Mac Market: A Store For Commuters and Residents Alike

Mac Market is a convenience store located on Macarthur Boulevard, in the Palisades neighborhood of Washington D.C. When given the assignment to observe the characteristics of a local store or coffee shop, Mac Market was an easy choice – considering both my long relationship with it as well as the unique diversity of customers that go there. Its location is set on one of the most important roads in the Washington area, due to it being a connecting point between D.C. and Maryland. It also provides easy access to parkways that lead to Virginia. For this reason, a lot of the customer traffic in Mac Market is commuters coming into the city for work. A unique aspect regarding these commuters that I have noticed for some time now, including during my most recent visit, is that there is no socioeconomic majority that uses the store. Its affordable prices, as well as its reputed (and delicious) deli section seem to attract both blue and white-collar workers alike. Aside from the service it provides to commuters, its convenient location in a strip of stores along Macarthur Boulevard makes it a very popular neighborhood spot – whether it is for purchasing a bottle of wine, to getting a breakfast sandwich or donut on the way to dropping kids off at school. Therefore, it is common to find many families using this store as well. Mac Market’s versatility of options is another reason why it attracts so many people. Acting as a liquor store, deli, and convenience store – it has managed to survive even though there are bigger chain grocery stores and coffee shops nearby. While the store is located in a heavily residential area, on the fringe of the denser and more urban sections of D.C., its location on Macarthur Boulevard has proved to be a life source of longevity for the store.

Alex Trager ’17