In a sea of big-box stores, family-owned grocer Farmer’s Pick finds success in the old ways

Alfonso Curcio, owner of Ottawa grocery store, Farmer's Pick. Photo by Mia Jensen

By Mia Jensen obj.ca

Amid rising food prices and major grocers being asked to adhere to codes of conduct, one local family-owned grocer is finding success in traditional business models.

Farmer’s Pick, located on Prince of Wales Drive in the Rideauview Mall, has been a community staple for 32 years, according to owner Alfonso Curcio.

“You can’t get any more local than us,” he said. “I grew up in the neighbourhood. I still live in the neighbourhood. I started in a little produce store in Merivale when I was 15, so I’ve been serving this community for over 45 years.”

Since the beginning, Farmer’s Pick has been a family affair, said Curcio, who runs the store alongside his wife and brother, among other relatives.

One of the few independent grocery stores left standing in Ottawa, Curcio said the store’s business model is a callback to the good old days, and that’s been key to its success.

“We’re surrounded by the big-box stores, so we have to be different,” he said. “We bring quality first. We bring as much selection as we can and we concentrate on customer service. We believe we do a better job than the big-box stores, which is why we’re here 32 years later.”

The grocery industry has undergone sea changes over the past three decades, he said. As Curcio puts it, just a handful of corporations, like Loblaws, Sobeys, and Walmart, have cornered the market, buying up smaller brands and putting independent owners out of business.

But labour costs and shrinking profit margins have been tough for grocers across the board. In fact, they’re just some of the challenges grocers like Curcio have been grappling with in the past few years. In addition to government mandates to raise the minimum wage, he said suppliers have been raising their costs as a result of higher interest rates and inflation, making it even more difficult to turn a profit.

In response, the large chains have placed more value on efficiency, leading them to cut staff and replace cashiers with self-checkout lanes. Curcio has chosen a different approach.

“We get a lot of new faces coming in here and they’re blown away that there’s still a store that operates like it did 30 years ago, with people to pack groceries and carry them out,” he said. “Everybody else is getting out of it because it’s so labour-intensive.

“I would love to pay everyone $40 an hour, but the economics aren’t there,” he said. “We can’t make that back. It’s a very competitive market and you can’t sell lettuce for five dollars a head. You can’t make your normal margins. Stuff needs to turn over, so you’re stuck. You can’t just pass that extra cost on (to the customer).”

The independent grocery model has been fading for years, and it’s a trend that Curcio doesn’t expect to see reversed any time soon. He said the presence of chain stores on every corner makes it difficult for new independent grocers to set up shop these days.

“It’s kind of too late because the big guys are too big,” he said. “Shoppers Drug Mart is across the street. You’ve got Walmart, Food Basics, the Metros, and Costco, all the way around me. Who would even think of opening up a grocery store? We’re just lucky that everything’s paid for and we keep trucking along.”

Still, as the grocery business loses its personal touch, he said he has a loyal customer base who appreciate what Farmer’s Pick continues to offer.

“I’m old school,” he said. “I still go into a bank to see a teller. I still like the interaction. How many people are still like that? But as long as I get those few thousand people a day who appreciate this environment, we’ll be okay.”

For Curcio, that “personal touch” includes keeping everything in-house, from its bakery and butcher, to its deli counter, where customers can buy sandwiches made to order. The store also imports a wide selection of international products, often based on customer feedback and requests.

A small but dedicated staff, some of whom have been around for 10 or 20 years, has also helped drive home the community aspect of the business.

While chain grocery stores have jumped on a new way of doing business, Curcio believes there’s been a renewed interest in the more traditional model his store offers, especially since COVID-19.

“I think it’s coming back,” he said. “Especially during the pandemic, everybody went to the smaller stores. We saw a big trend and a big boost. And we kind of continued that trend. It wasn’t as high, but people really like this environment.”

While there will always be challenges, Curcio said he has no plans to stop what he’s doing anytime soon.

“I love what I do,” he said. “The best part of my job is putting up the store every morning. It’s different everyday. We’re building something and people come in and take it home and enjoy it. We’re giving them the best possible experience and I just love that. That’s the best part of the business.”

Click here for Ottawa Business Journal article, by Mia Jensen.