Independence Shopping

Years ago when I was a kid this was the Safeway supermarket. Then it became Homeland. For the past few years though it has been called Marvin's and it's the best supermarket for several counties.

The staff are friendly and know how to serve their special niche in town. The only other major supermarket in town is Wal-Mart now that Food 4 Less, Dillons and Nu-Way are gone.

What to buy: Like Wal-Mart, they offer competitive prices like in their a 'dollar aisle' where everything is one dollar or less. I picked up some green pepper sauce, just like Tabasco, 2 for a dollar here.

Unlike Wal-Mart, they offer a wide range of local products and ethnic food. Ever notice Wal-Mart has lots of stuff, but hardly any choice? This is the place to go for your Mexican ingredients, BBQ sauces, basmati rice and other specialty food items.

What do you call a cross between a convenience store and a grocery store? A 'grovenience' store, according to owners of this deli in downtown Independence.

Open Mon-Fri 7 till 7, Sat 8 till 6.

What to buy: If you're passing through on the highway, you can grab a bag of chips, cold drink or other snack and be on your way.

However, they also have a deli counter selling meat and cheese, a bakery and lots of interesting spices, sauces and those special ingredients you need for authentic BBQ and Mexican food.

After Wal-Mart moved in and Dillons shut, it's the only upscale food store in town now.