Does Shelby need another grocery store? Residents share their thoughts

SHELBY — When Taylor Elliott bought a home in 2022, it was about a three-minute drive from the former Shelby IGA.

“I loved it because I didn’t have to go all the way to Ontario,” she said. “It was a local grocery store.”

Elliott said she never realized how good she had it until the staple Shelby grocer closed its doors about a year later.

The 27-year-old now travels to Ontario for the majority of her grocery shopping, frequenting stores like Sam’s Club among other big-box grocers.

“It (IGA) was not a Sam’s Club or Meijer by any means, but it always had the basics,” Elliott said.

In a recent Richland Source survey, 315 Shelby residents — 68.8 percent of respondents — said they shop for groceries on a weekly basis.

However, four of respondents’ five most-popular grocer destinations aren’t located within the city’s limits. Nearly half (43.8%) of the survey’s 459 respondents said they shop most frequently for groceries at Meijer in Ontario.

The next three most-popular destinations include Walmart (17.9%), Kroger (11.3%) and Aldi (9.8%). Save A Lot was the fifth-highest selection, with 28 respondents (6.1%) saying they shop most frequently at the Shelby discount grocer.

Below is a map displaying the grocer locations included in the survey as options for respondents to select. Red markers are grocers within (or just outside of) Shelby and yellow markers represent grocers outside the city’s limits.

Weighing convenience and quality

Dr. Julie Chaya, commissioner at Richland Public Health, said a large portion of northern Richland County struggles with food access, especially for healthy food.

“A lot of folks have been mentioning over the years that Dollar Generals just keep popping up all over the place,” she said. “But Dollar Generals don’t give you the access to all of the healthy fruits and vegetables and meat that a Kroger or Meijer would have.”

Those without close access to a grocery store or farmers market must often weigh whether or not to spend the time traveling to the nearest grocer, or choosing to find a convenience store which may be nearby.

Chaya said this also presents problems for those who don’t have access to transportation, can’t afford transportation, or don’t have the time for it.

“It’s easier to just pick up a bag of Doritos and a 12-pack of Mountain Dew from the local gas station rather than driving a half hour away to get fresh fruits and vegetables,” she said.

What are residents shopping for? What are their challenges?

Shelby resident Michelle Bailey, 55, said fresh fruits and vegetables are the hardest items to shop for within the city.

Bailey, who works with Shelby’s senior population, has seen first-hand the impact of having limited access to these items.

“Maybe (people) don’t look at Shelby as the kind of community that would be interested in organic fruits and vegetables, or any kind of Whole Foods demographic or Trader Joe’s, but I feel like the demographic could be there if it was offered,” she said.

“There’s food available (in Shelby), but is it the right kind of food that really nourishes someone?”

For Tami Byrd, 54, transportation was a significant barrier to accessing groceries. For a while, she didn’t have a vehicle.

Byrd and her granddaughter would walk to Save A Lot — about a 10-minute walk one way — because it was the closest option to where she lived. Now, with access to a vehicle, Byrd said she’d still prefer to shop local.

“I don’t mind spending a little bit more (on local groceries) because I mean, I’m going to spend that in gas to go to Meijer anyhow,” she said.

In a recent Richland Source survey, respondents who said the city needs an additional grocery store cited transportation issues, difficulty shopping for large families, and a lack of fresh produce as their most common barriers.

But opinions did vary among survey respondents. For example, one respondent simply said Shelby has enough options for groceries.

“My daily needs are met with what is available in Shelby. If I need anything more, then I can drive to Ontario,” another respondent said.

Some residents are torn on the issuee.

“With Save A Lot, Discount Drug Mart and Gwirtz, we get by. But we would prefer a better fresh produce option,” a survey respondent wrote.

What is available in Shelby?

Stores within or just outside of Shelby’s city limits where residents can currently find at least some grocery items include Discount Drug Mart, Dollar General, Gwirtz Market, Save A Lot and Family Dollar.

According to its website, Save A Lot is “one of the country’s largest discount grocers,” with more than 800 independently licensed stores across the United States. The store does include a wide variety of fresh produce, like bananas, apples and oranges to avocados, tomatoes and potatoes, as well as fresh-cut meats.

Drug Mart, an Ohio-based drug store chain, features fresh produce and meats, including a deli which operates daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., though the selection is not as wide as Save A Lot’s.

However, several residents and city officials credited Drug Mart for expanding its offerings since Shelby IGA closed.

“I think (Drug Mart) even changed some of their offerings to maybe fill that gap a little bit,” said Jessica Gribben, the city’s economic development manager. “The thing is, Shelby doesn’t have (anything) in regards to groceries and food and a deli and things like that.”

Gwirtz Market offers arguably the widest selection of fresh meats. It also features some produce, among other offerings. Gwirtz is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 5001 State Route 39 West.

Dollar General and Family Dollar primarily offer canned goods, box mixes and frozen items as far as groceries. Both businesses offer essentials like milk, eggs and bread, as well as some deli meats and cheese. Dollar General also offers ground beef and frozen chicken.

While some shopping can be done without leaving Shelby, the majority of survey respondents rated the quality of available options as low, as well as the variety of choices.

Alternative access

The Shelby Farmers Market provides several offerings, including fresh produce, during summer months — typically each Saturday from June to mid-September at the Black Fork Commons downtown park.

Some delivery options exist for stores outside of the city, but are dependent on residents’ addresses. Groceries can be ordered from Meijer and Target through Shipt — a grocery and food delivery app.

Instacart — a similar delivery service app — allows groceries to be ordered from Kroger, Meijer, Aldi, Grocery Outlet, Save A Lot, Sam’s Club, Gordon Food Service and Target, among others.

Delivery services like Instacart and Shipt usually have additional fees attached, including the potential for long-distance service fees depending on someone’s address.

Community investment made this reporting happen. Independent, local news in Shelby and Northern Richland County is brought to you in part by the generous support of Phillips Tube Group, R.S. Hanline, ArcelorMittal, Lloyd Rebar, Hess Industries, and Shelby Printing.