A 17,000-square-foot grocery store is the latest addition to The Summit mall in Wheatfield.
Save-A-Lot opened its doors to the public Jan. 9. John Hedlund, the store’s manager, lives in Wheatfield and operates two other stores — in Salamanca and Bradford, Pa. — with business partner William Larson.
Hedlund said he told company officials that if they ever opened a store in Niagara County, he’d be interested in running it. The opportunity arose earlier this fall when Save-A-Lot announced interest in The Summit.
Hedlund said the store serves a need in the community.
“I feel there’s an opportunity here. There’s a niche that needed to be taken care of in the area (especially with senior housing nearby),” he said. “It’s a long time coming to get a (grocery) store here is what I’ve heard from customers.”
The store has drawn shoppers from Wheatfield, Lockport, Lewiston and Grand Island, he said. Shoppers also have said they like the clean, bright look of the store, Hedlund said, adding that with 11 other stores in the Buffalo-Niagara region, customers are familiar with the Save-A-Lot brand.
Summit Marketing Director Josette DiDomizio said Save-A-Lot is a welcome addition to the mall.
“We have been looking forward to having them open up since they announced coming here in October,” she said. Save-A-Lot occupies more than half of what used to be a Toys “R” Us.
One of the nation’s largest edited assortment grocery chains, Save-A-Lot operates 1,150 stores in a variety of different neighborhoods, from rural to urban.
Edited assortment means that the stores carry only the most frequently purchased grocery items — both store-brand and some national labels — as well as dairy products and frozen foods. Hedlund said his stores focus on fresh-cut meats and quality produce. They also offer a “dollar-department” for general merchandise items.
The company’s store-branded products enable it to offer shoppers savings up to 40 percent per trip compared to conventional supermarkets, according to its Web site. Customers must bag their own items, helping Save-A-Lot cut down on labor costs.
Serving more than four million shoppers weekly, Save-A-Lot’s retail sales exceed $4 billion annually. The three-decades-old company is based in Earth City, Mo.
The Summit store is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays.
Contact reporter David J. Hill at 693-1000, ext. 115.
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