What purpose is served by requiring a minimum threshold of sales derived from food items for a Retail Food Store?
Answer
To distinguish a general merchandise retailer that stocks groceries from an entity whose main function is food distribution.
The imposition of a quantitative sales threshold is a critical legal mechanism used by governing bodies to assign proper regulatory status. If a general retailer stocks some canned goods but derives only a small fraction of revenue from food, it is not functionally a food store. The threshold ensures that only businesses whose primary commercial endeavor centers on food sales—and thus align with the intent of food assistance or zoning regulations—receive the specific designation required for compliance, like participation in programs such as SNAP.

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