MERE Promises 30% Off Groceries—But Will They Put Black-Owned on the Shelves?

From Russia to KC USA: Will MERE Save Us Money and Make Room for Black Brands?

You  may have heard, MERE Grocery Stores are Coming to KC: Teasing Us with Big Savings, Fresh Food, and MAYBE a Chance for Black-Owned Brands

South KC, listen up—there’s a new player hitting the grocery game this fall, and folks are already talking.

MERE, a Russian-based discount grocery chain, is opening its very first U.S. store right here in Kansas City, at 99th & Holmes in the Holmeswood Shopping Center.

Now, you know KC don’t play when it comes to food—we built the culture on barbecue, home cooking, vegan, new neighborhood farms, and feeding the whole block.

But these days?

Food prices are out of control. Families are cutting corners, skipping fresh produce, buying cheap-fake foods, and making tough choices just to get by. That’s why MERE sliding into our neighborhood is making headlines: they’re promising 20–30% savings compared to Aldi. And we all know Aldi already be the “cheap spot.”

So what does 20–30% really mean? For a (Black) Kansas City family:

• On a $200 grocery bill, that’s $40–$60 back in your pocket every single trip.
• Save up to 3-4 days of salary –every month!
• Over the course of a month, that could mean $200–$250 in savings.
• In a year? We’re talking $2,500–$3,000 extra—that’s rent money, car payments, school clothes, and/or a family trip.

That’s not just savings, that’s survival money. That’s opportunity. That’s wellness.

Fresh, Frozen, Direct to the Source

MERE’s model is simple: no shelves, no middle-men/or women, direct to source, no frills, no gimmicks.

Food gets stacked on pallets, sold in bulk, and moved fast. They’re bringing fresh and frozen produce, meats, and pantry goods, stripped of the overhead that drives grocery prices through the roof.

We checked, and word on the Russian streets?

Their food tends to be closer to the source, healthier, and less processed. Which lines up perfectly with what our community has been saying for years—we want affordable REAL-food that actually feeds our bodies and our families, not just filler food.

Russia in the Mix – Why That Matters

Now, some folks raise their eyebrows when they hear “Russian grocery store.”

But let’s keep it real—this is not just politics, it’s economics. Russia is the “R” in BRICS+ (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and now even more nations). That’s a coalition that’s reshaping the global economy, bringing power back to Africa, the Global South, and everyday people tired of Western-controlled markets.

Let’s not forget: Russia is also the country that released hidden Black religious paintings and statues—art the West tried to whitewash.

And then, they’ve shown up for Africa, sending food, aid, and partnership when others wouldn’t. So yes, it’s Russian-based, but for Black Americans and Africans, that’s not automatically a bad thing. It’s a reason to pay attention.

Will They Bring Black-Owned Products Too?

Here’s the real test for MERE: will they just roll out discount groceries—or will they make space for Black-owned, local, and wellness-based products that our families want?

Take Black Wellness Coffee. This brand is born from Kansas City roots, created by Black-Minority-American entrepreneurs who saw a need for healthier, natural, direct-from-the-farm coffee. Their coffee—grown in the Philippines Islands—is all-natural, fresh, and priced at about $9 a jar. Redlined, in hometown USA, as too healthy. Funny thing is, you can find it easier abroad (in Asia and beyond) than you can in KC.

That’s why we’re challenging MERE right here, right now: don’t redline our products.

MERE. Be different. Stock Black Wellness Coffee and other Black-American-owned brands on your shelves. Give us a space at the table. Because it’s not enough to just save families money—we want to see our businesses and culture represented, included, and with equity in those savings, too.

KC, This Could Be BIG!

When MERE opens its doors in KC’s Holmeswood Shopping Center this September, families will rush in for the prices. And rightfully so. But the bigger question remains: will they set a new trend for inclusion, or just repeat the same old grocery-store patterns that push out cheap, fake, HMO, deadly foods, and leave Black-owned brands out?

KC families deserve both:

• Over 100 New Local Jobs and Contractors
• Money saved at the checkout line
• Healthy REAL and AFFORDABLE food choices
• Representation on the shelves

Because 20–30% off is life-changing.
But 20–30% off while also buying products that come from our community, our farms, our people?
That’s history in the making.

👉🏾 So, Holmeswood Shopping Center better get ready. MERE is coming.

The savings are real. But KC will be watching: will this be just another discount store, or will it be the start of something revolutionary?

 Also, just to better understand the opportunity, look at this food cost price comparison we got from our friends in Russia…

Here’s a concise comparison table highlighting current estimated prices for everyday grocery items in Russia vs. the United States—great for getting a clear sense of how much cheaper essentials can be in Russia:

Key Insights

• Coffee: Russian coffee runs around $2.20 per pound, significantly cheaper than the U.S. average of $7.54 to $15.00.
• Eggs: A dozen in Russia may cost about $1.50, while U.S. prices have surged to as much as $5–$6.
• Bread: Roughly $0.50 per pound in Russia versus nearly $1.90 in the U.S.
• Chicken: Slightly cheaper in Russia at $1.98/lb mostly organic chicken is standard, compared to $4.06 in U.S. averages, and may be fake meet or HMO —but still more affordable overall.
• Milk: About $2.50-ish per gallon in Russia (organic and non-refrigerated is norm), compared to $4.07 in U.S. stores.

These price disparities highlight how much more affordable certain essentials are in Russia right now—especially items like coffee, eggs, and bread where the U.S. is seeing sharp inflation, particularly in egg prices.  Perhaps, MERE will bring some of those drastic savings to Kansas City, USA families.

At the end of the day, KC, this ain’t just about cheaper groceries—it’s about how we eat, how we live, and who gets a seat at the table.

If/When MERE can really save us 20–30% off the basics, that’s life-changing for Black -and Kansas City- families at-large, who are out here grinding. But if they truly want to make history in Kansas City, they gotta do more than stack pallets—they gotta stack opportunity.

That means opening their doors to Black-owned products, local KC brands, and wellness-driven foods that speak to our culture and our future.

Because we all know, it’s one thing to cut our bills—it’s another thing to cut us in.

And KC Black folks?

We’re watching. We’re shopping. And we’re ready to see if MERE is really about the people… or just about the profit.