More often than not, stopovers in gas stations and convenience stores become an opportunity for people to indulge in unhealthy foods – chips, sodas and candy bars.

But now that more people are becoming self-conscious when it comes to the quality of food they take, the future just might be a bit different. A perfect example of this is the creation of The Goods Mart, a convenience store stocked with food items that are low in sugar, have no artificial flavors and coloring, and are packaged using BPA-free, reusable plastics.

According to Rachel Krupa, a publicist by profession and the founder of The Goods Mart, the whole concept of the store is essentially to be like the baby of Whole Foods and 7-Eleven. It’s purpose is to replace typical convenience store snacks with healthier and more organic options.

All items were checked and approved by an on-site registered dietitian. So instead of seeing the usual energy drinks and sodas in can, people will find a bottle of yerba mate – known to be more effective and stronger than coffee – in the stocks. Also, The Goods Mart has a different take on Slurpee. Instead of artificially flavored ones, their machines produce kombucha slushies and other organic choices which have more health benefits.

It’s also not a secret that these organic products tend to have a heftier price tag, but Krupa promised more affordable prices so anyone can regularly shop in The Goods Mart. For example, the store sells La Colombe drip coffee for only one dollar and 25 cents for an eight-ounce cup.

The store also boasts of selling “ugly” organic fruits and vegetables which consumers tend to ignore in the groceries, and no single serve bottles are ever displayed on its shelves. Moreover, Krupa and her team assure buyers that all of their products meet these specific standards:

• No artificial colors
• No artificial flavors
• No artificial sweeteners
• No growth hormones or hormone disruptors
• Only humanely raised animal proteins that are nitrate-, antibiotic-, and GMO-free
• No harmful pesticides
• Reduced use of plastics (BPA-free only)
• Exclusively organic cottons
• Always better packaging
• Transparency

In addition to wanting to serve people with healthier options for convenience store staples, the publicist also said she dreams of “building a community space” where people can immerse in “good interaction.”

“We forget that we need a place where we can go and grab things quickly but then also make it a place that you can see your neighbors and talk to people,” she explained.

Furthermore, to stay true to its name, The Goods Mart utilizes the tip function of the application Square to let customers donate to local charities. Krupa said, a different charity is chosen every quarter. In addition, the store partnered with Lunch on Me wherein unsold items nearing their expiration are donated to the homeless of Los Angeles, California.

Up to date, The Goods Mart has over 300 products which were carefully hand-curated, beneficial not only for the human body but also for the environment.

Organic products are on the rise

Just like Krupa’s vision, many Americans are realizing the importance of eating cleaner and choosing more naturally made products. According to a report by Nielsen last year, 88 percent of U.S. households opted to buy organic products from the grocery, and that by September 2, 2017, dollar sales of organic products which have UPC codes rose to 9.8 percent.

U.S. retailers have also noticed the demand increase for naturally grown products in the past decade. “The popularity of organic food began with fruit and vegetables, but we are now seeing customers exploring areas such as grocery, fish and dairy. So you can now use organic produce for the whole meal,” a Tesco representative revealed.

Find out more about what’s new in the supermarkets by visiting Grocery.news now.

Sources include:

MindBodyGreen.com

Nielsen.com

TheGuardian.com