Business & Tech

Lifetime Grocer Finds Perfect Fit at Milton's Fruit Center

During the Fruit Center Marketplace's 40th anniversary a Milton resident shares his experience in the industry and with the popular retailer.

The Fruit Center Marketplace is celebrating 40 years of business on the South Shore. One employee, who's worked at the Milton store for 15 years, has a lifetime of experience in the grocery business and still happily greets customers four days a week.

Bill Mercer, 79, buys the dairy, keeps the shelves in order and interacts with customers, many of whom he's known for years, at the Fruit Center Marketplace.

Before joining the Fruit Center staff in Milton, Mercer had his own family business: the Milton Food Mart. His father opened the Brook Road store in 1948 and Mercer started helping out at age 15.

"I've been doing this stuff a long time," said Mercer, who lives in Milton with his wife Alice.

When Mercer's father past away in 1996, the family sold the business.

The Mignosa family has owned the Fruit Center since Don Mignosa opened a store in Weymouth in 1973. The store moved to Hingham in 1976 and added a Milton location three years later.

Don's sons, Mark and Michael, now manage the Hingham and Milton stores.

Mercer indicated his family's business model mirrored that of his current employer.

"It's all about customer relations," said Mercer. "There are an awful lot of places to shop."

With 40 years in the area, that customer-first attitude has led to generations of shoppers.

"Their parents shopped here and then their kids," Mark Mignosa said in March.

In a similar way, Mercer sees adults perusing the aisles of the Fruit Center that he sold popsicles to when they were children.

Now, Mercer works 30 hours a week at the Fruit Center, a significant decline from the days of owning the Milton Food Mart.

"When you have your own place, it's 24/7," said Mercer.

The father of two and grandfather of three, doesn't anticipate leaving the business he grew up in anytime soon, even if he is working for someone else.

"It's just such a fantastic place," Mercer said of the Fruit Center.

Learn more about the Fruit Center Marketplace by visiting fruitcentermarketplace.com.



Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here