocery store
on the corner
heading towards the baseball game

whoops!
you slip on a patch of ice
crunch! 
you land on your rear

oh no!

you're sliding down the hill
and here comes a Mack truck

whoosh!
it misses you by inches

you're still sliding!
ouch!
you slide right off the road
and through a muddy ditch
ugh!

a tree looms ahead
crash! 

ever have one of those days when nothing seems to go right

From the collection “Words at 16 (1983)”

#1983 #badDay #baseballGame #cartoonHumor #childhoodPoem #comicArt #comicIllustration #Fear #funnyPoem #groceryStore #Humor #humorousPoetry #humorousStorytelling #lightheartedWriting #nostalgicWriting #oneOfThoseDays #playfulPoetry #POETICAORAREContemplativePoetryPrayers #slapstickHumor #slippingOnIce #teenageWriting #vintagePoem #Winter #winterMishap #winterPoem #Writing

#badday #baseballgame #cartoonhumor #childhoodpoem #comicart #comicillustration

Dining & Cooking @[email protected] · 2026-06-24 · 20:31 UTC

EWG’s Food Scores | Jessica’s Brick Oven Bakery Italian Lemon Butter Cookies, Italian Lemon https://www.diningandcooking.com/2699152/ewgs-food-scores-jessicas-brick-oven-bakery-italian-lemon-butter-cookies-italian-lemon/ ##products #Butter #buttercream #environment #EWG #food #FoodAnswered #FoodScores #GoodFood #GroceryStore #health #Healthy #Italia #Italian #ItalianButter #ItalianButtercream #italiano #italy #nutrition #produce #RateYourPlate #shop #shopping; #supermarket

#products #butter #buttercream #environment #ewg #food

Dining and Cooking @[email protected] · 2026-05-22 · 02:50 UTC

Alison Roman Is Opening First Bloom in Brooklyn Heights

Photo: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images It looks as if Alison Roman is opening a permanent location of her boutique grocery, First Bloom, this fall in Brooklyn. As the cookbook author and food personality a…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Cooking #alisonroman #brickandmortar #BrooklynHeights #Cafe #CookingTopics #grocerystore #openings #therealestate
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2652906/alison-roman-is-opening-first-bloom-in-brooklyn-heights/

#dining #cooking #diet #food #alisonroman #brickandmortar

Front Page [Unofficial] @[email protected] · 2026-05-19 · 00:16 UTC

A teacher asked 7th graders the worst part of the 80s, and their answers have us howling

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.upworthy.com/students-answer-questions-ex1/

#culture #popculture #popular_sourcepageview #80s #cellphones #coldwar

Chewers by Masticadores @chewersmasticadores.wordpress.com@chewersmasticadores.wordpress.com · 2026-05-12 · 05:00 UTC

“Last in Line” by Alice Baburek

The aged woman cautiously looked about the almost empty parking lot. A handful of cars remained. Employees, no doubt. Her car sat alone under the light. It had been a beautiful summer evening. A quick dash to the grocery store with only fifteen minutes to spare. The bag she carried was not heavy, just bulky. The few items inside shifted, tearing the paper-thin bag. The large oranges tumbled to the ground.

“Not again,” she mumbled. She clicked open the back end of the vehicle and placed the torn bag inside. She did not notice the dark figure near the side of her car. Without hesitation, she bent down and began retrieving the fallen fruit.

“Your purse, old lady,” demanded a shaky voice.

Alison Chambers stood up, almost tipping over. “What?” she asked, regaining her balance. She tossed the oranges in the open car.

The ominous figure held a shiny steel serrated knife. The dark hood fell off his thick, mussed hair. The young man licked his cracked lips. “You heard me…your purse…now…before I cut you wide open.” The crazy-eyed punk snickered. His hand trembled. Alison could see the sweat on his forehead. His T-shirt was stained. The dirty blue jeans hugged his youthful hips.

“Young man, I’m sure you can see plainly I do not have a purse. In fact, I do not carry a purse for just this reason,” explained Alison. Her heart beat a tad faster. She ignored the increasing palpitations. A slight pain inched across her heavy chest. Her mind focused. With a little luck, she could diffuse the unfortunate situation.

The assailant glanced around. It was just the two of them. “You had to have money, old lady, to buy your groceries. So, give it up,” he shouted, leaning in closer to her face.

Alison immediately pulled back. She crossed her arms. “Exactly my point! I only bring what I know I’m going to spend. Nothing more…nothing less.”

The young thug rubbed the back of his moist neck. “Come on…you’ve got to have something. Nobody goes to the store with exact change. You’re lying to me!” he screamed. He thrusted the knife at Alison.

In a split second, Alison closed her droopy eyelids. She focused on his musky scent. Her self-defense instincts immediately took over. She had been practicing them for years. Her aged body reacted with precision. Within a blink of an eye, she moved out of the way and then grabbed his unprotected wrist.

“Damn!” yelled the young man as he howled in agony. The shining blade clinked as it hit the pavement.

Wasting no time, Alison swung her heavy leg upwards into his open groin.

The assailant crumpled in agony onto his knees. Crying out obscenities lost in the night. “What the…?” Spittle flew from his contorted mouth.

Alison backed further away. She felt her pants pocket and retrieved her cell phone. She punched the number 911. But nothing happened. The young thug was still grappling with his tender private parts. Tears streamed down his dirty face.

Alison could hear sirens in the distance. Someone from the store must have called. It wouldn’t be long now. Suddenly, a middle-aged woman was standing next to her. She smiled at Alison.

“I like your style,” said the stranger. Alison stared at the mysterious woman.

“Where did you come from?” questioned Alison. The woman had a pleasant face with a few wrinkles. Her hair was short and curly. A blue polo and capri pants fit the woman’s flattering curves.

“I don’t think this jerk will ever learn,” said a deep male voice. Alison’s eyes were instantly drawn to the strange man standing near the assailant, who was still crying in pain.

“Why do I get stuck with the likes of this kind?” The mystery man was tall and lanky. His flannel shirt and blue jeans hung loose. Short, dark hair and a long, pointed nose. He couldn’t be more than thirty. And he seemed to know the mystery woman.

“Where did you come from?” asked Alison. She looked back and forth between the two strangers.

“Same place as her,” he stated, pointing to the female beside Alison.

The young man on the ground was sniffling. “I’m sorry, lady. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you, honest!” he whimpered.

Alison’s eyebrows squished together. What was he talking about? She hurt him—not the other way around.

“I don’t understand,” whispered Alison. The woman beside her sighed.

“He didn’t actually kill you…well, his actions caused your heart to rupture. Your mitral valve was blocked. There’s no coming back from that. Even if the paramedics did arrive a tad earlier…it was your time.” It was then that Alison saw the body on the ground.

“Is…is that me?” murmured Alison. Her wrinkled hand gently touched her quivering lips.

Before the stranger could answer, two police cruisers pulled up. A female officer jumped out of her vehicle, pulled her gun, and aimed it at the blubbering assailant. The other officer rushed to the deceased and immediately started to perform CPR.

“Don’t move…keep your hands where I can see them,” insisted the female officer. The young assailant had stopped crying. He remained still on the ground.

“My wrist…it’s broken. The old woman broke my wrist. Can you believe it? She kicked me in the balls, too. What old person does that?” he moaned.

“One who has to defend themselves against scum like you!” shouted the strange man. “I swear…” He shook his head. “Is this my penance?” He gestured his hand towards the crook.

“It’s up to the Almighty, you know this, Stuart.” The woman pointed to the sky.

“Anne…of course, I know this. But why me? Why am I tasked to guard a delinquent soon to be convicted of murder?”

Anne shrugged her shoulders.

“I didn’t ask for this job, Anne. I had no choice in the matter.” He paced back and forth.

The paramedics arrived. Alison’s attention was drawn to the two older males as they rushed to the body—her body—white face and skin the color of ash.

One of the paramedics took over for the officer. Minutes ticked by. He checked her pulse. He looked up at his coworker and then shook his head from side to side.

“She’s gone. Let’s get the gurney.” Minutes later, they lifted Alison’s empty shell.

“Hey! Hey! What about me? My wrist is broken. I need medical attention!” shouted the young man, still on the ground.

As they pushed the gurney inside the back of the ambulance, one of the men turned to respond.

“You can catch the next ride,” he said through gritted teeth.

The female officer holstered her weapon and pulled out her handcuffs. The male officer read the murderer his rights.

“Let’s go, buddy. I’ll take you to the hospital.” They helped the young suspect into the backseat of the cruiser and clicked his free hand to the steel bar.

“Stuart, you’re going to miss your ride,” stated Anne. Alison could not wrap her mind around the scenario unfolding before her. Was she dreaming? Or was she really dead?

“Oh, that’s funny, Anne. Really funny! Ha, ha!” Stuart twirled into a circle and then disappeared.

“Where…where did he go?” asked Alison.

“Wherever Henry Wilson goes,” replied Anne. “You see, Stuart is his guardian angel. He’s been tasked with guarding the man who just happened to cause your death.”

Alison watched as the ambulance pulled away with silent flashing lights. The police cruiser containing Henry Wilson sped out of the parking lot.

The other officer left behind was speaking on her shoulder mic. Then, she opened her trunk and pulled out the yellow crime scene tape.

“I’m Anne, by the way—your guardian angel. We should be going. There’s nothing left for you here anymore, Alison.” The middle-aged woman gave a slight smile.

“I can’t believe…” Alison’s words trailed off. Was she truly dead?

“I know. It’s a lot to take in. In time, you’ll come to grips with it.” Anne slowly turned and then looked back over her shoulder at Alison.

“What’s next?” asked Alison. And then suddenly, a miraculous peacefulness consumed her soul.

“Well, that’s actually up to you. Let’s take a walk, and I’ll give you a few pointers…” The two women then disappeared into the swirling white mist under the heavenly starlit sky.

Previously published in “Hedge Apple Literary Magazine”

#death #groceryStore #guardianAngel #heartAttack #robber #selfDefense

#selfdefense #robber #heartattack #guardianangel #grocerystore #death

Solarbird :flag_cascadia: @[email protected] · 2026-04-09 · 16:54 UTC

I was at Metropolitan Market yesterday and realised halfway through the song that I was listening to an extended trance version of A Man of Constant Sorrow ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-E4If1l1IY ) and I don't entirely know what to do with that other than think "well that's the most Metropolitan Market thing ever" and "am I actually hearing this?" so...

uh...

...volume up? there's no surprise noises unless you count where the lyrics come in

#seattle #MetropolitanMarket #aManOfConstantSorrow #GroceryStore #skeewiff