Grocery Stores, Including Walmart and Save A Lot, Are Closing Locations, Starting May 26
Closures will continue through the beginning of June.
Grocery shopping can be one of the most time-consuming errands, from assembling your list and checking it twice, to gathering coupons and waiting in line at the register. That doesn't even include your commute to and from the store—and that can be made even worse when your go-to local store is suddenly closed. Some shoppers will soon find themselves forced to make adjustments, as retailers like Walmart and Save a Lot are closing locations in the coming weeks. Read on to find out more about the latest closures.
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Walmart added another store to its list of closing locations.
Since February, Walmart has been actively closing "underperforming" stores across the country, and the company just added another to the list. The Walmart Neighborhood Market at 10303 Metcalf Ave. in Overland Park, Kansas, is closing permanently, the company confirmed.
The store's pharmacy is shuttering on Friday, May 26, while the store itself is closing to the public on June 2, Walmart said. Similar to other closing stores, the Overland Park Walmart was found to be underperforming following a comprehensive review process
"We are grateful to the customers who have given us the privilege of serving them at our Overland Park location at 10303 Metcalf," Lauren Willis, global communications director for Walmart Corporate Affairs, told Best Life in a statement. "We look forward to serving them at our other stores in the surrounding communities and on walmart.com."
Save A Lot is closing a store in June.
Save A Lot is also shuttering a store in Waterville, Maine, on June 1, the Morning Sentinel reported. Due to financial concerns and increasing rent, the store at 20 Concourse West is shutting down, Zak Sclar, CEO of eight Food City grocery stores and Save A Lots in Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont, told the outlet.
"It hasn't been financially sound for years," Sclar said. "We just couldn't get enough support in the downtown. We tried."
The Save A Lot first opened in April 2012, catering to older adults in the area and those who don't drive, per the Morning Sentinel.
"I'm thankful that he was able to try to put something in to help the residents of the city," Waterville Mayor Jay Coelho told the outlet. "Obviously, not enough people are walking there. The prices are great. I go to Save A Lot all the time when I'm downtown."
The store's 12 employees have been offered roles at other Food City stores, Sclar confirmed.
"We didn't take the decision lightly, and we kept it open many years longer than we should have because we care about our employees and knew the convenience factor for elderly and walking customers," Sclar added. "There's just so much we could do. It's been a struggle."
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Another Save A Lot closed last month.
While shoppers received advance notice about the Save A Lot in Maine, those in East St. Louis, Illinois, were surprised when their local store shuttered on April 20. According to Fox 2 Now, shoppers arrived at the store to find an empty parking lot and a sign announcing the closure on the door.
"It says sorry, we're closing, with two little sad faces on it," Fairmont City resident Killian Weir told the outlet. "I knew nothing about it."
The store's owner, Robert "Bob" Bonner, told the Belleville News-Democrat that he's retiring after eight years in business.
"Someone else will come along and open another grocery store. I am retiring," he said, noting that he plans to return to his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
In a statement to the St. Louis Business Journal, a spokesperson for Save A Lot added, "The independent owner and operator of the Save A Lot location on Vieux Carre in East St. Louis made the difficult decision to close the store on April 20, donating any remaining items to local charities, including the Urban League and nearby churches. We are grateful to our customers for their loyal support in this location, and hope to continue serving them through our store at 2600 State Street."
Best Life reached out to Save A Lot for comment on the closure, and will update the story when we hear back.
A local health food store is closing up shop as well.
In addition to larger chains, Natur-Tyme, a health and wellness food store in Syracuse, New York, is shutting down, WholeFoods Magazine reported.
The store cited several factors, including "insurmountable financial losses" and lower revenue that date back to the COVID-19 pandemic as reasons for the closure. The business is currently holding a going-out-of-business sale, which will continue into early June if inventory lasts.
"The decision to close Natur-Tyme was extremely difficult, since this local business has been part of our family for more than 30 years," Wendy Meyerson and Andrew Fox, the owners of Natur-Tyme, said in a message to their customers. "Although saddened by this announcement, we are very proud of what we have accomplished in our efforts to improve the health and wellness of tens of thousands of customers over these many years."
