Save-A-Lot coming to University Plaza

Tieran Lewis

Kent residents will soon have another choice for their grocery-shopping needs as a Save-A-Lot store plans to move in to the University Plaza space left vacant by Giant Eagle.

Ward 3 Councilman Wayne Wilson said Save-A-Lot is the only store that is seriously interested in coming to Kent.

“We never had anybody as serious as Save-A-Lot,” he said. “They actually were looking to come to Kent prior to the Giant Eagle even closing.”

Save-A-Lot spokesperson Jaime Powers said the grocery retailer knew the Kent community needed a new grocery store and the location was a perfect fit.

She said Save-A-Lot limits the number of products it sells in order to offer customers quality groceries at a discounted rate. She estimates customers can save about 40 percent on groceries purchased at Save-A-Lot as compared to traditional grocers.

“We carry about 1,250 of the items most purchased by customers,” Powers said. “What we won’t have is what we call the frills. We won’t have an in-store bakery, we won’t have an in-store deli or lobster tank or anything like that.”

Wilson said he thinks residents will miss having those “frills” in their grocery store.

“That’s the only drawback I see to having a Save-A-Lot over a traditional store,” he said.

But Powers and Wilson said they feel Save-A-Lot is a good fit for the Kent community.

Although he does not plan to shop there, Chris Raglin of Spruce Court said the store will be convenient for those in that area who don’t have transportation.

“With Save-A-Lot coming in, people in that part of town won’t have to go over to Acme or to the other stores in Stow,” he said.

Powers said this will be the ninth Save-A-Lot store in the Akron area.

Contact news correspondent Tieran Lewis at [email protected].