Press Release
For Immediate Release
Contact Information
Eric Moss
Phone: 206-640-7090
Email: eric.moss@seattle.gov
Mayor Katie B. Wilson announces new support for neighborhood grocery stores
Increased support through the Office of Economic Development helps neighborhood grocery stores with expert data, technical assistance, and improved storefront security.
Seattle, WA - Today, Mayor Katie B. Wilson announced new support measures directed to local neighborhood grocery stores. This new support includes the commission of a retail study specifically for grocery retailers, a program to support a cohort of local grocers with industry specific technical assistance, and dedicated funds for storefront security enhancements. The result will be more grocery stores can grow and succeed in communities that are underserved by food retailers. Mayor Wilson has approved $1.7 million and directed the Office of Economic Development to stand up these new support services and administer the programs.
“Every person deserves to have access to fresh, healthy food,” said Mayor Katie B. Wilson. “We are supporting local grocers because neighborhood stores play a vital role in making our city more affordable and livable. For working families underserved by large retailers, and the small, family-owned markets that are cornerstones of our communities, we are investing in a future where everyone can access the food they need.”
As a pilot, OED is working with Lam's Seafood Asian Market, a family-owned grocer that has served the Chinatown-International District since the 1990s. As Lam's prepares to open its third location, OED supported the business through permit navigation, helped cover the cost of repairs following recent break-ins, and is now scoping facade and security improvements ahead of the store's upcoming opening. The successful pilot allowed the City to form these support services on a scale that will support more grocery stores with more meaningful services.
"With support from the City of Seattle, we're excited to bring Lam's Seafood Asian Market to Rainier Valley and fill a grocery site that has been vacant for 8 years. As a community-focused independent grocer, our goal has always been to bring high quality, culturally relevant foods to our community and this is the perfect site to do so,” said David Tran, owner of Lam’s Seafood Asian Market. “The City will help fund essential security upgrades to assist us in creating a brighter, more welcoming storefront for our customers and prevent break-ins and vandalism."
Next steps
OED will deploy resources for both independent grocers and larger supermarkets across Seattle.
Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) will conduct a series of grocery store market analyses in eight neighborhoods. These studies will analyze the uncaptured market potential for a new grocery store and determine which types of grocery retail are best suited for different neighborhoods based on each community’s needs and existing access to food. The studies will inform and support a grocery attraction strategy to help grocery stores expand into underserved communities.
Ten independently owned grocery stores will receive a year of industry-specific technical assistance provided by IGA, paired with funding for essential improvements. This paired strategy will equip grocery stores with training and operational efficiencies to adjust to the rapid increases in cost and changing consumer behavior. Priority will go to legacy grocery stores and stores in underserved neighborhoods.
Expanding on the success of the partnership pilot with Lam’s Seafood Asian Market, OED will partner with supermarkets experiencing high rates of retail theft to fund one-time security and facility upgrades, consistent with Crime Prevention by Environmental Design principles. Project selection will be informed by crime data from Seattle Police Department and input from community partners.
OED is finalizing details about contracting, cohort selection, and distribution of funding for the new grocery storefront security grants. More announcements will be made in the months to come.
What People Are Saying
Councilmember Rob Saka, District 1
"Reliable access to healthy and affordable food is critical for safe, healthy, and vibrant neighborhoods. For too long, residents in communities like Delridge, South Park, Georgetown, and others have had to travel long distances just to buy groceries. This is an inequity that has limited families’ ability to plan their weekly shopping and meet their basic needs. This new investment, driven directly by a Council budget action that I supported, represents a bold and tangible step toward closing that gap. This is an immediate and actionable way to address food deserts by helping attract grocery stores and expand access to fresh, affordable food in the neighborhoods that need it most. I look forward to continuing this work and ensuring that every community has the reliable food access it deserves"
Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Citywide
“Every neighborhood should have a small independent grocery store that knows what its neighbors love and keeps it on the shelf. Every community deserves a store that carries the one thing you can't get outside the old country. Investing in these stores is how we show up for the small businesses that keep us fed and make it feel like we all have a place at the table.”
Detective Josh Velliquette, General Investigations Unit – Retail Theft, Seattle Police Department
“Grocery stores are among the most open and high-traffic retail environments in the city, serving thousands of customers every single day. They are intentionally built to be accessible, with locations in convenient arterials and designed with multiple entry and exit points to make it easy for residents to access food and other goods. Unfortunately, this approach also creates potential security vulnerabilities for retail theft, which impacts the well-being of customers and staff and strains businesses financially. The Seattle Police Department is looking forward to working with the Office of Economic Development and grocery retailers to make shopping for groceries safer and help reduce retail crime citywide.“
John Ross, President & CEO at IGA
"IGA has supported independent grocers for 100 years. Our partnership with the City of Atlanta, Invest Atlanta, and Savi Provisions to launch Azalea Fresh Market showed what public/private partnerships can do to improve community food access. Now, we’re bringing this expertise to our partnership with Seattle by first pairing technical assistance with market analysis to help a ten-store cohort of independent grocers stabilize and grow, then identifying market opportunities to attract new grocers to underserved areas. We're excited to help strengthen the Seattle independent grocer community while ensuring that fresh, healthy food is within reach of all Seattle residents. "
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