The ubiquitous Korean American grocery store is on the downswing in New York City, according to the New York Times.
The paper reported yesterday that Korean produce shops have continued to trend down, falling from 2,500 in 1995 to 2,000 in 2005.
The article provided anecdotal evidence that this trend is accelerating as retailers such as Whole Foods and scrappy fruit cart upstarts cut into the profits of Korean American shopkeepers.
Service businesses like nail salons and dry cleaners have become more attractive than retail to Korean entrepreneurs, [Queens College sociologist Pyong Gap] Min said. “Small stores cannot survive,” he said. “It’s over.”
The Korean-American Grocers Association of New York has about half as many active members as the nearly 600 it had a decade ago, and its president, Chong Sik Lee, says corner stores will eventually have to expand into supermarkets or close.
“In 10 years, there will be no more Korean mom-and-pop stores,” Mr. Lee said.
A smaller influx of Korean immigrants in recent years has also attributed to the decline, the NYT reported.
Lee’s daughter, Lina, a Boston University law student, would be happy to see the link break between Koreans and fresh fruit. “I think it’s about time that it does fade away,” she said. “It’s more of a first-generation job.”
