Why Chinatown Produce Is Cheap (2016)
> Chinatown’s 80-plus produce markets are cheap because they are connected to a web of small farms and wholesalers that operate independently of the network supplying most mainstream supermarkets.<p>I don't get it.<p>Why can this web of small farms and wholesalers sell produce for less than normal suppliers can?<p>If Chinatown's suppliers are so much cheaper, why don't the other supermarkets use them too?<p>If Chinatown is consuming the entire output of these suppliers (explaining why the other supermarkets can't use the same source) then why don't the suppliers raise their prices?  Even if some of the chinatown vendors could no longer afford the food, surely someone else would buy it.<p>Do plywood shelves at a grocery really make a noticeable difference in food prices?