Front entrance to Blue Market AK on 31st Avenue in Anchorage, Alaska. Photo by Murat Demir.
Every decision we make has ethical implications — even going to the grocery store. Blue Market AK recognizes this and provides Anchorage with an environmentally ethical way to shop.
The Northern Light visited Blue Market AK to provide readers firsthand reporting on the shopping experience.
Tucked out of sight on 31st Avenue off Spenard Road, Blue Market AK first opened during the COVID-19 pandemic. The store is described as a “woman-owned neighborhood grocery store” with a “refillery model” of shopping that adheres to a “zero-waste” philosophy, according to the store’s website.
Customers are offered a variety of nonlocal and Alaska-grown goods to choose from, including baked goods, meats, produce, household cleansers and other items.
Blue Market AK stocks items based on their impact to the environment and works to keep a minimum of 45% locally made products available, as noted on its website.
Upon entering, customers will notice a variety of bulk products in containers, ranging from spices to hygiene products. Other nonrefillable items are available in eco-friendly packaging.
Customers can bring their own jars or other vessels to purchase bulk items. Blue Market AK also carries jars available for purchase if necessary.
To purchase bulk products, customers must first weigh their jar and write down its empty weight. This is known as “tare weight.”
Then, the jar can be filled with the product of choice and weighed at the counter by a store clerk when checking out.
Blue Market AK also allows customers with a surplus of jars to donate them to the store — providing another environmentally conscious system.
The store clerks were friendly and willing to answer questions about store procedures during The Northern Light’s coverage.
As stated on its website, the store’s atmosphere is curated to create a “slow shopping” experience, and the number of item choices is reduced in an effort to “address shopping-overload anxiety.”
During The Northern Light’s visit, the intentional arrangement and item selection created a noticeably relaxed environment.
Shoppers moved mindfully, weighing their jars and filling them with goods.
Clerks helped customers select baked goods from behind the counter, while other patrons checked out at the register before departing to the parking lot.
The addition of an eco-friendly grocery store to Anchorage benefits both the community and the environment, offering a valuable shopping experience for the ethical consumer.
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