Buckhead, Georgia - Crux of Supermarket Wars
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution suggests in a recent article that nearby Buckhead is “ground zero” in the supermarket wars. However dubious that claim, it’s interesting to see how various upscale grocers jostle for market differentiation in a 3-mile area. They each pitch themselves a little differently, but it’s clear to anyone reading this that market pressures will squeeze one of them out of the area.
The article tosses in some interesting facts about the supermarket business. The gist: Traditional supermarkets are losing ground to upscale markets like Whole Foods and “club” stores such as Costco. Traditional grocers still dominate around Atlanta, but everyone else is pulling as many shoppers as they can.
With these battles playing out throughout the country, maybe Buckhead isn’t a crux so much as a canary.
I read this article in the AJC. Strangely, just a week before, I read a similar piece about disenchantment with French hypermarkets. More details in the above blog.