If you own an independent grocery, corner store or neighborhood market, you have noticed it: the apartment buildings around you now have ways to shop without leaving home — from lobby micro markets to neighbors who sell from their own apartments.
The natural reaction is to see that as competition. But in-building stores serve a different trip, and they need to restock somewhere close. This guide shows where the opportunity is for the neighborhood grocer.
Two different shopping trips
| Neighborhood grocer | In-building store | |
|---|---|---|
| Occasion | Weekly shop, fresh food, variety | The thing that ran out, right now |
| Assortment | Broad, with deli, bakery and produce | Tight, convenience-focused |
| How people buy | Walk into the store | Order in the app or self-serve in the building |
| Relationship | Counter service | A neighbor who delivers to the door |
In practice, residents keep going to the store for the big shop. The in-building store captures the purchase that would not have happened outside the building — the cold drink at 10 p.m., the milk that ran out before breakfast.
Where the opportunity is for independent grocers
- Restocking supplier: the in-building seller needs a few units, fast. The neighborhood store is closer than any wholesaler.
- Pre-orders and set-asides: agree with nearby sellers on items set aside, pickup at fixed times and terms for resale.
- Indirect presence in the buildings: your products (and your private label, if you have one) reach residents who don’t shop at your store.
- A store inside the building: someone in your family or on your team who lives in a large apartment building can open a HomeMarket store and serve their neighbors.
How to get started
Decide whether you sell for resale
Choose items, minimum quantities and a reseller price — even a simple list works.
Map the buildings around you
Buildings a few minutes from your store are the sellers most likely to restock with you.
Register your store as a HomeMarket partner
We tell you whether sellers are active or getting started near you and introduce your store as a restocking option.
Set a routine with sellers
Orders by text, items picked ahead of time and pickup or delivery at fixed times.
Frequently asked questions
Do in-building grocery stores take customers from independent grocers?
They compete for the convenience trip, not for the weekly shop, fresh food or counter service. And because they need to restock nearby, they can become your customers.
Can my store sell through the HomeMarket app?
HomeMarket stores are run by residents from inside their apartments and serve their own building. A neighborhood grocer joins the network as a supplier to those sellers — or through someone on the team who lives in a large apartment building and opens a store. See how to start a grocery store in your apartment building.
Do I have to give sellers a discount?
You set the terms. A reseller price, even with a small discount, helps the seller keep a margin and keep coming back to you.
I want to connect my store to the network
Tell us where your store is and what you sell. We will get back to you about the buildings in your neighborhood.
Become a partner