SNAP benefit changes creating 'ripple effect' for local grocery stores

SNAP changes are impacting local grocery stores

Two weeks after major SNAP changes took effect. Some local grocery stores say they’re already feeling the impact.  Lauren Scafidi is following this tonight.

FOREST PARK, Ill. - Leaders at Living Fresh Market in Forest Park say recent SNAP benefit changes are creating growing fear and uncertainty for families already struggling with rising food costs.

Leaders say they have spent the last two weeks watching customers closely calculate what they can afford at checkout lines, while also trying to navigate confusion over benefits and coverage.

The store estimates roughly 15% of its daily customers use SNAP benefits.

But leaders say the impact goes beyond shoppers.

They describe what they call a "ripple effect," stretching to employees, local vendors and small businesses connected to the store.

"What we see in the store is not just the numbers going down as far as our daily sales, but also the anticipation from our vendors," said Melody Winston, senior executive at Living Fresh Market. "We have a lot of local vendors that we’ve helped get their product onto shelf for the first time, and they’ve been pretty nervous about what’s happening."

Store leaders say some employees have already left looking for more stable hours or larger paychecks as the business tries to operate lean amid slower sales.

At the same time, they say the cost of staple food items continues climbing.

What they're saying:

"We’ve been seeing more anxiety, definitely not just through the aisles, but at the register, people kind of contemplating exactly how much will be covered on these benefits, or even if they still have benefits on their card. So the anxiety is what we see. There’s nervousness. They don’t know what to do, where to turn to," said Melody Winston.

She said she had not seen anything like this before. 

"So this ripple effect is not just coming from the customer coming into the store, filling it at their home, on their table, but also our vendors, who are small, local entrepreneurs, who are committed to community and trying to make sure that they can still pay their own bills, send their kids to college and keep the lights on," said Melody Winston.

Winston said it looks like this is the new normal. 

"I called it a perfect storm where you’re cutting so many people off from food that they need, and the prices are high, and so now I’ve got to figure out how to keep this floating. It’s something very serious, and we need to have some more conversations," said Melody Winston.

What's next:

Living Fresh Market says its community giveaway event will take place Saturday, May 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Forest Park Plaza in Forest Park. Organizers say groceries, clothing and supplies will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.