Healthy Markets LA 2023-2024 Cohort
Since the Healthy Neighborhood Market LA’s (HMLA) inception, over 85 neighborhood markets and corner stores have received technical assistance and material support to enhance their businesses and increase healthy food access.
During the 2023-2024 program year, our team worked with 9 retailers across the City of Los Angeles. All retailers identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and/or Person of Color). Additionally, 4 of the markets are women-owned and 7 are immigrant-owned. We are proud to be able to work with these retailers to provide them with essential business support services.
Meet the store owners!
Program Successes
Throughout the program, retailers received support in shelving and signage, logo redevelopment, advertising, and/or facade upgrades. They also received 1:1 technical assistance with an experienced business counselor in areas such as healthy retail best practices, SNAP retailer authorization, and procurement and produce management.
As noted in an article on the program from the San Fernando Sun, retailer training continually enhances business operations, and material improvements including POS systems, facade updates, and store layout and equipment upgrades provide community customers with dignified food sourcing and shopping experiences more aligned with modern grocery retail.
Success Stories
El Sereno GreenGrocer connected with Placita Market to learn about their produce management strategies. As a result, they implemented their newfound knowledge about quality control. A year later, the market reports reducing spoilage by 40% and increasing their produce sales.
Mimi Market implemented various marketing and advertising strategies, along with changing the look and feel of their market to be more family-friendly. They report that their produce sales have doubled since last summer and believe it’s because they are attracting more neighborhood residents into the store.
El Torito Market and Zunigas Market both received new modern Point-of-Sale systems, helping to maximize efficiency in their daily business operations.
Kathy’s Kitchen, Mimi Market, Placita Market La Oaxaquena, and Zunigas Market were connected to local graphic designers who supported them in the development of a store logo. Logos are an important component of building a store brand identity, which the retailers came to understand as essential to how customers perceive their business.
“With the pandemic’s impact on small businesses, I was afraid of what that would mean for our market. Our sales were low and we weren’t sure what was going to happen. The fact that the HNMN program came in around the same time brought us a lot of hope. We have been able to make so many changes since then, which have positively impacted our business ” - Martha Zuniga, owner of Zuniga’s Market
Events
A core pillar of our programmatic work is engaging business owners with their surrounding community. This year, participating businesses hosted community engagement opportunities such as volunteer painting days, cooking demonstrations, store tours, and a nutrition fair.
In the neighborhood of Watts, El Torito Market collaborated with artist Erica Friend in revitalizing the store’s appearance. The project was more than just a makeover; it was about infusing new energy and creativity into a cherished community space. Both the store owners and customers expressed delight in seeing the finished result, with one customer sharing thanks “for taking care of our community and showing that you [the market] care about us.”
A volunteer painting day was also hosted at Placita Market La Oaxaquena, who received a complete exterior transformation that had been years in the making. In addition, the market received a mural that serves as a representation of the family’s Oaxacan culture, while also serving as a tool for neighborhood beautification.
Two cooking demonstrations were hosted in partnership with local chef Guayaba Kitchen. Customers were able to learn how to make simple recipes such as a tuna salad, sparkling hibiscus tea, and jalapeno limeade, while also sampling the recipes. Those who stopped by were gifted recipe cards and insulated tote bags branded with the stores’ logo. All of the ingredients were sourced locally at the markets to show customers that they can create simple, nutritious meals with products found at their neighborhood market.
We ended the program year with a health and nutrition fair, which brought more than 65 members of the community together to support Mimi Market and engage in a resource fair. From in-store promotions and a free food distribution, to on-site CalFresh application assistance and composting workshops, we were excited to see community partners rally together to provide free resources to the Sylmar community.
Building Networks of Support Across Programs for Lasting Business Success
Apart from healthy retail strategies and other support services, our program builds networks of support for businesses, connecting them to key opportunities and resources that will support their long-lasting success.
Last program year, we provided 1:1 application assistance to two retailers applying for CDFA’s Healthy Refrigeration Grant Program. Both retailers, M&W Liquor and Paloma Market, were awarded the grant in December, for a total of $100,000+ to support energy efficient refrigeration upgrades in their markets.
Our program also connected Mimi Market to their local BusinessSource Center, who have been supporting the market with opening a second storefront location, set to open this fall in Sylmar.
Five retailers were connected to the city’s new LA Legacy Business Program and have been accepted into the program. They will soon benefit from comprehensive support, including technical assistance, financial aid, promotional activities, and government connections.
Placita Market La Oaxaquena was guided through the process of becoming a Market Match partner in 2022. They continue to offer the program at their market this year, providing on average $15 of matching funds for fruits and vegetables for their customers, promoting community food security.
