Chicago grocery chain collapse leaves neighborhoods without food stores
The Post Millennial
Save A Lot spokeswoman Sarah Griffin said “financial headwinds” under Yellow Banana’s ownership led to the decision.
Shoppers across Chicago were hit with fewer options after Saturday as Save A Lot locations closed their doors for good, leaving several South and West Side neighborhoods without a full-service grocery store nearby.
The closures follow Save A Lot’s decision to end its licensing agreement with Ohio-based operator Yellow Banana after what the company described as ongoing financial problems. The stores closed just a few years after plans were announced to expand grocery access in areas considered food deserts.
Many customers arrived hoping to stock up before the doors shut. At the West Lawn location, shelves were mostly bare, fresh produce was gone, and remaining items were marked down by at least 50 percent. Some shoppers filled carts with discounted groceries, while others couldn’t find what they came for.
Save A Lot spokeswoman Sarah Griffin said “financial headwinds” under Yellow Banana’s ownership led to the decision, adding that “dramatic cuts to SNAP benefits” were a major factor. She said Save A Lot informed Yellow Banana at the end of June that it was ending the operating agreement after failing to find a way to keep the stores open.
The closures also leave employees out of work. One worker, who declined to be identified, said he had worked for Save A Lot for more than 22 years.
“Now I’m out of work,” he said.