banana-box grocer

banana-box grocer
 n.— «Some reclamation centers then sell these goods to brokers, which hawk them to small salvage stores. The goods are typically contained in boxes that once carried bananas, so these smaller operations are often called banana-box grocers. Some food-industry experts say one drawback to the banana-box stores is that fewer damaged goods are being distributed to food banks, which have reported steep inventory declines over the past year.» —“One Store’s Old Food Is Others’ Bread and Butter” by David Kesmodel in Leola, Pennsylvania Wall Street Journal Feb. 22, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)