119- The Grocery Analysis

RUPCO claims that Woodstock Commons will be situated within 500 feet of a "grocery store."  This is important information for the Housing Trust Fund, which funded RUPCO's project to the tune of $2 million plus.

I bet you the Housing Trust Fund has no idea that Sunflower Natural Food Market is the ONLY "grocery store" in Woodstock, and the one at which RUPCO assumes Woodstock Commons residents would shop for groceries.  Sunflower is a fine store, but it should not be labeled a regular grocery store.  Sunflower carries ONLY certified organic produce.  In short, it is a very very expensive place to shop.

To illustrate the problem of sending low-income residents to shop at Sunflower (because it is close by,) I did a little price comparison study, and would like to present it to you now.

Methodology: I made a list of 18 standard grocery store items, and I found the least expensive available product in each category, at each of three "grocery stores."  I tried to compare like sizes, however some of the jars of jam and peanut butter came in non-standard sizes, so I equalized the prices by adjusting the sizes proportionally to the prices. I took prices from Hurley Ridge Market in West Hurley, Hannaford Kingston Plaza in Kingston, and Sunflower in Woodstock.  I presented each item in the left column, with corresponding prices for the item at each store, with notes to the right of some of the prices.  I put all of this in a simple spreadsheet, which appears below this text.

First column is Hurley Ridge Market.  Total bill is $49.22.  Hannaford in Kingston Plaza total bill is $40.94, which is 17% less expensive than Hurley Ridge.  Now let's look at Woodstock Commons' grocery store.  Sunflower Natural Food Market sells ONLY organic produce, and I believe only organic dairy and meat products as well.  The total bill for the same list of items, and the same quantity of each item, is $96.47.

Sunflower is 96% more expensive than Hurley Ridge, or roughly double the price, on average.  Sunflower is 136% more expensive than Hannaford Kingston Plaza, or roughly two and one third times more expensive, on average.

Woodstock Commons is being advertised, by RUPCO, as a low income housing project that is walkable to commercial services, and close to public transportation.  If a Woodstock Commons resident works regular business hours and wants to shop for groceries on Saturday, but has no car, or shares a car with somebody else, and wants to save 58% on groceries by taking the bus to Kingston to shop at Hannaford Kingston Plaza, that Woodstock Commons resident would have exactly ONE bus to take to Kingston in the morning, and ONE bus to take home, after a 3.5 hour shopping sojourn.  That's a full day project.  That's not convenient.

RUPCO misled the Housing Trust Fund in their application.