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Students and long-time residents of Minneapolis' Dinkytown neighborhood face a daily hurdle in finding fresh, affordable food.
Relying on an express-sized corporate retailer, the University of Minnesota and Dinkytown community are left choosing between high-cost and limited options, or a time-consuming commute for basic groceries.
Target is the only grocer in Dinkytown, among small, privately-owned businesses and fast-food chains.
A survey conducted by the university’s Undergraduate Student Government found that nearly 83 percent of students delayed getting groceries in the last month because they do not have access to a fresh grocery store.
Siya Shelar, director of local affairs for USG, said one of their biggest initiatives is getting a fresh grocery store into Dinkytown to address food insecurity. She said they do not want another overpriced retailer, like Target.
Produce prices are higher at Dinkytown’s Target than at other Targets nearby. A pound of strawberries, for instance, is $3.19 at a Target in north Minneapolis but $3.39 in Dinkytown. Many products are about 10-30 cents more.
“It needs to be affordable. It needs to be realistic to what students, you know, can actually manage,” Shelar said. “It also needs to be long lasting and something that is going to continue for years and years and years without, like, you know, that inconsistency.”
Many retailers who operate in areas with food insecurity, such as Dinkytown, frequently use dynamic pricing. This allows retailers to adjust their pricing based on factors like location, market demands and consumer behavior.
Grocers closing across the Twin Cities
Numerous grocery stores across the Twin Cities closed this year, including downtown St. Paul’s only remaining grocery store, Lunds & Byerlys. A Cub Foods in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood and an Aldi in north Minneapolis also closed.
Aside from the express Target, the only other grocer near the university is a Fresh Thyme Market in Stadium Village.
In the past month, nearly 45 percent of students traveled over three miles to get fresh groceries, according to the student government survey.
Shelar said USG is exploring multiple options to bring fresh, affordable groceries to Dinkytown.
Summer slowdown a downside for some companies
As a predominantly student-populated neighborhood, Dinkytown is less populated during the summer months, leaving big corporations hesitant to move in.
“That's honestly been one of the biggest challenges in getting a grocery store, because no one company or market or whatever wants to invest when they fear that they might not have as much like consumer base for a huge part of the year,” she said.
Shelar added that they are also considering co-ops run by students, city-owned stores and university initiatives as solutions.
Adding a new grocery store to Dinkytown presents a challenge as it could become a multi-million-dollar project. It would likely require the construction of a new building.
East Bank Neighborhoods Partnerships chair Ted Tucker, representing Dinkytown and surrounding neighborhoods, said one of their next projects focuses on vacancies and availability of groceries in Dinkytown.
“We have a certain amount of money for a continuing study on how to fill vacancies in Dinkytown, and, also to bring fresh groceries to Dinkytown residents,” Tucker said. “I don't think we really have that under control yet.”
East Bank Neighborhoods Partnerships allocated $10,000 in late August for consulting services by the University District Alliance, according to Shelar. The consultant will research and pursue strategic initiatives to address the shortage of affordable fresh groceries in Dinkytown.
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