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I wonder if this is somehow a very USA-specific issue, and I wonder why that would be. I recently moved to the countryside in Finland, to a place that isn't eve

I wonder if this is somehow a very USA-specific issue, and I wonder why that would be. I recently moved to the countryside in Finland, to a place that isn't even a town, just a road with houses and farms. There are a couple of rather crummy grocery stores within a few minutes driving distance, but mostly people shop at the stores in the nearest city, maybe half an hour away. Where I live is kind of an extreme. There are a lot of places that do qualify as towns, and urbanization is definitely taking its toll on them. Local stores close down, and people have to shop further away. Still, this idea of a store that doesn't sell fresh produce seems completely alien - I haven't seen that pop up anywhere. Why does that work in the USA?

soared 8y ago
Dollar General is closer to a Target than it is a grocery store. 80% of the floor is not food, and the remaining 20% is boxed/canned/bottled. Its a decent middle point for low income households who only have time to make 1 stop and need a few grocery items and a few non-grocery items.
swebs 8y ago
>Still, this idea of a store that doesn't sell fresh produce seems completely alien - I haven't seen that pop up anywhere Yes you have. The Finnish equivalent is called Tokmanni. It's pretty much the exact same low quality crap. The only difference is that Tokmanni sells some stuff over €10.
- rebuilder 8y ago
  I hadn't thought about Tokmanni as a grocery store replacement, more a general goods store. Now that you mention it, they do have a crappy food section that consists of edibles in cardboard boxes. I always pass by that part since I don't go there for food, but maybe that explains my blind spot.
  - bigtunacan 8y ago
    That is exactly like a Dollar General. Small food section in cans and boxes.
maxerickson 8y ago
Only about 7 or 8% of the US lives in the much ballyhooed food deserts: https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-food-deserts https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-food-desert... and then lots of those people have chosen a car centric lifestyle and don't have a difficult time accessing a decent grocer. It's enough people to be a significant public policy issue, but it isn't a defining aspect of life in these United States.

soared 8y ago

Dollar General is closer to a Target than it is a grocery store. 80% of the floor is not food, and the remaining 20% is boxed/canned/bottled. Its a decent middle point for low income households who only have time to make 1 stop and need a few grocery items and a few non-grocery items.

swebs 8y ago

>Still, this idea of a store that doesn't sell fresh produce seems completely alien - I haven't seen that pop up anywhere Yes you have. The Finnish equivalent is called Tokmanni. It's pretty much the exact same low quality crap. The only difference is that Tokmanni sells some stuff over €10.

rebuilder 8y ago
I hadn't thought about Tokmanni as a grocery store replacement, more a general goods store. Now that you mention it, they do have a crappy food section that consists of edibles in cardboard boxes. I always pass by that part since I don't go there for food, but maybe that explains my blind spot.
- bigtunacan 8y ago
  That is exactly like a Dollar General. Small food section in cans and boxes.

maxerickson 8y ago

Only about 7 or 8% of the US lives in the much ballyhooed food deserts: https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-food-deserts https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-food-desert... and then lots of those people have chosen a car centric lifestyle and don't have a difficult time accessing a decent grocer. It's enough people to be a significant public policy issue, but it isn't a defining aspect of life in these United States.