Well, Im a small time investor. A student. Besides all the numbers everyone has been posting, I found reading this article valuable for its insight as to how the grocery business set up. Just a glance over that article shows your that
Employment change. The number of wage and salary jobs in grocery stores is expected to experience little or no growth over the 2008-18 period, compared to 11 percent growth projected for all industries combined. Competition from restaurants and other eating places, and from supercenters and warehouse clubs, will cause some grocery stores to close and others to get bigger or specialize in order to compete.
Also a very strong union backing
Twenty-two percent of all employees in grocery stores belong to a union or are covered by union contracts, compared with 14 percent in all industries.
just my two cents