Supermarket For Welfare Recipients

By George Anderson

An interesting social experiment is taking place in Düsseldorf, Germany where a grocery store, stocked by donations of out-of-date and damaged products from local wholesalers
and retailers, has been opened for the exclusive use of people who can verify they are receiving welfare.

According to a report on the Deutsche Well Web site, the 100 square meter-sized Flinger Mobil store was created to help welfare recipients stretch their food dollars.

The nature of how the store’s stock is replenished means inevitable out-of-stocks, but the organization’s chairman, Carsten Horn, hopes that by paying prices as much as 75 percent
lower than in traditional grocery outlets on staples such as flour, Flinger Mobil’s customers may “have enough left over to buy bananas at the nearby grocery store.”

In addition to donations of product to stock shelves, Flinger Mobil is being given space rent-free for the first 18 months from a local church.

Moderator’s Comment: What are your thoughts on the Flinger Mobil store concept and its implications for other developed
nations?

George Anderson – Moderator

BrainTrust

Discussion Questions

Poll

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