| Community grocers in rural areas struggling to keep shelves stocked
Max Garland, Staff writer Charleston Gazette-Mail
GRANTSVILLE â For shoppers at a Foodland in central West Virginia, getting every item on their grocery list is a sign of good luck. Each aisle has its share of bare shelves. Employees guide customers to possible alternative items. Produce and meat remain well-stocked, but everything else is slim pickings.
"I can't find everything I need for the week here," said local shopper Dana Shimer. "I have to go out of my way to the Wal-Mart. Here I can only get any essentials that I forget."
The only grocery store in Grantsville, where the population hovers around 650, is the Foodland. Outside of convenience stores scattered throughout Calhoun County, with limited options outside of snack foods, the closest alternative is a Wal-Mart in Spencer. That's a 40-minute drive from Grantsville.
"[Foodland] is the only grocery store within 25 miles," said Grantsville Mayor Zach Hupp. "I would imagine a lot of people rely on it."
Facemire Foods, the Gassaway-based company that owns and operates the Foodland, hasn't been able to adequately supply the store for months, according to residents.
Corey Facemire, vice president of the company, said Thursday that the Grantsville Foodland is short in supplies because of the economic struggles in West Virginia adversely affecting sales. With the workforce in the state still adjusting to the loss in coal jobs and natural gas prices taking a hit, locals don't have enough disposable income to buy as much food and keep the store afloat, he said....
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Max Garland, Staff writer for the Gazette-Mail
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