The Fate of the Farmer (Jack)

Many Farmer Jack brand grocery stores in Southeastern Michigan have either closed their doors, or are in the process of closing, discounting all their non-perishables heavily, and no longer selling perishables. It’s a pity, because Farmer Jack and mega-store, Meijer are equidistant for me – but the parking lot at Meijer is a nightmare, and so are the long lines at checkout. I honestly don’t know if the prices there are any better, but it didn’t matter. I preferred the smaller grocery store, sans toy aisle, car audio, tires, furnishings, etc. And I could always park near the door, which, in retrospect is probably why they’re closing a bunch of stores. I’ll still avoid Meijer. Hollywood Markets is a small local chain with locations that are also convenient for me. They’re basically a “mom-and-pop” chain of a half-dozen stores, and they’re still in business. Sure, the inventory is smaller, and the selection isn’t as great, but that’s apparently alright. Yesterday, I asked the cashier who checked me out how business was since Farmer Jack shut down. She indicated that they’d been doing about 25% more than previously, which is good for them.

With the Farmer closing down, someone might wonder what the employees will do – even though they’ve known about the impending closings for a year or more. Well, here’s an idea: Kroger, one of the nation’s largest supermarket companies, begins interviews today, for 3,000 openings.

Business is up for the small, local chain – and the rival national chain is hiring like mad. Capitalism rocks.