While it is way too early to determine the real net benefit of Mrs. Green’s Natural Market opening their twelfth store in Chestertown in July, it is important for the community to take a moment to reflect on what this surprising new development suggests about our town’s future.
The business decision for Mrs. Green’s to locate in Chestertown itself is rather stunning. Just as the town was preparing itself for another bland “national brand” supermarket to take the place of another, a Canadian chain of quality food stores comes out of the blue to turn the old Superfresh into an organic food store and cafe. The decision is even more remarkable since every one of their existing eleven stores in the US reside in the wealthiest suburbs of New York City. The jump from Fairfield, Connecticut to the corn fields of Kent County is down right extraordinary when you think about it.
Equally shocking is the realization that Chestertown must have somehow passed a series of serious financial tests that every corporation uses to determine their return on investment. For reasons we hope to discover as we get to know Mrs. Green better, good old Chestertown made the cut.
Did Chestertown pass these tests because of our superior consumer capacity? It is doubtful. Mrs. Green could have thrown a dart, with a blindfold on, at a map of New Jersey and come up with a community far more affluent than Kent County. Nor does it seem likely that we make the Green list for our growth potential. We have been trying for over 200 years to break the 20,000 resident level for the county, and we still can’t seem to pull it off.
It’s more probably due to the fact that Mrs. Green, and perhaps Mr. Green, decided to come to Chestertown because their data and revenue modeling showed that the community wanted a store like theirs and had the financial wherewithal to support it. More importantly for the town, their analysis indicates that Chestertown was worth betting on, even during a fragile economy.
Could there be a better indicator that our town is strong? And not because we are like every other town, but because our unique qualities can attract the investment eye of a speciality store such as Mrs. Green’s.
Let’s take a moment to remember all of that as we welcome Mrs. Green to Chestertown next month. And while we’re at it, let’s also make sure to ask Mr. Green if he’d like to participate in the Horizons Dancing with the Stars program next year. It is always better to ask them when they first get to town.
MD Eastern Shore says
Q: Has Mr. Wheelan actually visited a Mrs. Greens store prior to writing this piece? If not, pry open the expense account, take a road trip, and report back.
Also, you say: “We have been trying for over 200 years to break the 20,000 resident level for the county…” I seriously doubt this. I can think of 2 groups of people who would loudly disagree with this statement: those born here who stayed, and those who have moved here (and then insisted upon “fixing” Kent County while keeping it small).
James says
I for one am interested in what the model of the store they plan on putting here is. Having read an article about them, we could just be an experiment. Which could explain how the numbers work. Not much to be lost, the other markets would defray any losses while they tweak the latest idea.. Just my wandering mind at work….
kevin walsh says
I have a new friend… Susan works for Mrs. Greens in New York for the past 4 years. She loves it !!!
I have spent hours collecting Union Workers, A&P executives, UNFI Wholesalers {Whole Foods is 35% of their business) manager in York PA, and C&S drivers, and wholesalers.
It will be the hidden organic Walmart type in Chestertown.
Bagels, bread, organic this and that, wine, breakfast, lunch, coffee, dinner, pizza, and without the worry of rain, snow, so 7 days a week, who need the park and downtown.stores!
MD Eastern Shore says
Rest assured, any experiment which works in Chestertown will likely be a bomb anywhere else!
MD Eastern Shore says
@kevin: Kevin I can tell you’re all excited and what not, but you’ve left out a few words here and there. But please explain this: “the hidden organic Walmart type” to me means food which comes over on the boat from China without the benefits of refrigeration or preservatives. What do you really mean?
StellaL says
“Who needs the park (Farmer’s Market?) and downtown stores” ?? I don’t understand that statement. I know
so many people who buy organic at the farmer’s market and in Annapolis (and our wonderful organic store on Cross Street). Having Mrs. Greens eliminates, I would hope, the need to travel to Annapolis. The farmer’s market will still be packed on Saturdays. In addition, perhaps many local growers could sell their produce
at Mrs. Greens.
MBTroup says
“I have spent hours collecting Union Workers, A&P executives, UNFI Wholesalers {Whole Foods is 35% of their business) manager in York PA, and C&S drivers, and wholesalers.”
Please let them out. It’s probably too hot for them to just sit in a box.
This is good for the town. Often, discussions of “what we need” turn into a listing of brands that individuals would like to see, but would only serve to cannibalize the market place. Another chain type of supermarket would just provide a different side to the same coin. You can do this in a town with tens of thousands of people, but it gets harder with 5,000 potential heads coming through the threshold.
Ultimately, a variety of businesses that can cater to our various market segments (profitably of course) will benefit the town. As consumers, it provides a choice. On the production side, it preserves jobs. And from a macro perspective, it gives the lessees of smaller strip mall lots the confidence that there will be a larger magnet that attracts bodies to their store fronts.
This is why a plan for Kent Plaza is a must. That said, an important person in town has stated that she’s unsure of how she can affect the dealings of a private enterprise. Selective capitalism is an amazing thing.
Joe says
According to a long time Super Fresh employee who once managed the produce department, the Chestertown Superfresh sold more organic produce than all but a few of the Superfresh stores in a multi-state area, which totaled close to 100 stores. Those figures must have had an impact on Mrs. Green’s decision to come to Chestertown.
rcg says
Troup “Please let them out. It’s probably too hot for them to just sit in a box.” and it’s prob not a “Big Box”…
Anyway – I say let’s welcome them with open arms – if a customer has a suggestion/problem once they open – go to the manager – let’s help them be great, rather than complaining to friends – Positive Energy and Attitudes!
Also – i agree that this has the potential to be a magnet that will attract other name-brand stores, and/or be incentive for new businesses to take a chance on Kent Co – Second-Hand Reader is probably happy they moved to a new spot by Chester 5 – and since they seem to be ready to sell, maybe their buyers-pool will be larger now.
Let’s hope that Silicato and Cordish find this a plus! They are the private mall owners – hopefully they will both see the advantage here – mr silicato could be looking for a good neighbor for Green’s – and maybe mr cordish will consider a push to fill the Acme empty spaces – let’s hope!
rcg says
@Stella – i was surfing the net yesterday and found an org called Rachel’s Network – i thought of you – didn’t know if you knew abt it…and don’t know any other way to reach you – (thnx dave w)
rcg
StellaL says
RCG–many thanks! I really enjoyed their web sight!