At press time, the future of Yellowfront Grocery remains uncertain.
From what we understand, the Pierce family remains in talks to sell the store.
Rumors continue to fly and we can only assure our readers that as soon as we have news to report, we will report it.
Whatever happens with Yellowfront, the uncertainty serves as a good reminder to support local mom-and-pop businesses. Why? Because if we don’t, they will eventually disappear.
We do not count ourselves among the fire-breathing opponents of anything corporate, or specifically of corporate alternatives like Hannaford or Sam’s Club.
But we do think we lose something when we lose a mom-and-pop business.
It’s simple, really. A corporation approaches a community with a profit motive. A mom-and-pop business approaches the community with a people motive.
Often, local businesses start because local people see a need, rather than dollar signs.
Sure, mom-and-pop businesses have to support mom and pop, and the older the family business, often the more family there is to support.
But most of these businesses go about their business with a sense of duty to the community and a commitment to fairness.
The people who make decisions at these businesses see their customers every day, in the store as well as in the community, at basketball games and school board meetings.
Nobody who calls the shots for a corporate supermarket likely interacts with anyone in the community.
And what really drives us to these bigger stores? The selection is nice, but do we really need 78 varieties of mustard to choose from?
We applaud the Pierce family for their commitment to the community these last 96-plus years.
We know firsthand the blood, sweat, and tears that go into a family business, particularly as competition grows and margins shrink.
We are rooting for a resolution that will keep Yellowfront open and serving the community.
