Table 4.

Strategies for implementing community benefits agreements and a staple foods ordinance generated from in-depth interviews and workshops.

Community benefits agreement

Staple foods ordinance

Content related to store cleanliness and appearance inside and outside of the store Stocking of healthy foods Sourcing food from local vendors and producers Align the design of a new store with the look of the surrounding neighborhood (e.g., brick facades with windows of instead of windowless concrete facades) Staff-related content Hire locally (i.e., within store zip code) Fair wages Provide additional benefits (stock options, some form of ownership, healthcare stipends) Invest in the neighborhood Participate in local programs (e.g., the Fresh Crate program, which is a collaborative effort between a university and small business to bring produce into the Baltimore City (25); business partnerships in Baltimore who fund local initiatives for keeping the neighborhood clean and safe) Provide community grants and/or scholarships for schools in the area, Accessibility Improve accessibility for those who are physically or visually impaired so they can navigate the store more easily by keeping the store aisles clear and free of clutter

Work with local suppliers Some suppliers are already delivering produce to other places (like restaurants) in the city on a daily basis. This system could be leveraged to make stocking produce easier for dollar stores Provide incentives, such as small grants for refrigeration Encourage participation in local programs like Fresh Crate (25) Demonstrate to dollar stores that these items successfully sell in other store types around the City, like corner stores. Use the building code to require certain amount of food refrigeration The City could provide the building space, and dollar stores could lease the building from the City. In this approach, the City would take on the burden of maintaining the building, which lowers overhead costs for dollar stores Then, the City could require the refrigeration and stocking of healthy food items in order to get the lease Encourage dollar stores to take advantage of tax credit* They would qualify for existing tax credits if they had meat and produce sections Community members want to ensure the tax revenue goes back into their neighborhoods

* Some community members and policy makers were not in favor of allowing dollar stores to take advantage of these mechanisms, as they were meant to help attract full-service grocery stores, not dollar stores.