Look for the little mom&pop stores, the corner markets run by Asians and Pakistanis. And don't forget the dollar stores -- they never scan, just count.

When we had the wind storms last year, the local market was down to generator power, which ran lights and cash registers, and nothing else. And they stayed open, bless their little pea-picking hearts. They had no freezers, no refrigeration, no card scanners (I don't think), no lighted sign, no hot deli.

But they continued to receive deliveries of canned goods, drinks, bottled water, bread, etc.

And, something of a miracle: they gave away all their frozen products, and sold all their meat while it was still good, as soon as it was obvious the power wasn't coming back on: One dollar for each package of meat, and that meant hamburger, steaks, hams, turkeys, etc. And, since the power outages were rather checkerboard in nature, many people still had power, and were taking in friends and family, and could use the extra food.

All told, a nice bit of management.

Sue