Coming Soon!

The Market Report is heading down to sunny Florida for the first time!

We'll be taking a look at nine supermarkets, plus two non-grocery stores in and around the city of Tampa, FL. There are, of course, fewer cooperatives in Florida than in the NYC metro area meaning that the independent grocery stores are less organized than in this area (less likely to use a storebrand, less likely to use a standardized circular).

It also signals a significant divide between the ethnic markets and the chain stores, where one does not really intrude on the other's territory. For instance, Bravo Supermarkets, a White Plains, NY-based cooperative run by Krasdale Foods, acts in the NYC metro area as a traditional supermarket with significant ethnic offerings in ethnic neighborhoods. At least in the Tampa area, Bravo's stores are larger (as they are less densely located), but much less of a general supermarket. And while in the NYC Metro area, you can be assured that the vast majority of independently-owned supermarkets are a member or customer of a major cooperative (Krasdale, Key Food, ASG, Allegiance, Retail Grocers/General Trading), in Florida, only Krasdale uses this format. With only two stores in the region, IGA has no significant presence in the greater Tampa market.

Overview of the Tampa area.

So here's a look at some of the stores we'll be seeing! Notice that aside from Bravo, there are no chain supermarkets.

Although Publix has a major Tampa presence, for instance, as well as some companies like Whole Foods, SouthEastern Grocers, and Save-A-Lot, as far as I'm concerned, one Publix is just like any other. Certainly not interesting enough to cover on here (my opinion only--but I get to make the decisions! [insert evil laugh sound effect]). Not to mention that the chain supermarket scene is extensively covered by Albertsons Florida Blog in addition to several users on Flickr.

We'll start with a tour of a Bravo on Wednesday, August 29th, so come back and check that out!