Local grocer Toshua Parker noticed how the COVID-19 pandemic had affected supply chains worldwide so he stepped in to ensure his neighbors stay stocked and fed.
Imagine stay-at-home restrictions in Alaska. That meant a complete cut-off in grocery deliveries but Parker wasn’t having it.
David Procter, a professor at Kansas State University and director of its Rural Grocery Initiative, has spent more than a decade studying the impact of grocery stores in communities with less than 2.5k residents, reported The Hustle.
Procter added, “It is not uncommon for individuals like Parker to take things into their own hands when the one grocery store in town goes out of business, says Procter. But what makes Toshco unique is the extreme lengths its owner has gone to, recreating a complex supply chain from scratch to feed an entire town.”
https://www.facebook.com/ToshcoAlaska/photos/a.684759368226104/2830751873626832/?type=3
Consulting with local fishermen, the group decided to make the weekly boat trips based on tides and weather, according to the outlet.
“The town needed to be supplied with groceries so we just did whatever it took to make that happen,” Parker told CNN. “Just another day in our world.”
Their process is simple: once the boat docks in Juneau, the group buys the supplies in the store and then loads them onto their ship before returning home to Gustavus.
On days where inclement weather hits during their trip, the group turns around and stays in Juneau, keeping their groceries in coolers until it is safe to reembark on the waters and travel home, CNN reported.
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Parker has even been documenting some of their bulk purchases on the Facebook page of Icy Strait Wholesale, which is referred to as ToshCo by the city’s 450 residents.
“No reason for panic buying. Our supply chain may be occasionally delayed but it’s holding,” Parker wrote on April 3 beside a photo featuring several cases of cans, flour and confectioners sugar. “We’ve got you covered Gustavus!”
Locals have been quick to credit Parker for his actions, but the small business owner told the outlet it’s his employees who are the real heroes, noting how they are “going to work every day during this pandemic to make sure our town stays supplied.”
This piece was written by Wayne Dupree on May 19, 2020. It originally appeared in WayneDupree.com and is used by permission.
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