I have unfortunate news for everyone in Belfry, KY; Williamson, WV; and the surrounding area: we didn’t want to expect it, but we did. One of the stores we liked going to for many years is closing because it always had good deals on the products it sold. The store I am talking about is Save-A-Lot in South Williamson, KY. More than three employees at Save-A-Lot, whom I will not name, shared with us that the store is on its way to closing and that it would be lucky to make it to September. The employees there said that Save-A-Lot no longer restocks and will continue to sell whatever it has left until it closes. A few employees at Save-A-Lot have said they are already looking for a new job or have found one ahead of time before Save-A-Lot closes. While it’s well known that competitors such as Walmart and the rebuilt Food City hurt Save-A-Lot badly, what put the nail in its coffin was the refusal to fix the bridge you would drive across to get to Save-A-Lot. That bridge was destroyed a few years ago, and the property owner refused to allow anyone to repair it, which hit Save-A-Lot hard in the long run and now results in its closure. This confluence of challenges, especially the prolonged bridge issue, ultimately led to its downfall.
The only way to get to Save-A-Lot is to go around the area to the other bridge and then drive in from the back. If someone doesn’t know this area, they would probably have a hard time finding how to get to Save-A-Lot or couldn’t find a way around to it. It is as if Save-A-Lot is on an island. Because of this, everyone in this area can see that Save-A-Lot would struggle to stay in business, and now, unfortunately, it can no longer stay in business.
I am not sure what anyone can do about it; it is somewhat too late to do anything now. I am sure this news will make Food City and Walmart happy. But in the future, if a business wants to operate in this area, be sure to take a close look at the property first, especially if there is a bridge already owned by someone else, and be aware of the risk that those owners could choke the business. If anyone wants to open a physical business in that area, don’t do so just to compete with others, because they’ve already taken most of the pie and left only crumbs for other businesses, which would be a hit-or-miss proposition for them. For example, we have more than two stores in that area, so if you want to open a physical business, don’t open a similar store; instead, consider something else, such as a studio for whatever it is that you want to do as a business. Unless you want to take a risk and know there is no guarantee it will be successful, then go for it! A technology store, or even a cigar shop (real cigar shop, not cigarettes and machine-made cigars like Swisher Sweets, but real cigars such as one of my favorites, Arturo Fuente or Padron), would be nice to have in my opinion, and if you do, be sure to pay me a royalty for the idea (I am kidding!).
I have gone to this Save-A-Lot so many times in my life; I was there when construction leveled the land where Wal-Mart, Save-A-Lot, and others now sit. Before Wal-Mart, Save-A-Lot, and others, there was a bowling alley called Pimingo Lanes, which was converted into a store called Maloney’s, then changed to LA Joe’s. To get to Maloney’s, you would have had to drive downhill to reach the store or drive uphill to leave it, and there wasn’t much blacktop, just dirt and concrete. It’s a shame to see something like this happen, but it is. Enjoy visiting Save-A-Lot while you can! There are still Save-A-Lot stores; Save-A-Lot currently has 642 active locations, but it has closed 7 stores so far in the last month alone and will continue to close more next month, including the Save-A-Lot in South Williamson, KY.
Save-A-Lot stores locator: https://savealot.com/stores
Farewell, Save-A-Lot of South Williamson, KY! I wonder what will happen to the Save-A-Lot building. I am sure it will be up for sale or lease eventually, and the Save-A-Lot building in South Williamson, KY, is still in relatively good shape. Even if anyone is going to buy, rent, or lease the building, I suggest they address that bridge first. What are your thoughts on seeing Save-A-Lot in South Williamson, KY, close? When it does, any idea what the building should be used for? Leave a comment!
This article was published to inform residents of areas like South Williamson, Pikeville, Belfry, Aflex, Turkey Creek, Forest Hill, and Stone in KY, and Williamson, Logan, Matewan, Delbarton, and Red Jacket in WV, that Save-A-Lot is closing. This is significant because Save-A-Lot has been here since the property was leveled for businesses such as Wal-Mart, Save-A-Lot, and others. Before them, the property was somewhat bowl-shaped. Although this article is published for the public, JoshiesWorld also publishes articles meant for the world, such as current events, but from time to time I will write articles about where I am from or where I am.
Joshua “Joshie” Sullivan.
Donate or buy JoshiesWorld merch to support JoshiesWorld, and follow JoshiesWorld on social media. If you notice any incorrect information or website issues, contact JoshiesWorld.
Be the first one to comment!