Trisha Hampel, left, is the assistant manager and Jan Brown is the owner/ manager of Ashworth’s Market on Sherman Avenue in North Bend. The small convenient market is on a busy street and serves customers day and night.-World Photo by Lou Sennick

Though national chains and discount retailers dominate America’s grocery business, a handful of old-fashioned neighborhood markets still survive in the Bay Area — some of them owned and run by the same families for decades.

What keeps them around? Convenience is a big factor, say the owners of three such stores. Also selection, customer loyalty and — perhaps surprisingly — rising fuel prices.

“I think part of it is location, location, location,” said Jan Brown, owner of Ashworth’s Market.

Brown bought the North Bend store from her father-in-law two years ago. He owned it for 25 years.

Many of her customers live nearby, on fixed incomes. They don’t have driver’s licenses and can’t afford taxis. She also gets business from tourists staying at close-by motels.

“We can’t compete, pricewise,” Brown said. “When they’re spending money here, it’s not necessarily the best thing for them, but that’s what they have to do.”

But Brown and other store owners are convinced availability isn’t all that keeps customers coming back. They’re loyal, too.

“We see some of them two or three times a day,”  Brown said. “We totally appreciate them. We know them by name and take the time to talk with them.”

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