Blue Water Grocery, a locally owned grocery store that has long served as Alpine’s primary alternative to national chain retailers, has transitioned to a cashless business model.
The store announced the change in a notice to customers, saying it will now accept electronic payments only after nearly two decades of handling cash transactions.
“For nearly 20 years, we’ve handled cash every day,” the notice states. “Over time, we realized that handling cash requires an enormous amount of time counting registers, making bank deposits, reconciling drawers, and resolving cash shortages.”
Store management said eliminating cash transactions will allow employees to spend less time managing money and more time serving customers.
According to the announcement, the move is expected to provide faster checkout, improve employee safety, reduce accounting errors, increase security and allow staff to focus more on customer service.
Blue Water Grocery has become known in Alpine as a locally owned alternative to Lowe’s Market, with an emphasis on specialty, organic and health-focused grocery items.
The decision reflects a broader trend among some retailers and restaurants that have adopted cashless operations in an effort to streamline transactions and reduce the costs and security risks associated with handling cash.
The store thanked customers for their understanding and continued support as it implements the new policy.
