Eastside Marketplace, an independent grocery store located at 165 Pitman St., is trying to make grocery shopping more of an experience than a chore. But despite the local supermarket's efforts, many student shoppers with access to cars prefer to make the drive to Seekonk, Mass., to take advantage of Stop & Shop's lower prices.
Liz Encarnacion '09, who is not enrolled in the University's meal plan, said she would rather go out of her way than spend extra money. "(Eastside) is a little on the pricy side, especially in comparison to Stop & Shop," she said.
Short of lowering prices to the levels of chain stores, representatives at Eastside said they are looking for new ways to appeal to the student population, as well as to the larger Providence community.
"Because we're an independent store, when you walk in here there's a feeling and sense of familiarity," said Public Relations Manager Kim Moreau. "We have employees who have been around for 25-plus years. Customers have been here just as long, and you might not get that when you go to other stores." Moreau said she feels at home at Eastside, though she's only been with the company for four years.
Moreau also said Eastside prides itself on its community involvement. "One of our greatest assets is that we give back to the community," Moreau said. "It's important that we support the community that supports us."
Recently, Moreau organized an unofficial focus group of about 15 Brown students in partnership with WBRU. According to Moreau, Eastside gathered the group to find out what students "were looking for, what they ate, what they liked and to find out what the needs of today's young professionals are."
"It helps us to gain a better understanding of the foods they enjoy and allows us to provide the products and service they have come to expect from Eastside Marketplace," she said.
Despite the connection between the local community and the store, some students without cars said they were less likely to shop at Eastside because of its distance from campus, noting its inaccessibility. At about one mile from campus, it's a considerable walk away. But this year, thanks to the University's partnership with RIPTA, students can take the Green Line trolley directly from campus to Eastside's front doors for free.
The trolley system is useful for younger undergraduates who don't have access to transportation. To avoid unnecessary additional hassle, some students said they are willing to pay the higher prices for groceries.
Robert Malayev GS said he shops at Eastside "out of convenience."
"The only way I could shop at Stop & Shop is if one of my roommates has a car. I can't exactly walk there," Malayev said.
Moreau said she wants Eastside to appeal more to students regardless of their means of transportation, and that the store has several programs to make groceries more affordable. For example, Eastside participates in the Bear Bargains program: On Wednesdays, students receive a five percent discount and on Thursdays, Brown staff and faculty can get the same discount.
Eastside may put at ease the consciences of some students who feel that buying from a grocery store takes business away from local vendors. Like the University's Community Harvest Program, the store only purchases from local vendors and food producers, according to Moreau, who stressed that Eastside is "dedicated" to local vendors.
Students can expect a wide selection of eco-friendly products at Eastside, which offers both organic and conventionally produced products and prepared foods. "We've put in a program where our organic produce is priced as conventional so there's no penalty to eating healthy. (It) takes the sting out of buying organic," Moreau said.
But these factors may not be enough for some Brown students to start shopping at Eastside.
Hans Sprecher '08, who is off meal plan, originally shopped at Whole Foods, then switched to Eastside and says he is now making the transition to Stop & Shop. "Eastside is far better than, say, Whole Foods, which simply confuses me and then leaves me with sticker shock," Sprecher said. But he said the lower prices of Stop & Shop are drawing him away from the independent store.
Some freshmen expressed appreciation for Eastside. Alicia Ambers '11, who said she had been substituting CVS runs for traditional grocery shopping, noted that she missed "being able to buy fruits and other groceries that you can't find on Thayer Street."
"I shop at Eastside because it's so much easier than carrying my groceries (from the Farmer's Market) to class each week," Ambers said.
