Wright’s Family Market, a locally owned grocery store, has been a part of the Norman community for the past 42 years. At one time, Wright’s had four locations scattered throughout Norman.
Currently, however, Wright’s Family Market is preparing to close permanently facing its final hours, preparing to close permanently.
Over the years, Wright’s Family Market has faced increasing competition with the growing number of big-box stores opening in the Norman area.
With the business no longer able to turn a profit in the marketplace, Larry Wright said he has decided to close the last of his family’s stores.
News of Wright’s closing has been heartbreaking for employees such as Amanda “Mandi” Brown, who has worked at Wright’s Family Market for the past four years. She remembers shopping at Wright’s with her parents when Wright’s still had four locations in the ’90s.
News of Wright’s closing has been heartbreaking for employees like Amanda “Mandi” Brown.
Brown has worked at Wright’s for a total of 4 years, but remembers shopping there with her parents back when Wright’s still had four locations back in the 90s. Brown and Wright himself both attribute Wright’s Family Market’s decline to the big-box retailers in the area.
“Big corporations come in and saturate the market with prices they can’t sustain over time,” Wright said.
Both Wright and Brown brought up how they delivered groceries to those who can’t go out and get groceries themselves. When the store closes, these people will have to find some other way to get their groceries, and Brown finds this especially troublesome.
Brown reiterated said she felt as if the customers and employees where like family to her.
“It’s like losing a part of your extended family,” Brown said.
Throughout her time working thereemployment, Brown got to know some ofcame to know the customers on a first-name basis. Both Brown and Wright said that Wright’s Family Market delivered groceries to older and disabled customers unable to shop for themselves.
When the store closes, these customers will have to find another solution, and Brown said she finds this especially troublesome.
“It’s more than just a business,” Brown said.
She said doesn’t know what she will do after the store closes, but it’s a job that she will miss greatly.
She doesn’t see grocery work in her future because of the standard that Wright’s Family Market has given her.
“It’s a lax atmosphere where you can have fun and work at the same time,” she said.
But while Wright’s Family Market is closing, the Wright family’s legacy will remain in Norman through the continuation and expansion of Wright’s Floral Market.
Even though the Wright family won’t be leaving behind its presence in the community, with Wright’s Floral Market, but it will be leaving behind a family.
