I am interested in developing relationships among retailers, developers, and community residents/organizations so that A) Communities have greater control over the direction of retail development in their neighborhoods; B) Retail availability in lower-income neighborhoods is higher quality, reasonably priced, and accessible; and C) Neighborhood residents, entrepreneurs, and community groups have opportunities for ownership, employment, and a business stake in those retail ventures.
I grew up in the projects on the dole without any spare income or car. My mother used to take the bus downtown to the Great Northern Market and lug two bags back to southeast and then walk two and a half blocks home. This was obviously not a perfect shopping situation especially in winter. The Hood Stores of yesteryear were not so criminally inclined but they were tiny and understocked and expensive. Not a viable situation either.
Then Delmonicos, a tiny Italian store over Nordeast decided they would offer free call-in shopping services and free delivery. They almost instantaneously had 176 new families as customers. If youi've ever been in the place that's a little hard to believe as it doesn't look much bigger than your average corner store; but there's large storage in back and with only a couple of employees shopping at any one time, no need for display cases or fancy coolers. Matter of fact half the stuff you get even when there in person has to come from "the back". I seem to remember they would have designated delivery days in our neighborhood but that was a hell of a lot less inconvenient than any other option.
Personally I'm a lousy businessman but I don't see why this can't work again. You trade the huge expense of massive square footage and blocks of coolers and racks for the expense of order pickers and delivery people. Also keep a little store front operation going for convenience. There are few places with the concentrated housing of the Project any more so you would probably have to consider opening such stores in many neighborhoods to cut down on the expense of delivery.
As for WIC and welfare fraud, prostitution, fencing, drug dealing etc..... well, it takes two to tango there. If there were easy legitimate shopping options for the mass of legitimate shoppers then the "Hood Stores" would be reduced to little criminal crannies and pretty easily focused upon and busted.
Jon Gorder
Loring Park
