ROOM AT THE TABLE - Intersight - University at Buffalo

4.4). Sales and receipts for grocery stores and supermarkets are 57.1 percent
of the overall food retail establishments. Gas station sales constitute 36.6
B'+!'#/E(2%/(/4'$'($03'$(1"(#"/(+'F'!/(.""1A'L!3%$,*'(B%+!40$'$6(GB'!,03/5(
stores and convenience stores make up 2.6 percent and 3.7 percent,
respectively. The entire food retail division has 15,274 employees. Not taking
into account gas stations, and isolating businesses primarily engaged in food
sales, grocery stores maintain the largest share of the division in food sales. In
2007, 90.1 percent of sales from these businesses came from grocery stores
and supermarkets. Additionally, grocery stores and supermarkets employ
84.3 percent of individuals working in this division. In sum, supermarkets
and grocery stores are the largest players in the traditional market retail food
distribution division.
Although supermarket and grocery stores hold a large share of
market sales, they are not evenly distributed across the county. Were these
establishments equally accessible, there would be little need for concern.
In Erie County, there are 281,337 residences. 12 Of those, only 72,475
(25.75%) are located within a 10­minute walk to a supermarket or grocery
store. The vast majority of these residences lie within the City of Buffalo.
In the City of Buffalo, 64.93 percent of Buffalo’s residences are within a
10­minute walk to such food retailers, although the quality of food may
be questionable. Besides the City of Buffalo, the Village of Sloan and the
Village of Blasdell have a higher percentage of residences within walking
distance of a supermarket or grocery store, 75.75 percent and 74.38 percent
respectively (See Appendix G, Table 7). Buffalo, Sloan, and Blasdell
represent the only three municipalities within the county where more than
half of all residences are within a 10­minute walk to a supermarket or
grocery store. More drastic, however, is the number of municipalities that
have zero residences within that short walking radius. Of the county’s 45
municipalities, 11 (24.44%) do not have a single residence within walking
distance of a supermarket or grocery store (See Appendix G, Table 7). Even
45
Figure 4.5 – Vehicle Availability & 10­Minute
Supermarkets and Grocery Store Service Area
(Map: Authors.
Data Source: US Census, 2010
US Census Bureau, TIGERLine Data, 2011)