I took a walk through the Eden Market this week to stay in touch with what is happening. The place is about the same as my last entry.
It is a very cluttered store with a lot of merchandise that no one is buying. I would patronize it more if it had things that I regularly used and needed. I get the sense that the majority of the neighborhood is the same.
They had a lot of ALDI-brand food items in the refrigerated case and in the food aisle. The last two merchants in this store resold ALDI items too. Frankly, if I want ALDI, I go to ALDI.
They still have a large supply of alarm clocks and small coffee pots that were likely left over from a hotel supplier. (I bought one a few months back).
They do have a number of frozen and dry food items that I have seen in other Asian food markets. Since I do not come that often, I cannot tell how well they are moving those products.
One other Bon Air Merchant told me that there is little observed traffic into the Eden Market and it is a mystery how it stays in business.
I hope that someone from both Brown Noltemeyer and Valumarket reads this and responds. I think that they should look at putting a Valumarket in there. Now the the daycare center has appeared to die, why not knock the wall out and make the grocery store space larger?
I still think that Valumarket should be incentivized to come and run the grocery store site. Their stores are fantastic, their product is good. They advertise, and they could likely ship fresh bakery in from their other stores. More local people would come in and patronize it.
So I throw out two questions I would like a response to . . .
I would be open to hearing as to what is needed to make it happen?
I am also interested in understanding what it takes for a successful grocery store at this time and date?
If we can understand those things, we can work to create a better Bon Air Manor that thrives.
It is a running commentary on the news and occurances and in the Bon Air and Highgate Springs Neighborhood. It also contains philosophical discourse on what the neighborhood needs for it to be vibrant and robust.
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Bon Air Observer