Small retailer takes community to heart
OUT OF THE BOX
In our time-impoverished world, there are few things people will willingly line up for: the hottest nightclubs in New York, the rides at Disneyland – and “no-spray”, local produce in the seaside city of White Rock, B.C.
Humbly situated between a barbershop and a children’s consignment store, the Bread Box is an instructive anomaly in today’s big box marketplace.
The store’s product selection reflects a cornucopia of the area’s most wholesome and savoury offerings: no-spray fruit and vegetables, breads from Fieldstone Bakery and Celtic Treasure, deli meats and home-style kielbasa made by a Mennonite producer in nearby Abbotsford. Other than the cases for fresh dairy products and deli meats, there is no refrigeration in the store, so almost all produce is picked up in the morning and sold by the end of the day.
The store is always bustling, and the wait for checkout is rarely less than 20 minutes.
But as its many regular customers will attest, the reason they’re willing to line up on a regular basis is not just because of the great produce and low prices. Lining up at the Bread Box offers an experience of community.
“People talk to each other,” says Mary Kouneva, who has been a constant presence behind the till since 1997.
“They exchange recipes.” Those who don’t feel like chatting have an alternative: watching concert DVDs on the large screen TV at the front of the store. (On a recent afternoon, Rod Stewart performed cover tunes while customers in line chatted about the grey weather and this year’s berry crop.)
Another reason for their customers’ enduring patience is Mary herself, who knows most of her customers by name and takes the time to chat and connect with her clientele despite the lineup.
“We love what we do, providing our customers with fresh, no-spray fruit and vegetables daily,” says Mary when asked what inspires them through the very long days and relentless hard work. “We love our customers. We have a loyal, regular clientele – we notice if they don’t come in or are late for their regular time.”
“Plus I love my bosses,” says Mary, famous for her fruitladen straw hats as well as her brilliant smile. “They are so good to me. They’ve kept everything very humble and homey, very friendly.”
Walter Berkowicz and Andrew Lis bought the Bread Box from the previous owner in the spring of 2004, but the three are very much a team; they pick Mary up from her home each morning and deliver her back at the end of the day.
“We are really lucky,” says Mary. “Every day I wonder how these people stay in the line for 20 or 25 minutes. Nobody complains. It’s not for everybody – but people who don’t like it don’t come, and the ones who come do so because they like it.”
There is no website, no email address, no advertising, and the store’s point of sale technology isn’t quite state-of the-art. But for small business owners, the Bread Box offers a vivid reminder of the true value of modern technology – freeing business owners to create environments where people can connect and a sense of community is nourished.
“We really care about our customers,” says Mary. “We’re busy because of word of mouth. People buy something good here and they tell other people about us. There is a little town feeling here, and our customers appreciate that.”
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