You may be thinking what is a care holder, well yes it's a word I made up to rhyme with share holder but if you read below here is what I believe is the difference:
SHAREHOLDERS:
The big supermarkets are public companies which simply means people that buy shares on the stock market can and do buy shares in these big supermarkets. They are buying these shares so they can get profits from share prices rising and dividends at the end of the financial year, so how does the share price rise?
These big supermarkets buy their goods from many many businesses small and large including farmers and these big supermarkets dictate the price they are willing to pay for these goods from the suppliers so they can make huge profits to impress the shareholders, they really don't care if the supplier is making money in fact a little known fact about these big supermarkets is when they have a sale on a certain item its not the big supermarket dropping their profit margin they force the supplier to sell that product cheaper to them whilst their sale is on, the public think wow that's great your selling cheaper but the reality is the supplier is wearing the profit loss not big supermarkets and therefore share holders see bigger profits and so the share price rises.
Products can be sitting in a warehouse for months before hitting the shelves and can and do travel hundreds and hundreds of food miles to get to these warehouses, some even call themselves "the fresh food people", surely fresh food means its on the shelf in the store a day or 2 after harvesting not weeks sitting in warehouses?
CARE HOLDERS:
Farmers markets, other markets, strip shops and shops in shopping centers are filled with family businesses (Care Holders) all trying to survive and make profit for themselves so the can put food on their tables and pay all their bills, Farmers Markets are a great place to meet the actual growers and makers of the products available, they are willing to have a chat with you about their products and they wont ask or force you to self checkout like the big supermarkets they actually care about their product and you as a person.
The Care Holders know if they don't provide a service to you then you probably will never buy from them again, the supermarkets simply believe you don't have a choice and will simply be back next week.
I love visiting and selling at markets and chatting with the customers, over the years you get to know all about them and their family and I truly believe the customers are getting way better value for money with the freshness of the product available, product that has not been sitting on a truck for days or in a warehouse for months before it hits the shelf.
Yes all this makes the care holders prices more expensive but the product is way fresher and tastier than anything you will find in the big supermarkets and surely that has to worth paying just that little bit extra?