urbanSTL

leeharveyawesome wrote:I'll try out the Savalot but if it's annoying and/or they have a bunch of garbage on the shelves then I'll just go somewhere else.

That's kind of how capitalism works, isn't it?

But if this store fails, don't assume that Trader Joes or some other yuppie store will replace it. The fact that they aren't already there speaks volumes.

leeharveyawesome wrote:I'll try out the Savalot but if it's annoying and/or they have a bunch of garbage on the shelves then I'll just go somewhere else.

To me, this is spreading the ghetto not spreading the progress. As far as the renderings, the shopping center will look much better vacant and abandoned in five years than it does now though.

I see your point. I think that most people who live in this part of the city saw the Foodland-site redevelopment as an opportunity to attract more people to the region. Think if Trader Joes moved here (personally I don't get the fascination with that place and I've been told they have no interest in the St. Louis market at all). People would come from all over the city to shop here. For some reason, folks love that place and go out of their way to get there and spend $ there. People that this part of the city desperately needs would drive by and see a TJs and be like, wow, I'd like to live here. TJs would have catered to the Lafayette Square and Compton Heights areas, and the middle class people of Fox Park, McKinley Heights and Gate District. Instead we have a low end grocer. Someone searching for a home won't drive by and say WOW a Sav-A-Lot, how exciting! I get that this is better than nothing. But what would be worse than a SAL when it comes to chain grocers doing business in this market? I see this as nothing more than a missed opportunity and a slight upgrade for the region. I wish Sav-A-Lot the best and hope they visit the store at Jefferson/Cherokee and try not to duplicate that trainwreck here. If they do, then it's a net loss for people who want decent and safe shopping/retail in this part of the city. If they keep a clean store and demand dignity and respect from their customers, than this will be a nice place and normal people from all walks of life will shop here...if not, than as leeharvey mentioned...bummer for the area...like the gas station with EVERYTHING behind glass right next door...talk about ghetto vibes

I have never been to a Save-a-Lot, so I'll reserve judgment; but hopefully people in the area will have better food options when the planned farmers' market-esque shop by the Walgreens/City Hospital opens. Too bad the initial plan for a larger market wasn't able to go forward, but hopefully this less ambitious one does. IIRC, Shop-n-Save years ago had hoped to put in their upscale brand across from the hospital... I can't remember its name now, but I did visit one in Columbus and it was okay.

I'll keep shopping at The Hill Schnucks, where southside urbanists grudgingly shop because its so damn relaxed compared to too many other grocery stores. Maybe it's the crucifix...

framer wrote:

Mark Groth wrote:If they keep a clean store and demand dignity and respect from their customers, than this will be a nice place and normal people from all walks of life will shop here...

Thank you. I'm really not picky about where I buy groceries, but one thing I refuse to subject myself to is the sight of parents beating and/or cussing-out their children in the cereal aisle.

Which is why I don't shop at Wal-Mart. It has nothing to do with the "Wal-Mart is evil" stupidity, it's that I don't want to be around hoosiers (see: People of Wal-Mart).

innov8ion wrote:Interesting fact. Save-A-Lot is owned by the nation's third largest food-retailing conglomerate, SuperValu.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SuperValu_ ... es)#Chains

As indicated in the link, too, they also own Shop n' Save (though SnS is locally HQed)

From a PD article on tax credits:

Redoing a dead strip center on Jefferson Avenue just north of Interstate 44 got a $5 million new markets allocation. Green Street Properties plans to put a Save-A-Lot store in the long-vacant Foodland supermarket building and revive the rest of the development, which will be called Jefferson Commons. Board member Mark Levison voted with the others to award the tax credit allocation but voiced some dismay over Save-A-Lot. He said he doubts residents of nearby Lafayette Square will shop there. Levison, a former Lafayette Square resident, said he suspects most people living in the upscale area will drive to Schnucks or Dierbergs.

Rodney Crim, SLDC's executive director, said Green Street pitched the Jefferson Avenue site to Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. "Those didn't respond favorably," Crim added in his typical low-key style.



Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/business/column ... z1yoOkpu9k

$5M...really? I wish there was more engagement from residents from the Gate District, Lafayette Square, Fox Park, McKinley Heights and Compton Heights residents on this. Seems like a steep price to pay for more fast food and a Sav-A-Lot (the only 2 businesses to commit thus far. There were many more people in the public meeting against this than for it. But of course, that meeting was held after all the decisions had been made. Again we have the old "here you go homeowners and investors, you're getting a Sav-A-Lot...be happy, it's better than nothing". Again, if there are other worthwhile tennants such as a hardware store or fitness center, I think it will be much easier to justify...but as it stands now, I'm not optimistic about this elevating this part of St. Louis.

It seems there's quite a difference between what Lafayette Square residents (and other residents too) and businesses and presumably other residents think is a viable, worthy business in the city. Clearly Sav-A-Lot believes that there's a market at this location. That is, the store will serve residents when open. According to the story, the city pitched the site to Whole Foods and Trader Joes - both passed.

I think you're right. I'm sure they're looking at incomes, visibility, traffic counts, etc. and nothing has fit so far, but it's impossible for me to imagine that if a TJ's opened on Vandeventer, or Lindell, or Forest Park Ave, or... that it wouldn't be packed with shoppers. I'm not sure what it would take, but I think such a retail presence would be great for SLU, WU, CORTEX, etc. Perhaps they should consider subsidizing a store.

By the way, I think it's ridiculous that the former Laf Sq resident on the New Markets Tax Credit committee voted "no" on Sav-A-Lot and was quoted as saying that not many Laf Sq residents would shop there. Well, there's a little more to that area than just Laf Sq.

rbb wrote:Wasn't the Bohemian Hill grocery store that was supposed to go in across from the Georgian an upscale SuperValu chain, under the same corporate umbrella as Sav-a-Lot?

Think there's any possibility that that SuperValu is saving that bullet in hopes the Bohemian Hill development comes to fruition? Have they abandoned the idea of a premium grocery chain altogether? or are they merely responding to a change in the market, sensing a value grocer would do better today?

-RBB

Their upscale brand was called Sunflower, but they closed it down a few years back... quick wiki check said they had plans for 50 stores.

However, my understanding is that some sort of scaled-down plan for that cool-looking market that was planned around Jefferson & Choteau will be coming to the location next to the Walgreens across the street from City Hospital.

A Bloomberg Businessweek story on Supervalu, the parent company of Sav-A-Lot

Supervalu Inc. (SVU) (SVU), the third-largest U.S. grocery chain, sank as much as 33 percent in New York after saying it will review strategic alternatives for the business and suspended its dividend.

Supervalu tumbled (SVU) 31 percent to $3.65 at 7:39 a.m. after earlier touching $3.55. The Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based company’s shares had fallen 35 percent this year through yesterday, putting it on course for a fifth straight annual drop.

and

Supervalu, which operates the Shaw’s and Save-A-Lot chains, hasn’t turned an annual net profit in three years

The company is the most appealing leveraged buyout candidate among the three largest supermarket chains in America, according to Meredith Adler, a New York-based analyst for Barclays Plc, who published a June 11 report analyzing the LBO prospects for Supervalu, Kroger Co. (KR) (KR) and Safeway Inc. (SWY) (SWY)

source: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-0 ... ividend#p1