Supermarket Blackout

The lack of major food retailers is devastating African American communities. It's time to use your dollars to fill the gap.

by Monique R. Brown    Posted: July 1, 1999

your neighborhood, spread the word. Your financial support enables local entrepreneurs to acquire more stores, and increased volume drives prices down. "Plus, additional stores bring in more jobs and more community investment," Johnson contends.

  • Make companies accountable. Don’t accept substandard goods or services from local merchants-even if they’re the only game in town. Complain to the store’s owner, your state’s Department of Health or the Better Business Bureau. If a major chain does enter your community, make sure they offer quality service at reasonable prices. They should also invest in your community through hiring activities and philanthropic contributions. "Companies have to remember that they are servicing the area where they exist," Owens advises. "If there are companies in our neighborhoods that don’t endorse what we need, we should definitely take our money elsewhere. They deserve [the consequences]."

    • SELECTED
    African American-owned Supermarkets*
    Calhoun Enterprises
    334-272-7799 o Montgomery, AL

    H&J Family Foods
    334-727-3943o Tuskegee, AL

    Chatham Food Center
    773-783-2643 o Chicago, IL
    The Food Basket Inc.
    773-487-5700 o Chicago, IL

    Community Foods Inc.
    410-235-9800 o Baltimore, MD
    Stop, Shop and Save Food Markets
    410-783-8180 o Baltimore, MD

    Super Pride Markets
    410-235-9800 o Baltimore, MD

    Waverly Foods Inc.
    410-467-4414 o Baltimore, MD
    Ferndale Foods Inc.
    248-543-4826 o Ferndale, MI

    Madison Food Center Inc.
    616-245-8679 o Grand Rapids, MI

    Leon’s Piggly Wiggly
    816-861-7900 o Kansas CIty, MO

    CitiMarkets L.L.C.
    201-435-1177 o Jersey City, NJ
    A&A Mini Market Corp.
    718-659-1155 o Jamaica, NY

    Restoration Supermarket Corp.
    718-636-6930 o Brooklyn, NY
    Carl L. Brown Inc.
    614-252-6497 o Columbus, OH

    Chism Trail Superfood Mart
    901-398-6848 o Memphis, TN

    Williams Piggly Wiggly
    901-362-5660 o Memphis, TN

    Community Pride Food Stores
    804-353-1201 o Richmond, VA

    Lena’s Food Market
    414-372-1860 o Milwaukee, WI

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    ACROSS THE WEB

    African American consumers annually outspend white households in certain food categories

    Average Annual Expenditures Per Household

    White Households

    Black Households

    % of how much more blacks spend

    Ground Beef

    $84.84

    $ 93.61

    10

    Fish and Seafood

    84.69

    111.89

    32

    Eggs

    33.55

    37.36

    11

    Oranges

    17.52

    18.47

    5

    Salt, spices, other seasonings

    19.47

    21.78

    12

    Baby Food

    19.68

    39.68