Online food marketplaces & the fetishization of local: The case for narratology

Abstract

The homogenization of place through chain stores and restaurants, most evident in the USA over the last 50 years, has spurred a wave of neolocalism. Neolocalism can be seen as an anthesis to mass production wherein there has been an increased interest in and search for ‘local’ and ‘authentic’ goods and experiences often built on notions of nostalgia. In turn, companies selling place-specific items, particularly food, have recently become extremely popular. One of the most successful American entities offering such products is Goldbelly. Goldbelly – an “online marketplace for regional and artisanal foods” - markets itself as an authentic purveyor of nostalgic and local food components and frames purchasing from them as a way for customers to support local hospitality businesses (e.g. restaurants, bakeries, etc.) in an era of industry uncertainty. The popularity of these digital food marketplaces in the age of neolocalism suggests that consumers' notion of ‘local’ is evolving. Thus, this study aims to deconstruct the idea of ‘local’ relative to food sold in a digital space. It does so by comparing eateries deemed ‘iconic’ and ‘classic’ by popular sources with the products, eatery descriptions, locations, and marketing images of items sold representing the same location on the Goldbelly platform. In doing so, it highlights the “fetishization of local” in modern society and outlines how the framework of narratology could be useful in exploring how the stories told about food might contribute to how individuals perceive local foods.