I’ve been following a strict gluten-free diet since diagnosed with Celiac Disease 15 years ago, long before a gluten-free diet became in vogue. At first I relied on Whole Foods for my gluten-free food needs as I learned my new lifestyle and became more accustomed to what I could/couldn’t eat. More recently, though, I’ve been shopping around mainstream grocers – Giant Eagle, Kroger, even Walmart – for the bulk of my special diet needs. But boy have I missed out on a small independent local gem located right in my back yard: Raisin Rack.
The locally owned Raisin Rack Natural Food Market can be found at 2545 W. Schrock Rd. in Westerville, Ohio. A second location, the retailer’s original, is in Canton, Ohio, where the company was founded in 1978.
Per the company website, the stores “offer a wide variety of organic groceries, gluten-free foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, meats, vegan, vegetarian, beverages, water, and bulk grains, nuts, seeds and herbs. Raisin Rack also stocks a complete selection of supplements, vitamins, minerals, herbals and personal-care products.” And it delivers – big time.
Raisin Rack Gluten-Free Store Tour
I recently made my first pilgrimage to Raisin Rack. Boy was I delighted.
Talking to a nine-year veteran employee, I actually exclaimed, “This is like Walt Disney World for Celiacs!” It felt like my own little slice of paradise. All I can say is “WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG” to try Raisin Rack? Believe me, this visit will be just the first of many trips across town for this Celiac gal.
The gluten-free “section” is huge by most store standards: three long aisles of frozen food doors filled with gluten-free goodness and four full aisles of gluten-free packaged foods. The photos don’t do it justice.
With that kind of space devoted to gluten free, the selection is massive as well. The product range includes all the brand name stalwarts one would expect (DeBoles, Enjoy Life Foods, Glutino, Schar, Udi’s, etc.) as well as a plethora of small-batch startup brands.
The day we visited, Enjoy Life Foods cookies and Pamela’s Simple Bites were on sale. Featured products are merchandised on an endcap complete with an LCD TV monitor highlighting special promotional items.
Raisin Rack also carries a strong representation of local brands from Columbus-area gluten-free bakeries. Examples include Eban’s Bakehouse and Soodles Bake Shop.
A dedicated freestanding frozen case featuring products from local specialty baker Bake Me Happy was a pleasant surprise. Especially since it was filled with the bakery’s signature Oatmeal Creme Cloud. (Read more about my experience with Bake Me Happy here.)
Raisin Rack also is a good place to find new product introductions. Bakery on Main’s recently launched muesli and Wholly Wholesome’s new Wholly Gluten Free fudge brownies are among the many new items we found.
Key Takeaways
Raisin Rack Natural Food Market is one of many independent natural grocers across the nation. Shoppers can typically find at least one locally operated grocer like Raisin Rack in their own market. Natural and organic items are abundant. Specialty diets are catered to. Customer service is exemplary. Large national big box retailers must keep an eye on them. They could learn a lesson or two about special diet merchandising.
- So far, Raisin Rack and a host of similar independent grocers have proved somewhat resilient as mainstream competition intensifies. These players are niche operators and do a good job remaining extremely focused on what they do best. But they also much closely monitor moves by growth-oriented small-box fresh formats such as Fresh Thyme, Lucky’s Market and Sprouts. These chains are making inroads into the natural and organic market and could begin to chip away at independents’ market share.
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