ONE GROCERY STORE TOO MANY?

With one new Hy-Vee opening its doors in November of 2009 and another on the way, it seems grocery stores are everywhere. With 28 total stores in Columbia the city offers grocery
stores of all kinds. Location, price and population seem to play a role in what the grocery store companies are looking for when coming to a new place.

WHERE ARE THEY LOCATED?

Columbia’s stores are mostly to the south of Interstate 70 and the west of Highway 63.

Chain Grocery Stores

70
Aldi

BUSINESS LOOP 70
Gerbes
WORLEY
ST.

Hy-Vee

BROA
DWAY
Mosers
STADIUM BLVD.

WEST BLVD

COLLEGE AVE
Sam’s Club

OL
D H I G H WA
63
Schnucks
PRO

Y
Wal-Mart

63
VID
RU FO

NC E
M

E R
BL
VD.

RANGELINE RD.
NIFONG
BLVD.

Specialty Grocery Stores Root Cellar

KEA International Market

Campus Eastern Foods Eastgate Foods and Liquor Seattle Sutton’s Healthy
Los Cuates

Clovers Hitt Mini Mart Meechu’s Phillipeno Market TAJ Emporium

Earthgrains Bakery Hong Kong Market Patricias World Market

N
1 MILE

HOW DO GROCERY STORES PICK THEIR LOCATIONS?

This whole process can take either a short amount of time or up to four or five years.

1 Research the community

Look for factors of population, growth 2 Start looking at sites
patterns, city plans, where people are Judge sites for good access,
shopping, where people are living, location, traffic patterns near the
where new schools and new business site, buildability, and cost.
are moving in.

3 Acquire the property 4 Planning for type of store

Purchase the property from the Companies plan the size, features
owner. and what products they plan on
selling.

ROLE OF THE POPULATION

The population of Columbia is highest in portions above to the north
of I-70 above downtown area as well as south of west Broadway.
Stores are located towards the second location but not towards the COMPARING PRICES ON KEY ITEMS
first. With prices always adding up, compition among stores can lead to discounts for customers. The lowest
prices on various items vary by store with not one having the lowest prices on every item.

GERBES HY-VEE SCHNUCKS WAL-MART

HALF GALLON OF
70 VITAMIN D MILK

Store Brand- $1.59 Store Brand- $1.79 Store Brand- $1.87 Store Brand- $1.59
Central Dairy - $1.72 Central Dairy - $1.89 Central Dairy - $1.97 Central Dairy - $1.89

63
LOAF OF WHITE BREAD

Store Brand- $0.78 Store Brand- $1.37 Store Brand- $0.97 Store Brand- $1.47
Wonder - $2.15 Wonder - $1.89 Wonder - $2.69 Wonder - $1.97
N
DOZEN LARGE EGGS

10,001-14,000 6,001-8,000 2,501-4,000 Store Brand- $1.19 Store Brand- $1.56 Store Brand- $1.47 Store Brand- $0.99
Eggland’s Best - $2.29 Eggland’s Best - $2.48 Eggland’s Best - $2.89 Eggland’s Best - $2.56
8,001-10,000 4,001-6,000 0-2,500

HOW DOES COLUMBIA COMPARE? RED DELICIOUS APPLES

Columbia has a high number of grocery stores compared to cities $0.99/lb $1.28/lb $1.99/lb $0.79/lb
with similar populations.

City Number of Grocery Stores Total City Population Stores per Capita
Lee's Summit 8 81,913 10,249 8 OZ CHEDDAR CHEESE

Independence 21 109,400 5,210

Store Brand- $2.00 Store Brand- $1.50 Store Brand- $2.69 Store Brand- $0.99
St. Louis 134 347,181 2,591
Kraft - $2.59 Kraft - $2.39 Kraft - $2.59 Kraft - $1.98
Jefferson City 6 39,271 6,542
Columbia 28 94,428 3,373
*Prices taken 12/01/09

Sources: CITY OF COLUMBIA BUSINESS LICENSING OFFICE, U.S. CENSUS BUREAU DATA, HY-VEE CORPORATE OFFICE, LEE’S SUMMIT CITY HALL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, INDEPENDENCE BUSINESS LICENSING, ST. LOUIS REGIONAL CHAMBER AND GROWTH
ASSOCIATION, JEFFERSON CITY BUSINESS LICENSING, CLARITAS 2009
BETH HOAG/Missourian