In Las Vegas today, where the city's talk generally circulates around tourism, sports, entertainment and real estate trends, I would not expect the rumor to be generated by groceries. But that has been the case this spring and early summer.
The wildly popular Asian market H Mart made its debut in Las Vegas in April in Decatur Boulevard and Sahara Avenue. On the same day, the Multinational Discount Supermarket chain Aldi opened two stores in Henderson and North Las Vegas, then opened a third in May in Southwest Rainbow Boulevard. Also in May, Whole Foods relocated her market always full on the outskirts of Summerlin's limits (in Charleston Boulevard) in the Summerlin downtown (in Sahara and Town Center Drive).
Mainly because it has been one of the fastest growing meters in the country for most of the last 40 years, the Las Vegas Valley has constantly attracted the chains of regional and national groceries, providing residents with many options at different prices. But this recent increase has barely reduced to a prominent issue that surrounds this industry in southern Nevada.
A food desert is generally defined as an area where residents have limited access to affordable and nutritious food options. A more true definition depends on the community. Tres Square, the non -profit food bank that serves the residents of Lincoln, Nye, Esmeralda and Clark counties, recognizes 16 food deserts in Clark County: 10 in the city of Las Vegas, and focuses on people living to a mile or further from a fresh food supplier.
“Our definition of a food desert is expanded to include families that do not have a personal vehicle and are at least half a mile from a fresh food supplier,” says Lisa Segler, director of operations and strategies in three squares. “And to be a supplier, it must offer something as dairy products or articles, not only stable articles on shelf.”
Many food deserts are low -income urban areas that do not provide incentives for supermarkets to open a new market in the neighborhood. For a long time it has been a problem in the center of Las Vegas, an area of high traffic where new residential developments are quickly progressing and many companies are attracting local consumers.
In his city direction on April 30, the mayor of Las Vegas, Shelley Berkley, mentioned plans for a grocery store in Symphony Park as part of the development of the tower and 32 -story cello origin, a shopping district, shops and restaurants that are expected to bring more than 400 residential units in the center.
This luxury development recently began and sounds very similar to the Summerlin center, which could attract a national shopkeeper like Whole Foods or something similar. But it is years away and may not ultimately serve all residents of the area.
Either the demography of the income or the lack of residential density, the numbers are usually not added in areas considered deserted of food.
“While I've been to the Council, I've been asking [the Department of] Economic development What will be needed, how can we get them and go to different places to explore them and launch our city and our center, “says Ward 3 City, Olivia Díaz? [Downtown] And all this justifies our narrative that we need more offers of grocery stores. ”
The city's economic and urban development department is constantly working to bring new developments in the center, but the city does not have the land or the buildings that are for lease. It is more about connecting developers with possible tenants.
“The city has been trying to guarantee that no community is not seen without decent offers and that is why the market of western Mario was relocated to ensure that it can be larger and more successful,” says Díaz.
In its own neighborhood, the Own Harvest Supermarket chain will open a new store in the old Kmart building for a long time ago at East Bonanza Road in Nellis Boulevard. It is expected to arrive in October or November, it will be the eighth location for the beautiful in Las Vegas.
“They are going to bring their flagship here, with a taquería, a juice bar, meat and cheese areas, that excellent section of products that is something that everyone always feels attracted and a bakery,” says Díaz. “What made it attractive was to look at these demographic data, which exceed 70% of Latinos. This is a Latin specialized shopkeeper who knows what Latinos are buying and doing in their homes.”
Shawn Eddy, regional vice president of Aldi, says that Las Vegas is an important part of the company's national expansion and a fourth Aldi store in South Decatur will be open by the end of the year.
“When it comes to choosing sites, we consider several factors, but the final result is a convenient location for buyers to support high volume trafficking daily,” he says. “The reception in Las Vegas has been as outstanding as we could have expected. There is a knowledge of us in the market of people who lived in other parts of the country and we are absolutely excited about the initial reception.”
The ALDI model is based on offering high quality products at lower prices, certainly attractive to most buyers these days, regardless of neighborhood demography.
“It is a predominantly private brand selection … it can save up to 36% in the average grocery list without sacrificing quality,” says Eddy. “Another exclusive thing for us is the room racing system, where it deposits a room to unlock your cart and recover it when it is over, what we do to avoid the theft of cars and not spend time chasing cars so that we can focus on operations and customers in the store.”
The California headquarters with headquarters recently opened two more stores and now operates five in the Valle de Vegas. It is a relatively new arrival to the area (2022) and also operates with a different approach.
“It's about how we buy and how we sell,” explains Layla Kasha, marketing director. “We get half of our product opportunistically, looking for forecast errors of suppliers.
The edible store changes that discount to customers, he says, so a product like that cereal box could be 99 cents compared to $ 5.99 in the regular grocery store. “And our stores are property and operation independently, so the owners are part of the community where they live, the fabric of the neighborhood. It allows them to be hyperlocal in what they obtain and decide better how to participate as part of the community, which banks and food schools to sponsor.”
The first five Compery Outlet stores are well distributed throughout the Valley, from North Las Vegas to Blue Diamond Road, with a sixth place to open later this year. Three of their markets opened in the old locations of the 99 cents stores. Replacing this type of retailer with a fresh food supplier is a crucial step in some communities.
“We were able to move faster in Las Vegas according to that agreement with those stores of the stores,” says Kasha. “We enter many food deserts, places where the only grocery store is too far or there is only one. We are excited to add optionality and variety and bring offers to the communities that are neglected.”
Of course, pressing for the new retail development and bringing more supermarkets to the needy communities is not the only way in which Las Vegas is to fight the effect of food desert. Three Square is incredibly fast and versatile when it comes to forming strategic associations with practically all supermarkets in the city, especially newly arrived as Aldi, to carry out its food rescue program, which brings together millions of pounds of products not sold every year and offers non -profit organizations and based on faith for direct distribution to the community. The Food Bank does the same with the food prepared with surpluses of banquets and conventions at the facilities of Strip Las Vegas.
Three Square also capitalizes all the data available to strategically establish main locations for their distribution pantries, closely looking at the churches, community centers and other associated sites to “look and see where people visit, how far they have to travel beyond their neighborhoods and what gaps exist,” says Segler.
“We recently sat in a meeting with multiple partners in which [a retail grocer] He had contacted looking for new locations to open, and wanted to know where the best places could be, “he continues.” We can overlap these maps and this data and say, here are the locations in the need, this is where we do not have a physique [distribution] Location or mobile unit, and we can use the food desert map on top of this and really see where those gaps exist. Then we can return and say, this is where you can have the greatest impact if you want to open a location. “
Like local governments, Three Square has no control over where she can make a groceries or Aldi or Whole Foods. But they can point to companies in the right direction based on many data and share a powerful community network. And in Las Vegas today, where things do not become easier for most residents, that information and resources are even more important.
“The map The data of the meal gap newly launched by Feeding America shows that food insecurity is significantly worse,” says Segler. “One in six people in our community face hunger and one in five are children. About 377,000 people in our community do not know where their next meal comes from.”
In addition to that, organizations such as Three Square are experiencing federal fund cuts. Segler points out that one of the lost streams of the Food Bank is equivalent to approximately two million food pounds, and the Food Bank estimates that it will have to compensate for a total of five million pounds this year.
“Therefore, the need is increasing. With supply chains and rates and changes in policies and changes in government financing, we are in a new territory,” she says. “Three square standards ready for what is to come and will do everything within our reach to feed the community … and we know that our community appears absolutely every time we have a crisis, they always join to help those in need. This city gives generously and this time is not different.”
For questions about food assistance, Call the call center of three squares in 702-765-4030.
For volunteer or donation consultations, Call 702-644-3663 ext. 349 o email [email protected].
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