Grocery store fads aren't limited to the items stocked on shelves or the three-for-the-price-of-one special in aisle five. The latest trend in grocery has to do with the size of the stores: There's a shift of chain stores creating more compact versions [1] of their original supermarket selves.

The large grocery chains aren't closing their existing behemoth stores, and their move to gain market share by opening smaller stores with less choices is a statement in choice itself. When we're making a quick trip to the store to buy a couple of items or maybe something for a meal, entering a store with thousands of options is more time-consuming than it needs to be and often leads to spending more money than we intended.

If you're thinking what I was thinking — that these stores are simply channeling 7-11 — the smaller locations will focus on prepared meals and fresh produce and not the traditional convenience store taquitos. Would smaller markets with known names appeal to you?

Source [2]