The Wellness Coalition, together with the Central Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission (CARPDC), has expanded their Healthy Corner Store program with five new stores in the River Region as other participating stores show the program is profitable.
Originally, five stores in Montgomery, Macon, and Lowndes counties were chosen to launch the Healthy Corner Store program in “food deserts”— areas with limited access to fresh, healthy food. The stores reported an average gross profit of 30% on the produce they carried. This led to some store owners expanding the program to other stores on their own.
“Our customers are seeking more in the way of healthy choices,” said Cynthia Ingram, manager of TK’s #95 in Notasulga. “Offering fresh produce has attracted more sales and we have found a way to serve our customers through healthier choices.”
Now, The Wellness Coalition has added the following stores to the Healthy Corner Store program:
- BJ’s Grocery Store at 843 South Decatur Street, Montgomery, AL 36104
- Citgo #2 at 2311 W. Blvd., Montgomery, AL 36108
- BD Food Mart at 11016 Hwy 80 W, Tyler, AL 36875
- Texaco (Store 87) at 305 Old Montgomery Hwy, Tuskegee, AL 36083
- Raceway 700 at 4302 Mobile Hwy, Montgomery, AL 36108
“We recently joined the Healthy Corner Store program and it’s done so well that we’ve already decided to double the amount of space used to sell produce,” said Kenneth Jackson, owner of BJ’s Grocery in Montgomery. “We can’t think of a better way for local business owners to improve their bottom line while making the community a healthier place to live and shop.”
A full list of participating stores can be found at here.
The Wellness Coalition is able to develop and coordinate these programs with partners like CARPDC through funding from the CDC’s Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program.