UNEQUAL ACCESS
State Rep. David Michel wants to see a supermarket in the city’s South End
“For big operators, it doesn’t make sense to go to Stamford quite yet, because there might not be a critical mass there yet.”
Land Use Bureau Chief Ralph Blessing
STAMFORD — When Fairway Market moved out, Mark Hill swooped in.
The longtime Stamford tenant closed its doors in August, leaving the community along the harbor without a supermarket to call its own.
Hill knew he couldn’t replace Fairway’s large footprint, but thought moving into the neighborhood albeit at a smaller location would still be a smart business decision.
“There’s almost 4,000 apartments down here,” Hill said of Harbor Point, the community of luxury developments in the South End. “So, I choose a little gourmet organic market. Mini supermarket. There’s enough traffic. Even if I incorporate a good website and some home delivery models, there should be enough revenue.”
Fairway’s absence left a hole in South End. With the supermarket gone, Hill’s new Harbor Point Organics and a handful of other small markets are left to service a diverse and growing community without major players like Stop & Shop, ShopRite, or Trader Joe’s.
And the South End isn’t alone.
The picture is nearly identical up the road in Stamford’s central business district. No traditional supermarkets service the roughly 12,000 people who live downtown. The entire neighborhood has three food sellers: a grocery store nestled in Target, a minimart, East Main Market, and an Indian specialty store, Asia Bazaar. The latter two stores sit on the neighborhood’s eastern periphery, removed from the city’s more walkable core.
Citywide, shoppers are not at a loss for food op
tions. Not counting the litany of small markets and convenience stores spread across most neighborhoods, 11 supermarkets serve people within Stamford limits.
Aside from three stores on the West Side, supermarkets cluster around the eastern side of Stamford along major roadways. High Ridge Road is home to three big supermarkets. On Hope Street, there’s another two.
North Stamford has no supermarket to call its own, but most residents have access to a car, according to a 2019 Census estimate, and therefore access to the High Ridge shops right below the Merritt Parkway.
The link between car ownership and access to supermarkets is well-documented. The Department of Agriculture found in 2015 that “the vast majority of households, 88 percent, use their own vehicle to get to the store where they do their main grocery shopping.”
Many residents in Stamford’s downtown, however, are carless. More than 23 percent of households in the neighborhood have no car, according to the Census estimate. Car ownership remains high in the South End (only 8.9 percent of households have no car), but signs point to fewer cars in Harbor Point. Six properties among Building and Land Technology’s luxury developments advertise Zipcar, a car sharing service, for residents.
In both neighborhoods, developers continue to build new properties.
Data from the Department of Economic Development shows that at least 2,392 apartments are under construction across the two communities. Most are downtown.
A lack of retail space?
American supermarkets take up a lot of space; the median supermarket clocked in at 42,415 square feet, according to 2019 estimates from food industry group FMI. In comparison, the South End Fairway leased 66,297 square feet for its first floor alone, far bigger than the industry norm.
“There’s simply not that much retail space for those big footprints available downtown,” said Land Use Bureau Chief Ralph Blessing.
Supermarkets trend smaller in more urban areas like New York City. In fact, a study done for its Department of Health found in 2009 that the city’s supermarkets were roughly half as big as the national average.
But despite its steady growth, Stamford remains a relatively small urban market. The Census Bureau dubbed Stamford the 214th biggest city in the United States in 2019. Downtown Stamford and the South End make up only part of the city’s population. For an industry defined by razorthin profit margins and economies of scale, opening a new location is a calculated choice.
“For big operators, it doesn’t make sense to go to Stamford quite yet, because there might not be a critical mass there yet,” Blessing said.
City Rep. Annie Summerville, D-6, said that Downtown wasn’t always like this. She remembers at least two supermarkets in the neighborhood in decades past. Like Blessing, she points to the neighborhood’s denser footprint as a potential answer.
“We’re so congested with our infrastructure,” Summerville said. “We’re not far apart and traffic is so heavy. It’s a business and nightlife district.”
For many, Target is the best grocery option.
When asked about the role Target plays in Downtown Stamford’s grocery infrastructure, a spokesperson from Target said, “As part of our multi-category assortment, Target is committed to delivering a great food and beverage experience for our guests through our wide range of fulfillment options and an inspiring, curated assortment at a great value.”
Small markets are a lifeline
While size could be the problem downtown, the South End is home to larger lots but the same problem remains. BLT confirmed that it has not secured a new tenant for the old Fairway site.
The Stamford Advocate identified four small markets — including Harbor Point Organics — that service the peninsula.
“What I worry about are individuals that don’t have access to vehicles that are stuck in a situation where they don’t have good access to healthy foods,” said Eric Brandt, a nutrition policy expert at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation.
For those people, small markets are a lifeline — especially if they sell fresh fruits and vegetables. But they cannot provide everything. In stark contrast, the supermarket model depends on providing a multitude of products, and always being stocked to a surplus.
State Rep. David Michel, D-Stamford, told The Advocate that he wants to see an affordable supermarket in the South End.
“My priority here is the equity side,” he said.
While Fairway fulfilled a need in the South End, Michel wants to see another Cinghari family-owned ShopRite or Grade A Market in the South End.
“It’s exactly the type of supermarket the South End needs,” Michel wrote in a text. “Affordable to all, and with all the foods anyone is looking for.”
But as the search for a potential new supermarket in the South End continues, Hill and Harbor Point Organics are eager to serve. Hill welcomes any traffic he can get, but also acknowledges the niche nature of his store. He stocks freshpressed juice, organic vegetables, and artisan cheeses — things that come at slightly higher price point.
“We’ll do as much business as possible, but you’re not going to be able to get your big Bounty paper towel roll that you may find at Costco,” he said.
It’s an organic by name. Harbor Point Organics cannot sustain an entire community. For now, both Downtown and and its southern neighbor have to wait for a supermarket that can.