Healthy Corner Stores

The North Carolina Healthy Food Retail Designation (NCHFRD) program recognizes small food stores that meet product criteria established by the N.C. Healthy Food Retail Collaborative. This designation is important in creating healthier communities because people who live where healthy foods are easy to find are more likely to have lower risk of disease.   Any small food store in North Carolina that meets the designation criteria is eligible to receive a "Healthy Food Sold Here" certificate of designation and a door decal.  

Each small grocery store is unique; stores located in different communities or neighborhoods may require different approaches. Among the 6 criteria a store needs to meet to receive the North Carolina health food retail designation is to have a minimum quantity of mixed fruits and vegetables, whole grains, protein, and dairy/milk (1% or 2% cow's milk or soy milk). For more information about the requirements that the store needs to acquire the NCHFRD certificate, contact: Emma Leon at [email protected].  

The N.C. Healthy Food Retail Toolkit is available to help small food stores with increasing their healthy options and help them apply for the NC Healthy Food Retail Designation.

The Mecklenburg County Health Department has expanded the refrigerator program in corner stores with the North Carolina Healthy Retail Designation to incentivize small neighborhood stores in food insecure locations to increase their healthy options. See the list of seven stores below that have received a refrigerator to stock fresh fruits and vegetables: