Marketing senior Shankho Bhattacharjee, who lives off campus, said he prefers shopping at Meijer because it offers two locations in the area with decent selections and free parking, as opposed to the East Lansing Target.

“I would much rather prefer to have decent local grocery stores if I want something,” Bhattacharjee said. 

For other students, the simplest option appears to be the one that is the cheapest and most readily accessible. 

Political science freshman Riley Marino, who lives in North Neighborhood, said she buys her groceries from Target because of its accessibility.

“It’s super close to where I live and has pretty much everything that I need to get,” Marino said. 

According to a study reported on by MSU Extension, the average American shopper spends an average of $113 per week on groceries. In a survey of 1,952 adults, Mintel Group Ltd. indicated individuals were more likely to shop at Walmart, supermarkets and club stores, with a reported rate of 19% or more. Sixteen percent shopped more often at dollar stores and natural or organic stores, and 15% at Target, farmer’s markets or online retail offerings. 

With new apartments like Landmark and The Hub opening downtown this fall, residents find themselves in close reach to the businesses the area has to offer.

Located above the downtown Target, Landmark provides easy access for its occupants to purchase groceries from the selections offered. With this, some residents still feel the need to seek out additional stores, with the small-format Target being limited in its selection.

“Sometimes I go to Whole Foods, but that’s when I have the money and I want to be healthy,” business-preference freshman Kelly Bai said.

On campus, MSU provides students with a variety of Sparty’s convenience stores, where students can purchase simple non-perishable goods and a select variety of frozen or grill offerings. At the 1855 Place apartments, Sparty’s Market provides students with an urban market-style grocery store, featuring a variety of dry grocery goods, deli items, select produce, prepared foods and grilled items.

For those in need, MSU offers a student food bank, with the goal of providing supplemental support to cut students’ grocery bills in at least half. The food bank is located within Olin Health Center, operating every Wednesday of the fall and spring semesters.

Items offered at each distribution include fruits, vegetables, soups, pasta or rice, proteins and cereal. Additionally, they provide fresh produce, bread and MSU Dairy Store cheese at a majority of distributions.