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–Make a list of all the grocery stores/supermarkets in your city/county/area. Remember to include smaller, privately and family-owned markets, including markets with international foods like Italian, Asian, Mediterranean, etc. You can use a map feature online to help find the grocery stores.
–Look up the website of each grocery store in a search engine.
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–On each store’s website, read its “About Us” or “Company History” page. This is where you’ll find out more about the store, such as who owns it and what its core values are.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
–Try to find the answer to these questions:
–Is it locally owned by someone in your community?
–If family-owned, is the family of the millionaire/billionaire class or middle class and are they local?
–Is it employee-owned?
–Is it a privately held company or publicly traded on NASDAQ or NYSE?
–Is it part of a multinational corporation? If so, which one? Do their corporate values align with yours?
–Does it donate money to local causes that you personally believe in?
–Does it carry locally made products from local ingredients?
–Is it utilizing AI? How?
–What forms of payment does it accept?
–How is it dealing with the current situation? Are you comfortable with its policies?
–Shop at the store that aligns with your values. For example, I don’t shop anywhere that doesn’t accept cash.
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It’s an interesting exercise, and you may find surprises. For example, in my area, I discovered that a beloved local grocery store had been bought by a multinational from a European country, and I’m sure many people shop there unknowingly because of brand recognition. That’s why I think it’s important to reflect on our purchases and who we give our money to because in the end, that is where our vote really counts.
–Dina Di Maio, author of Authentic Italian: The Real Story of Italy’s Food and Its People