PGTV Profile: Fare & Square, Chester, Pa.

Fare & Square, Progressive Grocer’s November 2013 Store of the Month, is featured in PGTV’s latest video segment. The nonprofit grocery store, billed as the first of its kind in the nation, opened in September on the west end of Chester, Pa., a longtime food desert that had been without a supermarket since 2001.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Delaware Valley hunger relief agency Philabundance, Fare & Square aims to “move the needle” on area residents’ consumption of nutritious foods, according to Philabundance President and Executive Director Bill Clark. For that reason, Fare & Square focuses heavily on fresh produce, fresh meat and deli, all of which local residents had difficulty accessing before the store opened.

Shoppers can sign up for free membership in Fare & Square’s Carrot Club to be eligible for such rewards as store credit given through in-store promotions, program incentives and special values. Additionally, members who earn 200 percent of the poverty line or less can receive Carrot Cash, a 7 percent credit toward future purchases.

In keeping with Philabundance’s desire to aid the local community, 82 percent of Fare & Square’s employees are from Chester. Residents participated in a five-week job training program, with a chance of being hired by the store upon graduation.

Learn more about Fare & Square by viewing the PGTV segment and reading the November 2013 Store of the Month feature and companion online material.