Rifka is a summer fan of the Shoprite in Monticello, NY. A resident of a local bungalow colony, she prefers ShopRite during the nine weeks she spends in the Catskills.
Year-round, she shops at a local kosher independent store not far from her home in Marine Park in Brooklyn. The good news is that, thanks to her favorable experience in Upstate New York, Rifka made the 3-mile trip to the Brooklyn ShopRite. “I liked their variety and pricing,” she says.
In many communities, particularly in the Northeast, seasonal shoppers are automatically figured into the mix.
Upstate New York-based Price Choppers carries a huge selection in its store in Colonie, NY, but courts summer travelers between New York and Montreal.
The upshot is that many of these shoppers serve as ambassadors for year-round travelers.
Brooklyn retailers Mountain Fruit and Landau’s have satellite stores in the Catskills with most of their shoppers being the vacationers. But both stores also see their share of loyal year-round customers.
Many of the retailers and distributors agree that summertime is not a “down time” but an opportunity to curry favor with potential year-round customers.
“If they like my meats and take-out during the summer, there is a good chance I will see them sometime during the year,” said one retailer.
In an effort to keep their share over the summer months, Brooklyn’s Pomegranate and Gourmet Glatt (Cedarhurst and Boro Park) offer shoppers insulated boxes with ice to take up to the Catskills or Poconos.
In the case of Pomegranate, some of their dips and salads are also available at several retail locations in the Catskills.
An estimated 300,000 Jews vacation in the Catskill Mountains, which is said to produce more than $30 million in sales of kosher food.
