Lierer’s Market: Cincinnati Retailer Focuses on Low-Waste Sustainability

If you want to see what a grocery store, particularly a produce department, looks like when concepts of low/no-waste sustainability, transparency and community-centric come to life, then step inside Lierer’s Market.

Newlywed owners, Alex Heppner and Bryan Lierer, opened their market in early 2024 in the heart of Cincinnati, Ohio’s Northside business district at 4170 Hamilton Ave. The 1,000-square-foot storefront is smaller than the couple envisioned, with a quarter of this dedicated to storage. However, the location, centrally placed in the neighborhood and surrounded by other thriving businesses, made the opportunity for plenty of foot traffic too good to pass up.

Heppner and Lierer moved to the Northside in 2021. Heppner says it wasn’t long before they missed having a walkable grocery store in their neighborhood. Around the same time, they became more conscious about waste and began composting with Queen City Commons, a local compost service.

“Without food scraps in the trash, it was clear that most of our waste was just food packaging. We realized then that our low-waste journey could only go as far as the grocery store. We wanted a grocery shopping experience that aligned with our sustainability, transparency, and community values, but nothing like that existed in our area,” says Heppner.

Other retailers offered refills on home and personal care items, but not food, Heppner adds.

“A few small grocers have a bulk food section, but you must use their plastic bags. Several small produce markets emphasize local produce, but don’t offer bulk dry goods. So, we’re competing with other local small businesses, but only in certain aspects. Chain grocery stores are also a competitor, primarily because of their larger selection and ability to offer lower prices,” Heppner explains.

“Our neighborhood was also considered a food desert. Lacking both access to food and a more sustainable option, the idea for Lierer’s Market was born.”

Northside, once known as Cumminsville, is a racially and socio-economically diverse urban neighborhood with college students, artists, and young professionals in residence. The population is just over 8,000. Heppner describes their shopper demographic as primarily middle-class folks in their 20s to 40s. A Hannaford, Kroger, Save-A-Lot, and Aldi are the closest large retailers, 4 to 5 miles away. A Whole Foods Market is just over 5 miles away.

The couple spent over a year researching everything from how to start a small business to sustainable brands and products. They borrowed books from the library to learn more about produce and reached out to business mentors and other low-waste grocers from across the country.

TAPPED INTO LOCAL PRODUCE

“When we first opened our store, we didn’t offer fresh produce. We gave ourselves about two months to get a handle on our store’s bulk/refill aspect first,” Heppner says. “When we were ready to start integrating produce, we were lucky to have a family to lean on for support. Bryan’s cousins still operate their great-grandpa’s farm, known for some of the best summer sweet corn in the area. We essentially acted as a satellite farm stand and sold what they were growing or sourcing. They helped us learn what was in season and how to display and store fresh produce.”

Sweet corn, red potatoes, onions, peaches, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, watermelon, eggplant, okra, zucchini, cucumbers, bell peppers and hot peppers were among the fresh produce items on display in the summer. Come fall, garlic, onions, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, carrots, celery, squash, zucchini, cucumber, apples, tomatoes, leafy greens, cabbage, lemons and limes took over the shelves.

Though the market’s fresh produce department is small, produce makes up 13% of market sales. Heppner says this number will grow as they expand their offering and capacity.

“We’re still developing our fresh produce supply. As the season for our cousins’ farm is winding down, we’re working on growing our network. While it’s still in the works, we imagine our supply will be a combination of a produce distributor and individual farms. We prioritize seasonal produce from the tri-state area, as that’s the most sustainable practice,” says Heppner.

The couple is still developing their produce department promotional strategy, too. Currently, they share a weekly produce update on social media to let shoppers know what’s in-store. This fall, they started sharing recipes made with fresh produce and other ingredients in the market to promote using seasonal produce.

LOW TO NO PACKAGING

“As a low-waste grocer, we prioritize low to no packaging throughout our store. The produce department is no different,” says Heppner. “Customers won’t find any produce in plastic packaging. We have reusable cartons for things like berries or cherry tomatoes that we refill from a bulk box, and we encourage customers to bring their reusable produce bags. We have paper bags and boxes if customers forget to bring their own.”

The couple is pleasantly surprised that most shoppers are aware of all the ways single-use plastic sneaks into everyday life and are growing more concerned with their consumption. “So, when people come to our store, they’re excited to see an alternative and happy to have the opportunity to refuse plastic, which motivates them to keep returning to our store,” Heppner adds.

They also partner with Queen City Commons (QCC), a business and residential compost service. “What we love about QCC is that they have local farm partners here in Cincinnati that use their nutrient-dense soil to grow food for our community. Therefore, our food scraps are used to grow our produce, which is really special,” says Heppner.

The store also hosts a QCC compost bin that subscribers can access. “We also utilize the compost bin to ensure any spoiled produce doesn’t end up in the landfill. In addition, we have conversations with customers about composting and share resources to help promote this practice. And finally, we use our social media to highlight events from other organizations related to reuse, reducing waste, or local produce,” adds Heppner.

FACT FILE

Lierer’s Market
4170 Hamilton Ave., Cincinnati, OH
Hours: Wed-Fri: Noon-8 p.m.; Sat-Sun: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Web: bio.site/lierers.market
Tel: 513-212-6631