Maadi's El Market Shuts Down Due to the ''Emergence of Large Shops''

The past year and a half has left a mark on the food industry—supply shortages and delays, higher prices leading consumers to flock to lower-cost options, and a new standard for health and safety. More people are swapping the in-store experience for more convenient delivery substitutes than ever before, and concerns from essential workers about being on the frontlines during a pandemic led to a shortage in retail employees.

It's no secret the landscape in the grocery world has changed dramatically, forcing companies to keep pace with the rapidly evolving market from 2020 onward. Unfortunately, it has brought on touch decisions for a number of them. Maadi's artisan specialty grocery store El Market is one of the victims, and has unfortunately turned the lights off on its shop.

''El Market is a small business that started with the goal of promoting small producers, by featuring locally made artisan products. But, sadly, the emergence of large enterprises has made it harder for small businesses to carve out a piece of the market," El Market founders Renee Belliveau, Mohamad Albuheiry and Susan Milbank tell SceneEats.

We here at SceneEats are quite sad by the news, not only because we're going to miss El Market but because the store offered something new. It was a hub for so many foodies (especially vegans and vegetarians) that couldn't find their favourite products anywhere else.

El Market is currently still operating, however, it will shut down for good on November 30th.