Detroit losing the last of its national chain supermarkets

According to Detroit News:

The last two Farmer Jack stores in the city prepare to close by Saturday. If no grocery stores buy the Farmer Jack locations from the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., Detroit will be left without a single national chain supermarket, much less a Wal-Mart or Meijer superstore or a Costco-style warehouse store.

Plus, many of the small stores sell sub-par merchandise:

Many residents rely on convenience stores for bread, milk, eggs and snacks. Small stores that do offer meat and produce often sell food past its expiration date, shoppers said. The city has raided stores over the years to crack down on sales of expired food, but many say the problem still persists.

Pat Hollins, an activist with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, told of stopping in a small neighborhood grocer several weeks ago and immediately finding two expired packages of breakfast sausage.

ACORN has been picketing stores it contends have been selling expired meats and unhealthy foods.

Commentors at Reddit summed it up perfectly:

crypticgeek: That's ironic. People complaining about locally owned stores and begging large chain stores to come in.

prrometheus: I thought Wal-Mart ruins neighborhoods?

vastrightwing: Thank God Detroit has shed all of the evil BIG chain stores and is left with nice local mom and pop stores we all miss and love so much!