Paul Huber, president of Jim’s Market in Canby, Minnesota, has spent most of his life in the grocery business. From the time he began helping at his father’s store at age 12, Huber has remained dedicated to continuing his family’s tradition of running an independent grocery store. However, as he faces a rapidly changing industry, the challenges become more daunting each year.
Jim’s Market’s roots run deep. Huber’s grandfather opened a grocery store in Belle Plaine, Minnesota, in the early 1930s. After serving in the Korean War, Huber’s father, Jim, joined the family business alongside his brothers. Later, he opened his own grocery store, which Huber took over after college.
“I eventually purchased my father’s store and over time grew to six stores throughout Minnesota,” Huber said. “I have recently downsized by selling five of my locations, and I am back operating my father’s store in Canby, Minnesota.”
The grocery industry in Minnesota, particularly in rural areas, faces a number of obstacles. Huber pointed to the increasing burden of regulations and the decline of the workforce in smaller communities as key challenges.
“The regulations and governance of our state seem to be a burden instead of a helping hand,” he said. “The workforce in the smaller communities has dwindled in proportion to our area’s population.
“Rural areas are difficult for logistics in adding much cost for transportation, as well as limiting the number of deliveries available to us. Obviously, inflation and the higher minimum wage laws in our state make it difficult for many retailers, but it is exponentially harder on the small-town rural retailer.”
Huber acknowledges the increasing importance of technology in the grocery industry but remains critical of its financial viability for small independent grocers. For three-and-a-half years, Jim’s Market offered online shopping to its customers, but the costs of maintaining the service eventually outweighed the benefits.
“The bottom line is we were losing a lot of money offering this service, and that’s not even considering the additional labor that we used in-house as well,” Huber explained. “I believe this is another example of a great idea and great profit center for the larger companies and leaves the small retailer at yet another disadvantage.”
Despite the challenges of online shopping, Jim’s Market does provide home delivery, primarily for elderly customers in the Canby community. They call in their orders, and the store staff shops and delivers the groceries to their homes.
“As cost-burdened as this service may be, it is still much more fiscally beneficial than online shopping for us,” Huber said. “We also offer a carry-out service for shoppers who prefer not to carry their groceries themselves.”
Huber is committed to supporting his community, which has been vital to the success of Jim’s Market. The store supports local organizations throughout the year through donations of money, goods and services.
Every Friday during the summer months, Jim’s Market hosts a food truck event in the store’s parking lot, with all proceeds benefiting a different local group each week.
For Huber, being a grocer is not just a career – it’s a way of life. “I have spent over 45 years in a grocery store, starting … [with] bagging potatoes, sweeping floors and doing many small tasks,” he said. “I grew up in the grocery business, and it has always been a great venue to work with people, from our outstanding employees and customers to working with our vendor community.”
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