The results from earlier research imply that many individuals appreciate the existence of food stores in their own residential area. But the access to a local food store can be described as a public good which is not possible to purchase in desired quantities on a normal market. The reason for this is that one isolated household can not by itself influence the volume and quality of the local retail service. Therefore, it is not enough to register the revealed preferences on the market, i.e. describe and analyse the actual purchasing behaviour. Some kind of complementary stated preference investigations are necessary if the aim is to evaluate the social consequences of different store locations. This was done by means of postal questionnaires with hypothetical questions about households' choice of stores, together with questions about socio-economic conditions and actual purchasing behaviour. The questionnaire was sent out to 2,000 individuals, living in three city districts in the Swedish capital Stockholm. The answering frequency was 57 percent. The results from the study show that individuals living in the same residential area have different preferences about the demanded level of retailing service in the local surroundings. It is possible to link the differences in preferences to socio-economic conditions and actual purchasing behaviour. Some prefer local stores and are willing to pay for this service, and some prefer to drive their car to more distant stores and take advantage of lower prices. It is also clear that the actual changes in grocery retailing accomodates the preferences of the minority of individuals in the investigated districts, who prefer to make most of their grocery shopping in out-of-town establishments. The large stores attract customers from the entire city, which implies a diminishing market for the smaller local stores in residential areas.