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Idea to send: |
| Topic | Grocery-Education connection |
| Content | I see that education was the #1 suggestion back in Feb. when this great idea was just getting started. I am wondering if that is still true.
My suggestion touches on the topic of education, too. For several years now I have written periodic letters and made phone calls to Whole Foods in Austin, Trader Joe's in Los Angeles, and Wild Oats in Boulder, CO. Yes, we finally had a Wild Oats open in Tulsa, but none in OKC. I also know that Whole Foods is trying to buy Wild Oats, but that certainly does not slow down their expansion to many other areas.
The consensus from these grocers as to WHY they do not open stores in Oklahoma is that our education level is not high enough. When they do their demographics, that is their #1 area of consideration. I did some research of my own, then contacted them to call them on it! St. Louis has a lower educational demographic than we do, and they all have more than one store in that metro area. Little Rock, Ark. also boasts of some of these grocers! Our Bricktown area with it's ever growing urban population is a perfect place for the small footprint of Trader Joe's.
The grocery industry in OK is dismal. I have been to other communities outside OK that have wonderful grocery stores. I'm talking about communities with 20,000 people! There is something very out of balance with pictures.
Debbie Bell
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