Letter to the editor: Support Fisher Foods

With the continued shutdown of local businesses, a number of articles have appeared in the Repository asking for support of local businesses.

In an article in the March 15, 2020, Repository, 20 businesses that have closed and gone out of business in Stark County were profiled. Most of these were active businesses. When the next update to the list is compiled, another old established business could be included: Fishers Foods, the only Stark County locally owned grocer since 1933.

The Fisher family just announced the closing of the West Tuscarawas store. As a longtime shopper at Fishers, I have seen a decline in the number of people shopping at the Fishers stores. This is unfortunate, when you consider that the Fishers family has been instrumental in keeping the cost of groceries low in Stark County.

It will be a blow to community. Now they are in competition with supermarkets headquartered in Germany (Aldi), Wooster (Buehler's), Akron (Acme), Pittsburgh (Giant Eagle), Illinois (Fresh Thyme), Cleveland (Marc’s) and Michigan (Meijer), in addition to Arkansas (Walmart). We do occasionally shop at other vendors for specials and things Fishers does not carry. However, the bulk of our groceries comes from Fishers.

Even though Fishers Foods continues to be competitive in a highly competitive market, they are not afforded the local support they should receive. Do you believe that TV ads are cheap and will help keep your grocery bill low?

We constantly read about how we should support our local businesses but somehow Fishers Foods, a longtime Canton local business (my parents shopped at Fishers in the early '50s) does not seem to be included. For over 90 years, Fishers Foods and the Fisher family have always supported the local community, so let's support Fishers Foods before it’s too late.

RD Varn, Canton

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Letter to the editor: Support Fisher Foods