Corner store comeback?

Good things come in small packages---including grocery stores.

As people flock to urban centres and look for places to shop, there are only so many locations that can house a 40,000-square-foot grocery store.

What's popping up increasingly in the U.S. are stores that are pint-sized in comparison at closer to 20,000 to 30,000 square feet. Unlike their mammoth counterparts, these smaller stores can fit into strip malls.

A recent article in The Oregonian references stores such as Trader Joe's and Aldi making their way into commercial spaces in urban centres.

Even retailers like Walmart--known for its mega Supercenters--is getting in on the smaller format trend with its Neighborhood Markets. And Whole Foods is also waving the "smaller is good" flag with its upcoming chain, 365 by Whole Foods Market, which will feature smaller stores aimed at millennials.

The article references Portland, Ore.-based Green Zebra Grocery, which launched a couple of years ago with a 5,600-square-foot store. Its director of business development, Peter Koehler, notes that people are increasingly choosing to shop more frequently for a few things rather than do a big stock-up shop.

One benefit of running a smaller shop is that the assortment is highly curated, which makes the shopping experience less frustrating for consumers.

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