Easy-Way Store
Encyclopedia
Easy-Way Store is a family-owned
grocery chain in the Memphis
area of Tennessee
, United States
.
Easy-Way specializes in produce
. As of 2009, it operates one full-service grocery store in Memphis and seven produce-only locations in Memphis and its suburbs. It is known locally for having orange storefronts.
in 1932 by Pate Carter, a native of Cordova
. The original location is still in operation as the chain's only full-service grocery store. In December 2003 the downtown store was damaged in a fire that destroyed an adjacent grocery store, but it had no structural damage, and reopened less than one month after the fire.
Produce-only stores were first added in the early 1970s. In 2001 the company built a 54000 ft2 warehouse
and distribution center, which is the company headquarters and the base of a wholesale
operation that supplies fruits and vegetables to many local restaurant
s, as well as to competing grocers when their inventories run low. The retail stores did not add Sunday operating hours until 2008.
Ownership and management of the business have remained in the Carter family. Its current owners, brothers Barry Carter, Jr. and David Carter, are grandsons of the founder. In 2005, David Carter attributed the company's long survival in the face of competition from larger stores to the convenience of its neighborhood store locations, its ability to deliver fresher produce than larger stores, its responsiveness to customer suggestions, and the absence of a corporate bureaucracy
. The chain has been a winner in the "Most Appealing Produce" category in Memphis Commercial Appeal reader polls.
Family business
A family business is a business in which one or more members of one or more families have a significant ownership interest and significant commitments toward the business’ overall well-being....
grocery chain in the Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
area of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Easy-Way specializes in produce
Produce
Produce is a generalized term for a group of farm-produced goods and, not limited to fruits and vegetables . More specifically, the term "produce" often implies that the products are fresh and generally in the same state as where they were harvested. In supermarkets the term is also used to refer...
. As of 2009, it operates one full-service grocery store in Memphis and seven produce-only locations in Memphis and its suburbs. It is known locally for having orange storefronts.
History
The first Easy-Way store was opened in downtown MemphisDowntown Memphis, Tennessee
Downtown Memphis, Tennessee is the central business district of Memphis, Tennessee and is located along the Mississippi River between Interstate 40 to the north, Interstate 55 to the south and I-240 to the east, where it abuts Midtown Memphis....
in 1932 by Pate Carter, a native of Cordova
Cordova, Tennessee
Cordova is a community in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. Cordova lies on Memphis' northeast side, north of Germantown, and northwest of Collierville....
. The original location is still in operation as the chain's only full-service grocery store. In December 2003 the downtown store was damaged in a fire that destroyed an adjacent grocery store, but it had no structural damage, and reopened less than one month after the fire.
Produce-only stores were first added in the early 1970s. In 2001 the company built a 54000 ft2 warehouse
Warehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
and distribution center, which is the company headquarters and the base of a wholesale
Wholesale
Wholesaling, jobbing, or distributing is defined as the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers, to industrial, commercial, institutional, or other professional business users, or to other wholesalers and related subordinated services...
operation that supplies fruits and vegetables to many local restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s, as well as to competing grocers when their inventories run low. The retail stores did not add Sunday operating hours until 2008.
Ownership and management of the business have remained in the Carter family. Its current owners, brothers Barry Carter, Jr. and David Carter, are grandsons of the founder. In 2005, David Carter attributed the company's long survival in the face of competition from larger stores to the convenience of its neighborhood store locations, its ability to deliver fresher produce than larger stores, its responsiveness to customer suggestions, and the absence of a corporate bureaucracy
Bureaucracy
A bureaucracy is an organization of non-elected officials of a governmental or organization who implement the rules, laws, and functions of their institution, and are occasionally characterized by officialism and red tape.-Weberian bureaucracy:...
. The chain has been a winner in the "Most Appealing Produce" category in Memphis Commercial Appeal reader polls.