Albertson’s supermarkets are leaving low-income communities in California, either permanently or to be replaced by high-end stores that are unaffordable to most. In response a local activist group has begun its campaign against the grocery industry. The group, called ACORN (The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) is rallying against Albertson’s supermarkets because it believes the chain is abandoning lower income communities to invest in the wealthy ones. A press conference was held Monday afternoon at the site of a Bristol Farms scheduled to open in September on 4th and Market.

Albertson’s owns Bristol Farms, a grocery store that in comparison is a much higher priced market and liquor store. ACORN plans to boycott the store for several months and also draw attention to the pattern of closing supermarkets in neighborhoods across the city.

Sites in Vistacion Valley, Bayview, Excelsior and the Haight have closed in recent months.

There are many negative repercussions for the community when an affordable grocery store closes shop. Workers lose their jobs and families and elderly residents have to travel greater distances in order to buy their food. ACORN activist Giselle Quezada described residents of Daly City “using two different buses” after an Albertson’s closed down in order to get to a grocery store that would take their food stamps.

Bristol Farms won’t accept food stamps and won’t be available to women receiving supplemental nutrition from a federal program known as WIC (Women, children and infants).

“They (Albertson’s) talks about family values,” Quezada said, “but they need to be able to back up their talk.”

One has to wonder if what the community at Market and 4th really needs is a store carrying high-end specialty food and alcohol instead of an affordable selection of groceries.

John Eller, the event’s organizer, said that the group is trying to delay Bristol Farms from receiving its liquor license on August 7th. One volunteer each day will stand protest outside of the venue.

So far Albertson’s has not returned any phone calls or engaged in any dialogue on the matter. Eller said that although he is aware that profit is simply the bottom line for big business, he believes that “the city needs to step in to protect its own, and doesn’t right now have any real plan on how to deal with this.”
So far unsuccessfully Supervisor Sandoval has moved a resolution on the matter and Supervisor Elsbern has attempted to begin talks with a Safeway that was leaving a neighborhood in his district.

ACORN proposes setting up a supermarket incentives fund to bring grocery stores back to low and moderate income neighborhoods in San Francisco.
Concerned citizens are encouraged to contact the Mayor’s office or the Board of Supervisors.