An affordable grocery store, Save A Lot, located on the east side near Irvington, has closed its doors, leaving the community without access to budget-friendly groceries.
The independent owner of the store at 5940 E. 10th St. made the “difficult decision,” according to company spokeswoman Sarah Griffin, on Wednesday.
“We appreciate the support of our loyal customers at this store and we would like to invite shoppers to visit our nearest locations at 3739 E Washington St., 2930 E 38th St., and 8101 Pendleton Pike,” shared Griffin in an email to IndyStar.
According to her, the employees of the store will have the opportunity to be offered positions at the other stores.
Dawn Briggs, the chairwoman of the Irvington Community Council Land Use Committee, was informed by employees on Wednesday that the store would be closing by the end of the day due to the building’s disrepair.
Briggs recalled how the owners informed him that they had shut down their business and were unsure if they would relocate elsewhere. He noted that the reason behind their closure was the deteriorating infrastructure, with everything falling into disrepair.
Save A Lot, a discount grocery store chain, boasts on its website that it is the largest independently owned company of its kind in the United States. With approximately 800 outlets spread across 32 states, their presence is certainly significant. In the city alone, there are five Save A Lot stores, offering local residents convenient access to affordable groceries.
According to Sue Beecher, the President of the Community Council, the Save A Lot store was a convenient option for residents who didn’t have cars or needed last-minute food essentials, despite the presence of an Aldi store less than 2 miles away at 6691 E. Washington St.
“It’s really unfortunate that this resource is no longer accessible to the people in the area,” she expressed with a hint of sadness.
According to a recent survey conducted by the Community Council, residents expressed a strong desire for a grocery store at the revitalized Irvington Plaza located at the 6200 block of East Washington St. This information was shared by Beecher, who highlighted the overwhelming support from the residents.
