Delays of SNAP benefits hurting small grocers

A little more than a year ago, Ryan Sprankle welcomed President Trump to one of the three grocery stores his family owns near Pittsburgh. Trump was on the campaign trail; they talked about high grocery prices and the Republican nominee picked up a bag of popcorn.

- BY DEE-ANN DURBIN

LANE TURNER Boston Globe

CUSTOMERS shop in the produce department at Tropical Foods grocery store in Boston last week.

But these days, Sprankle would have a different message if Trump or any law makers visited his store. He wants them to know that delayed SNAP benefits during the government shutdown has hurt his customers and his small, independent chain.

“You can’t take away from the most needy people in the country,” Sprankle said. “It’s inhumane.”

The Trump administration froze funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program at the end of October, affecting food access for some 42 million Americans. On Monday, the U.S. Senate passed legislation that would reopen the federal government and replenish SNAP funds. The House was scheduled to vote on that bill Wednesday evening. But it's unclear when SNAP payments might resume if the government reopens.

In 2024, SNAP recipients redeemed a little more than $96 billion in benefits, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the program. The majority — 74% — was spent at superstores and supermarkets, a category that includes big chains such as Walmart but also independent stores such as Sprankle’s.

Around 14% was spent at smaller grocery and convenience stores, businesses often tucked into neighborhoods and more easily accessible to SNAP beneficiaries.

A stalled local economic engine