We read this in the Wallingford Neighborhood Office‘s weekly email and wanted to pass along the suggestion, which was unattributed, that neighborhood residents think of Meridian Market whether they need to pick up one item or do a week’s shopping:
I am sure you have noticed that the Meridian Market’s shelves are rather bare. The Market is in a bind. The owner, Wally, has learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t work over the couple of years the market has been around. Unfortunately, some of those learnings came as the economy flattened. Sales went down and costs were still high. The result was that cash from profits dried up and the ability to re-shelve product dried up too. Now the Market is faced with a proverbial “Catch-22″. There isn’t much for customers to buy without product on the shelves. Without sales, there is no money to re-shelve product.
There are two things you can do to help the situation If having a neighborhood market is important to you. First, Go down to the market and load up your pre-pay card. Any amount will help and the more, the better. I really like having a market close by that I can send the kids to, that allows me to avoid getting back in the car (when all I need is a lime), and that offers another place to meet for coffee (and good coffee at that). I like the idea that I can run down for bread, good produce, a sandwich, or just a bag of tortilla chips and beer if more people show up than I had planned. If you have a similar list of what you like about having a neighborhood market, please go load up your card and help the market.
The second thing you can do is get the word out. I don’t know about you, but this internet thing is pretty popular. Email your neighbors and community. Get the word out to as many people as you can.”
sound advice. hang in there meridian!
i was there today. they have 1/2 priced coffee drinks until 8am. They have a good deli case. There was a lot of wine there, but not much else on the shelves 🙁
They are clearly undercapitalized. I tried to buy something there once a week since they opened. I had to quit going because they simply don’t have any inventory. They dropped the Sunday Times and the Sunday NY Times awhile back. Then, it was no vegtible oil. Coffee bean supplies dwindled as did the variety of bread. I want very much to support them but there must be inventory. The Phinney Market (same owners I think) is far better off. When they opened there was a lot of community support. I doubt if others made a “once a week” committment acknowledging that the fact that you will pay a little more. Now, it is a Catch 22. If they re-stock, people will come. People will come Ray, people will come.