Grocery store offers damaged and discounted goods
BY AARON VOTH
Discounted food, outdated products and discontinued brands - find all this and more at Newton’s newest grocery store. No, it is not the new Dillon’s; rather, it is the Meridian Grocery Store.
The Meridian Grocery Store opened late last summer and carries damaged goods sold at a cheaper price.
As well as having damaged goods, the store has fresh produce, with home-grown fruits and vegetables.
“They have the homemade type of stuff,” senior Alex Unruh said. “You won’t find that type of stuff at a larger food chain.”
Holdeman Mennonites own and operate the store.
The stock at the store fluctuates, depending on the time of year and what overstock and damaged items the store can get.
Much of the stock is damaged so little that it really does not make any difference other than the price.
“We need an outlet for this type of wholesale,” Unruh said. “If Dillon’s doesn’t want to sell a can of baked beans which is bent, someone should be able to sell it.”
Many interesting brands can be found here, name brand food which have been discontinued. General Mills had a cereal named Kaboom, which can only be found at Meridian Grocery.
“I heard about Meridian Grocery through my modmates,” Isaac Olson said. “They have Mallow Burgers, I can’t find those anywhere else.”
Meridian Grocery does not exclusively sell food products. Other discounted products are sold there, like board games and whatever else they can get.
The atmosphere at Meridian Grocery was much different than at the new Dillon’s. There was only one lady working at the three cash registers, and she was not at the counter most of the time.
The people who shop there are not in as much of a hurry as people who shop at Dillon’s. Because of its small size the store is a lot more personal.
“Overall I would say this store is a good thing, because it is not competing with Dillon’s for customers. It fills a niche,” Unruh said.
The benefit to college students of an independent grocery store is simple: cheaper food. The only problem is the location. It takes almost ten minutes to drive to the store.
It is well worth the drive or long walk to get food at reduced prices and support local merchants.
Where else can you find mallow burgers and Kaboom on the same aisle?