Specialty grocery stores invade Silicon Valley: Non-union jobs, second-tier wages

http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_18683028

Just in the last year, Whole Foods unveiled a new San Jose emporium and Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market established two outposts in the city. Sprouts Farmers Market planted its first Northern California store in Sunnyvale. And Phoenix-based Sunflower Farmers Market will soon open in South San Jose.

The economy may be stalled, but at least one consumer niche -- specialty grocery stores -- is going gangbusters in Silicon Valley and the rest of the Bay Area.

... Some grocery firms even appear to be feeding off the bad times. Because they tend to occupy smaller buildings than the big supermarket chains, the specialty stores often don't even have to build their own stores because they can easily move into a sea of vacant retail sites.

Moreover, the mostly nonunion specialty stores are able to keep their wage and benefit costs lower than unionized chains like Safeway or Lucky. And with the tepid economy, there are plenty of unemployed people willing to accept the second-tier wages.

FatCat corporatists behind the curtain collecting the money. there is no shortage of permanently laid off food & commercial workers available too, who will eventually be happy to have those lower paid jobs.. Once the unemployment runs out, people have to have SOME income...