On East Main Street in Columbus, a new grocery store opened Wednesday. The Sav-a-Lot store will try to make a profit in an area that other grocers abandoned years ago.
The newly-paved parking lot and red, white, and blue welcome signs drew hundreds of shoppers to a Sav-a-Lot grocery store in the 11-hundred block of East Main Street. Annie Russell heard about the store through word-of-mouth. She used to live in the near east side neighborhood but has since moved to the area of East 5th and Cassady. She came to the store with her checkbook in hand to feed her family of six.
I was wondering when they were going to build one, so I'M quite happy they finally built one. Can I ask you how big a family you feed and how much you spent today? I have a family of six and I spent 150 dollars. Says Russell.
Russell says that $150 in food will last her family a couple of weeks. Inside the new grocery store, manager R.G. Kouns says his business plan hinges on prices about a third lower than competitors and walk-in customers from the East Main street neighborhood that other grocers abandoned long ago.
Unfortunately a lot of the stores that used to be in this area they've all re-located and gone to other areas that are further away. And it makes it very inconvenient for the people here to shop. And, as long as we can get everybody coming in here spending, 30, 40, or 50 bucks a week, we're going to make it. Says Kouns.
The Sav-a-Lot grocery store is part of a larger $2,400,000 Heritage Square development. When fully developed it will bring an estimated $800,000 payroll to the near east side neighborhood.
Tom Borgerding WOSU News.