A new study shows grocery and convenience stores on the Navajo Nation were able to adapt to changing polices and consumer demand during the coronavirus pandemic. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny reports, many stores even began to provide fresh produce that wasn’t available before.
The Navajo Nation is considered a food desert with only 13 grocery stores. Buying habits changed because of COVID. Many Navajos wanted to rely on their local convenience store for food rather than traveling to bigger stores to shop.
Robert Alsburg, one of the study's authors, says, "Despite it all, it kind of showed the community came together, and it really did have an effect on the stores, because the community themselves didn’t necessarily want to go to a larger store or a Basha’s or a Walmart."
As a result, demand for fresh fruits and vegetables held steady or rose at many locations and small stores were able to adapt to meet those needs.
Lead author Brianna John says, "You can’t say, 'everyone experienced COVID in the same way,' because everyone had different challenges that they had to overcome, but the stores were really able to be a support pillar for their communities."
The researchers say store managers hope to continue to provide fresh produce that they didn’t stock before the pandemic.
