As an interesting follow-up to the Why Local is in the Zeigeist story I wrote in September, the latest TrendWatching.com briefing discusses “The Expectation Economy” and mentions a grocery store that tries to stock goods produced less than 100 miles from New York.

Urban Rustic, located in Williamsburg, NY, is a grocery store and café that aims to connect local urbanites with local farmers and producers, much like farmers’ markets do. The store primarily sells food and dry goods produced less than 100 miles from Brooklyn. Anything from farther afield is acquired from sustainable sources. Expectations being set? How about consumers developing a taste for (and demanding) anything and everything organic, eco-friendly, and local?

(Picture from the Urban Rustic web site)

What it means: I believe we will see more and more stores like this one catering to the needs of consumers who want to “shop local”. BTW, this is a great online product vertical waiting to happen. And there’s no reason why it could not be built by local newspapers or directory publishers.