Who cares about packaging? Groceries get second chance at Starkville market

By EMILY JONES/Starkville Daily News

If you don't mind a few dings and dents in the packaging of your purchases, the Second Chance Grocery has a deal for you!

Not only is the little grocery store reminiscent of a 50s market for those old enough to remember, the prices appear to have been rolled back at least a few decades.

As owner Lynn McBroom scanned a customer's groceries, she shocked the first time buyer by announcing that the grand total was $13.11.

The customer had filled her cart with big ticket items including olive oils, gourmet crackers, condiments, juices and canned goods.

She was expecting to pay at least twice that much.

"You'll find that most of our items sell for about 50 percent less than conventional markets," McBroom said.

On Tuesday, McBroom celebrated her first year anniversary of operating the salvage grocery store on Highway 25, located about one-half mile south of Starkville High School.

A Ph.D in sociology, McBroom worked for Mississippi State University for 14 years in the Rehabilitation, Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision. She left there to take a position at Wood Junior College just before the school closed.

"I found myself without a job and was trying to decide what to do next," said McBroom.

She said that she and her husband, Allen, both confirmed bargain hunters, had been making regular trips to a salvage grocery store in Houlka, Miss. "Allen had cleaned out a shelf in our garage for all the stock we purchased in Houlka and friends joked that we could open a salvage grocery."

I figured if people were willing to drive 40 miles to Houlka to shop, maybe they would drive to Starkville," said McBroom.

The couple did an intensive web search and made numerous phone calls before discovering that the nations largest salvage wholesaler lived in Mississippi. "We made contact and here we are," she said.

The store is well lighted, neatly stocked and contains familiar items as well an exotic imports. A state of the art bar code scanner and computer system is employed at the check-out counter.

"We never know what we will get from week to week. One time we might get cases of something and then not be able to get it again," McBroom explained.

"On the other hand, we might get only one of something."

She also noted they might have Valentines candy at Christmas and vice versa.

Most of the inventory is composed of non-perishable goods and paper products but the store also carries a limited amount of cooking utensils and hardware goods.

Candy bars sell for a quarter and cake mixes are 75 cents. Most of the price tags give The SCG price (Second Chance Grocery) and what her husband has dubbed the BSP (big store price) so customers can compare prices.

Second Change Grocery is open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

The McBrooms operate a website at www.secondchancegrocery.com which provides an entertaining review of items available and their potential uses.

"One of my favorite old movies is "Roman Holiday" with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck," writes Allen. "The chance of me taking a Roman Holiday in Italy this year looks pretty thin, but at least I can eat like I'm on an Italian vacation."

He goes on the describe the Italian products that are in stock at the moment and suggests how they might be used.

Recipes are often included.

The Second Chance accepts cash, checks, credit cards and electronic benefits transfers.

The Second Chance was looking for its next big shipment today and McBroom invited the public to come have a cup of coffee and check out the stock.