 Each Rice store carried a set of merchandise that varied depending on the ethnic background of the neighborhood that it resided in.A grocer quoted in a 1985 "Houston Chronicle" article said that Rice shoppers tended to be older than shoppers at other chains, and Rice shoppers tended to be very loyal to the chain.In 1985 Judith Crown of the "Houston Chronicle" said that Rice "probably" has "more specialty goods than other chains."