Retail Chains Seek A Slice Of The Rediscovered $100 Billion Urban Grocery Market

With the suburban grocery market saturated with superstores, big retail chains have rediscovered the folks in U.S. cities who might want fresh and healthy food. Led by Walmart Stores, retailers are implementing plans to open small outlets in underserved but potentially lucrative urban areas across the country where 23.5 million Americans live and could be willing to spend $100 billion a year on nutritious groceries, according to a retail consultant. Stores either offering more fresh food in their urban stores or opening smaller stores in cities include CVS Caremark, Walgreen, Supervalu, and Family Dollar Stores(FDO). Meanwhile, a pioneer in the urban grocery market – no-frills retailer Sav-A-Lot – plans to double its urban outlets to 1,200 by 2015 by taking advantage of federal loans and tax incentives.