Arizona Grocers Mark 3-Year High For Food Shipped To Stores

By Heather van Blokland
Published: Monday, September 12, 2016 - 7:12pm
Nick Blumberg/KJZZ
Groceries in a cart.

Food prices have been cheaper this summer and, now, there’s more food to choose from at the store:

Arizona’s grocery stores are at a three-year high for the amount of food sent to grocers, according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau, which show $7 billion in foods shipped to stores in 2014. That’s up from $6.3 billion in both 2013 and 2012.

Tim McCabe is the president of Arizona’s Food Marketing Alliance, the non-profit trade association for the food industry in Arizona. McCabe said food suppliers and retailers have a long-term view when it comes to providing more for Arizona’s food shoppers.

“The retailers that are here, they believe that long-term, this is one of the fastest growing markets in the country," McCabe said. "This is where the future growth of their business is going to be, or one of the places long-term.  So, they have invested in the marketplace.”
 
McCabe said grocery stores can open more and expand across Arizona because the property and land that stores are located on are still affordable enough that they can afford to provide competitive pricing along to the customer.

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