The Healthy Corner Store Project

Michael Garry

DETROIT — Given the proliferation of “fringe” food stores in this city — mostly corner liquor stores and convenience outlets — an effort is under way to help those stores include fresh produce among their offerings.

The program, called Detroit Fresh: The Healthy Corner Store Project, is the brainchild of Dr. Kami Pothukuchi, associate professor of Urban Planning at Wayne State University here, who launched it in 2008. Pothukuchi is the founder of Seed Wayne, a grant-supported effort to bring sustainable food to Wayne State and other Detroit neighborhoods. Seed Wayne is leading the Detroit Fresh project in collaboration with Capuchin Soup Kitchen, Earth Works Urban Farm and Eastern Market Corp.

So far, 20 corner stores in Detroit are selling fresh produce through the Detroit Fresh Project, said Pothukuchi. “Our objective is to connect smaller stores with wholesale produce distributors so they can buy fresh produce at wholesale prices,” she said. Detroit Fresh also works with store owners to familiarize them with selling produce, providing tips on stocking and merchandising, as well as offering baskets, scales, in-store marketing materials, posters and brochures.

Detroit Fresh also does community outreach to make residents aware that the stores are now carrying fresh fruits and vegetables.

The program, funded by the Erb Family Foundation, is cost-free (outside of the cost of the produce) for retailers who agree to participate and who are located in neighborhoods that lack a supermarket within one-quarter of a mile. “We check in on them” to make sure the stores are staying engaged in the program, said Pothukuchi. “This is not intended to last for just a few weeks.”

While Pothukuchi would like to add more stores to the program, her goal is to use a small number of stores as a model “to raise awareness and get more corner stores to [sell produce] voluntarily” without Detroit Fresh's active involvement.

She acknowledged that these stores, which sell primarily liquor, tobacco, snacks and lottery tickets, do not view produce as part of their business model and don't expect to make money from it, especially in the small quantities that they can carry. “If they break even, that's good news,” she said. But the stores stand to gain a great deal of goodwill in the community by selling produce as well as attract customers who otherwise would not come to their stores. “Some community residents look [the store owners] in the face and thank them for carrying produce,” she said.

Many of the store owners respond to Detroit Fresh's appeal to help their communities. “They are awake to the discourse in Detroit about these stores needing to serve their neighborhoods,” said Pothukuchi. “They know how to make money and should see it as their responsibility to provide a modicum of access to healthy foods.”