St. Louis Turns to Convenience Stores as Supermarkets Close

City officials are looking into ways to help “food desert” areas offer residents access to food.

April 23, 2014

ST. LOUIS – The city of St. Louis is struggling to fill voids left by closing grocery stores in and near areas deemed “food deserts,” St. Louis Public Radio reports. While three supermarkets have recently opened in the city, Schnucks, located in one such area, announced its closure.

With more than 50% of residents near the store without a car, finding other places to shop will be difficult. “Some won’t have transportation to get to another Schnucks, which might be miles away,” said Lauren Landfried, a dietitian and instructor in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Saint Louis University.

One solution city officials are considering is helping convenience stores offer more fresh food and other grocery staples. “Convenience stores are going to be more prevalently used,” she said.

Mayor Francis Slay recently highlighted the many initiatives the city has going that addresses the closure of grocery stores, including its Healthy Corner Store, which partners with stores in food deserts. This program does more than help stores stock fresh produce—instead, neighborhood leadership teams work with retailers to hold nutrition education classes and food taste tests inside the stores.

Manchester Market and the Regal Meat Market have embraced the changes, boosting their healthy food inventory by 25%. So far, the three-year-old program has positively impacted customers. Other areas of the country, including North Carolina, have seen similar results through initiatives like Healthy Corner Stores.

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