Justin, from the new Chicago start-up nonprofit MoveSmart.org, noted in the comments of an earlier post on the new Tesco Fresh and Easy small supermarkets moving into low-income neighborhoods that there are some other chains trying to bring low-cost food to these neighborhoods. He writes:

In Chicago there’s a network of Aldi stores. They are a German chain that offers very cheap groceries (sometimes 50% of what you find in the major chain stores) and have locations in many impacted neighborhoods. Aldi stores, however, have a large footprint and can’t be easily inserted into existing retail space. I hope that Tesco plans to come to Chicago and try some infill - there’s a number of food deserts around the city that could use it!

In the meantime, there are some folks here working to get fresh fruits and veggies into ‘corner stores’ - http://gapersblock.com/drivethru/2008/04/11/big_bodega_love/

As a former Chicagoan myself (and sometime-Aldi shopper) I concur with Justin’s critique that the Aldi’s footprint is too big to work in some of these communities. The prices are pretty incredible, though.

Also, take the time to check out the fledgling MoveSmart.org site. They’re trying something pretty cool. Here’s part of their mission statement:

Until now, information on neighborhoods has been buried in the back of academic reports, pinned to community center bulletin boards, and locked in data sets only available to planners, inaccessible to those who would benefit from it the most: housing seekers looking for a better neighborhood. MoveSmart.org will leverage the power of this information by combining these and other data sources into a single mapping engine built into a full-featured site that includes guides, tools, calculators, forums, and social networks, all designed to foster racial and economic integration.

And here’s a video explaining why they’re doing what they do (set to one of the best horn samples around, “Make the Road by Walking” by Menahan Street Band)

Britain’s mega-supermarket chain Tesco has begun trying to ingratiate itself into the US with a dramatically different marketing scheme. Rather than focus on the massive, 50,000-square-foot supermarket strategy of traditional American chains, Tesco has started building about 60 smaller “Fresh and Easy” stores in LA, Phoenix and Las Vegas.

The idea is to put these smaller stores — roughly 10,000 square feet — directly into low- and moderate-income communities, to give residents a place nearby to buy fresh, organic food often for a fraction of the cost. So far, the response has been mixed from customers, who are unfamiliar with the tiny stores and their relatively bland interiors.

But as PolicyLink president Judith Bell writes in a letter in today’s edition of USA Today, equity advocates should applaud any private sector effort to bring fresh and healthy foods into underserved neighborhoods:

The arrival of the United Kingdom grocery chain Tesco in the USA is a welcome sign that the private sector is waking up to the harmful void of fresh foods in our low-income communities (”British Invasion hits grocery stores,” Cover story, Money, Monday).

Too many poor communities lack a supermarket or any other place to buy fresh food. Residents are forced to make do with the preservative-laden and sugar-heavy foods at their local convenience stores or fast food outlets. Is it a surprise that low-income communities are hardest hit with the nation’s obesity and diabetes crises? Tesco’s plan for small stores in low-income communities won’t solve America’s health woes on its own. But getting fresh foods into the hands of all people is a great step in that direction.

For more information on how to encourage healthy food choices in your community, check out the PolicyLink report “Healthy Food, Healthy Communities”

(Photo by Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY)