Why The Goods Mart Is Reinventing The Convenience Store

In 2010, Rachel Krupa founded Krupa Consulting, a boutique PR agency focusing on food, wellness, and sustainability. The agency’s goal is to help elevate brands that improve the food system, our health, and the environment. From what she learned from her clients, Krupa was inspired to open The Goods Mart in New York City in 2018. Her aim is for it to become “The New 7-Eleven,” a convenience store that carries nothing but better-for-you, accessible, and socially-conscious goods.

You won’t find any artificial flavors, preservatives, or GMOs at The Goods Mart, nor will you find anything priced over $25. Krupa curates every product. She is passionate about raising the profile of small, local makers and building community. All tips go to a local non-profit and the store intends to host regular community events as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

In order to stay open during the early days of the pandemic, Krupa had to pivot her business model, taking it online in the span of a few days. She created a campaign called The Surprise Snack Box – a care package of healthy snacks that customers can send to loved ones or healthcare workers. She personally created more than 500 snack boxes, all with handwritten notes. Through the initiative, Krupa was able to donate over $20K worth of healthy food to healthcare workers at Mount Sinai, Memorial Sloan Kettering, NYU Langone, and the Food Bank For New York.

More recently, Krupa created the Black Founded Snack Box, giving customers the option to donate to a local organization, Black Women’s Blueprint, and to support Black founders. Futhermore, she has pedged 15% of The Goods Mart shelf space to Black-owned brands. Over the summer of 2020, she hosted Jamaican cook-outs to benefit her UPS driver, an essential worker who owned a restaurant in Kingston, Jamaica for years. 

This February, The Good Marts has partnered with Opal Tometi – a human rights activist, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and the cofounder of the Black Lives Matter movement. Tometi has used her voice to ensure that race, immigration, and gender justice remain at the forefront of conversations around the world. Through the Guest Curator for Good series, The Goods Mart has invited Tometi to curate a collection of her favorite snacks, with a portion of sales going to a charity or movement of her choice. Proceeds from Tometi’s box will go to Diaspora Rising, her newest venture, which aims to serve as a support to the 21st century Pan Africanist movement. 

Tometi’s Snack Box features 10 snacks from BIPOC and/or female-founded companies, all of which are entirely gluten- and dairy-free. These include carrot cake from Partake, vegan cheedar cheese crackers from Ancient Provisions, gummy bears from Behave, apple cider vinegar tonic from Brighter, and matcha turmeric sachets from Golde.  

“I live for my work in the most amazing way,” says Krupa. “I help to build mindful brands with a passion and purpose to improve individual health, our food system, and Mother Earth. As consumers become more educated on ingredients and products, I have realized that convenience stores are no longer convenient. They don’t contain the items we want. I wanted to create something meaningful to house the brands that inspired me. The greatest reward in following a career with purpose is ending the day feeling like it mattered to everyone – from myself and my team to everyone involved in the community we have built.”

To those looking to tap into their life purpose at work, Krupa says, “If you’re starting something from scratch, know how to do all the jobs. No task is too small. No one else is going to do the work for you, so get your hands dirty from the start.”