Friday, February 5, 2010
Easy Come Easy Go; My Easy Way is Gone
Posted by John Branston on Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 7:19 PM
Easy Way has been my back up grocery store for more than 20 years, with fresh fruit and vegetables year round, bushels of beans and Ripley tomatoes and peaches in the summer, nice clerks, and reasonable prices. It's on the edge of the Evergreen Historic District, and always seemed to have customers, but apparently not enough of them to keep it going.
A call to the owner wasn't returned, and the president of our neighborhood association could add no details.
What is it about Cleveland between Poplar and the abandoned Sears Crosstown Building at North Parkway that can support three auto parts stores but not one healthy grocery store? And what does it say about the prospects for an upscale grocery store in Overton Square?
If anyone has any answers or theories, please post them.
Comments (18)
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I would say that grocery stores, especially locally owned ones like Easy Way, should assume some responsibility for keeping produce and whole foods accessible to under served neighborhoods. Perhaps this location has been a loss leader for some time, but it's hard to understand how Easy Way can't find a way to keep this store viable. Sorry to say this, but it makes me not want to shop at any of the stores.
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Easy Way closing says nothing about the ability of a large grocery store to perform well in Midtown. It says that everyone is going to larger stores.
I'm sorry to see the place close, too. But, let's face it: Easy Way is more than a bit of an anachronism.
Charming as the place is, it's a throwback to an earlier time. It's really nothing more than a glorified roadside fruit/vegetable stand. It amazes me the place(s) have survived for this long.
As for what this closing says about another real, live, honest-to-goodness grocery store in Midtown, ironic as it may seem, the phrase "comparing apples with oranges" comes to mind.
All true, and maybe this is a stretch, but the place had some merits, ala Stewart Brothers. Does it say anything about small neighborhood businesses? Or unconventional stores? What's realistic for Cleveland and Overton Square, or commercial streets in Midtown for that matter?
Memphis focuses on large chains rather than smaller local stores, but that area is lower income pocket. That's why you have auto parts places there. Kroger is only around the corner as well.
John: Stewart Brothers isn't an apt comparison. Easy Way's space is primarily taken up by fruits and vegetables (with a smattering of other groceries, almost as an afterthought).
If the majority of the space in Stewart Brothers was devoted to, let's say, tools, with a smattering of plumbing and electrical supplies, then the two would be comparable.
Stewart Brothers survives because Midtowners want an alternative to the mega Home Depot. Easy Way isn't as clear, or necessary, an alternative to Kroger or Schnuck's. That's why Whole Foods and Fresh Market can survive (and thrive) in the shadow of both Kroger and Schnuck, and that's why an honest-to-goodness niche grocery store could survive in Overton Square.
Okay, I've got to jump back into this because everyone is missing an incredibly important point: fresh produce at affordable prices is not a throw back. In fact, it's cutting edge for anyone paying attention to important issues in the food distribution chain (not to mention lifestyle changes and healthy habits for humans and the planet).
I think there's another factor to consider. That Easy Way was stand-alone. And kind of lonely. The vastly expanded Viet Hoa--a more natural extension of that neighborhood-- isn't just for Asians and Mexicans anymore. It's got a fantastic produce section and great price points. Every time I go I see a more diverse group of shoppers. My guess is that with its expansion it cut into that particular Easy Way's business.
I really don't think you can compare apples and hardware. Stewart Brothers endures because of its pro-shop contracting. If it depended on retail sales to shop-local Midtowners it would have gone kaput during trolley construction. I don't see how Easy Way is an anachronism at all. Specialty markets for meat and produce thrive in most urban areas. The Easy Way on Cooper seems to stay busy and the one I go to Downtown--- a full fledged urban grocery with a butcher in back--- just upgraded its equipment and seems to do very steady business.
Memphis has a pedestrian culture that most people never see that keeps smaller markets in business where there is enough population density. People who live in our poorest neighborhoods walk and seldom get far from home. In those areas Sundries continue to prosper even though the price point may be higher. I love my neighborhood sundries and wish the concept would trickle up. But that won't happen if we continue to develop like a suburb instead of a city.
Easy Way is a Memphis institution. The Easy Way stores have always been my choice for produce and fresh foods over the big box grocery chain stores, that so many seem to prefer. Easy Way has, for well over 20 years, always stocked the freshest produce at the best prices. Even though I shop at the Cooper store, I really hate to see this one go.
I love Easy Way! I stop there on my way to Schnucks or Kroger over here in East Memphis, finding that I can fill a large bag full of produce for my family for far less than what I would spend in either of the chain stores. I went there with my grandmother when I was a child, and I will continue to support them and other local businesses throughout my lifetime!
I think it says a lot about Memphians and their grocery/ food sophistication. The simple fact is that most here seem to be willing to trade both higher quality of fresh food and support for local businesses for the easy access, one stop shopping offered by large chains such as Krogers. The continuous complaint about the lack of a grocery store downtown is a perfect example. I have found numerous stores downtown that essentially offer the same quality and bulk food name brands that I find in Shnucks in Midtown. The catch is that they might be spread between 2 or 3 stores.
Thus I can only conclude that when individuals say there is no grocery store downtown, they are really saying there is no big box with a giant parking lot in front of it so they can do all their shopping in one spot (what do they do, buy all their food for a month at one time?).
From that perspective, I guess that comparing Easy-Way to a new grocery store in Overton Square might be a bit of a stretch. Then again, if I was a grocery store chain, I know I would take into account the fact that a neighborhood was unable or unwilling to support a local established specialty store in the same area.
You can get all the fresh vegetables, nice clerks, and reasonable prices you would ever need on Cleveland... provided you are willing to shop among people who don't look like you, John.
Urbanut, I'm also amazed when people complain about there being no grocery store downtown. Between the Farmer's Market in the spring & summer, Easy Way-- a great little urban market-- and Jack's, I do quite well. I also use Cordelia's and my local Sundry on 5th. I do like to visit Viet Hoa about twice a month and we do a monthly big box run for certain non-perishable items. I don't need 300 cereal choices... that's insane.
A new fresh/sustainable market is soon to open in the Madison/Marshall area. It's not downtown but will give locally/regionally grown produce, proteins and fresh made items.
Unfortunately, time doesn't allow all downtowners to shop multiple retailers to get everything they need/want...not to mention the parking drama caused by not being able to traverse main street. However, in my daily walk I'm seeing more and more people ignore the pedestrians only signs...and not just the "short cut cops".
The other challenge is the price that you have to pay to support the small business. I'm a huge supporter of The Farmers Market. However, it seems the prices go up every summer. I was thrilled to have fresh seafood last summer but was stunned that fresh softshell crabs were $10 each while they were $3 at Viet Hoa and Whole Foods. In this economy it actually feels philanthropic to support vendors when you know you can get more for your money at your local market.
The problem with Easy Way is they try to compete on the low end with Supermarkets and big box stores. They have the same produce and their employees are no more knowledgeable or passionate about their products, which doesn't give anyone incentive to shop there. They are getting beaten on the low end by convenience of supermarkets and on the high end by quality & customer service of Whole Foods/Farmer Markets.
Easy Way is the equivalent of a seedy liquor store in the Grocery store world. If they could reinvent themselves as the Joe's or Buster's of Produce then they could find themselves with successful business model.
If Easy Way isn't achieving the numbers it needs to remain in that location then allow it to close. A business should not be kept open merely for nostalgia or because it had a small base of loyal customers. If the opportunity is there then another grocery can open and find a way to be a niche in the market. Perhaps this will generate overall welfare in the end as the people who enjoy fresh produce and local business can shift their spending to the Trolley Stop Market when it opens in April.
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