Save-A-Lot: A Store Review

Save-a-Lot opened a new store here in Duluth MN about a year ago. Their first in our city, and also my first exposure to the chain of discount food stores. The discount food chain Save-a-Lot was founded in 1977, and is a subsidiary of Supervalue a well known national food chain. The premise of there mission is to supply most everything you would like to buy, but in limited selection. As an example, if you were looking for shredded wheat cereal, you would have their store brand of mini-wheat cereal available in sugar coated and plain. One brand, two styles and that is all they carry in the way of shredded wheat cereal.

For those on a tight food budget the opportunity to save a claimed 40% to 60% on their food purchases would be an enticing reason to shop at Save-a-Lot. The fact that they don't have a wide variety of brand names to chose from to most would be of little significance. I know my choice would be more money in my pocket regardless of which company is named on the food package.

When they opened I was one of the first in line. A year ago my food budget was getting out of control, I couldn't walk through the Wal Mart Super Center without leaving a $100 bill, no matter how hard I tried.

Shopping at Save-a-Lot immediately reduced my food bill to around $40. The best part is I felt we were still eating the same quality of meals, the only thing missing was a lot of extra junk food or impulse purchases that we really didn't need in the first place.

This is not to say the transition was totally painless. In short order we learned that some of their store or off brands were just that, a little bit off. whether it be texture or taste, some of there foods aren't all that great. By far this has been a very small minority of things, so by itself this issue shouldn't keep someone from experimenting with their products. The money saved will dramatically out weigh any minor dissatisfaction.

You will learn real quick that this store operates on the "Just about to expire" theory. That meaning such things as produce you will find things ripe to the point of eat it now or throw it away. Prepackaged Mixed Lettuce salad is dated to expire within a couple days and if not used within that time frame will be uneatable. Often you'll find a rotten tomato in the bunch, be sure to look closely. Milk must always be checked for time left to expire. The most time you will find remaining is about a week. Sam's club on the other hand will always have at least two weeks before expiration and sometimes as much as three weeks. If you buy multiple gallons of skim milk at a time as I do, at Save-a-Lot you may have to buy one skim, one 2% to get expiration dates that will last until the milk is consumed.

Some of the meat, particularity the fresh beef, looks like its been around a long time. The red is often gone and and some looks almost brown in color. Inspecting your purchases closely will prevent you from being disappointed when you get home.

When the Duluth store opened they were picketed continually for about six months. With union complaints of low wages or lack of benefits, they carried pickets in front of the store on a daily basis.

As I became a regular daytime customer I seemed to always get the same very nice checkout lady. Always friendly and chipper, she was a pleasure to do business with. The store has a very small staff, so I seldom see more then two people running the place. The other staff seemed to turn over very often, as beyond this one particular sales lady, it appeared to be a new person every time I shop. Some of these characters, and I use the term loosely, seem to be pretty low on the food chain.

My most recent trip to Save-a-Lot has altered my attitude toward the company. The nice sales lady that I had come accustomed to has apparently left. I haven't seen her for a month or two. Now it's a steady stream of unlikable people who seem to be only minimally interested is staying employed.

My last trip I picked up a couple cardboard boxes before shopping, as I checked out I placed the boxes in my now empty cart and placed it at the end of the checkout so the clerk could put my purchases in my cart. This was done as the usual method of operation is they ring up your purchase and place it back into an empty cart so you can bag it yourself.

Thinking I was making life easier for both of us I usually place empty cardboard boxes in the empty cart so they can place the goods in the boxes. This time the new and rather gruff employee made a point of dumping the goods as roughly as possible in one box and placing the remaining goods outside and around the other box. Making a mess of my purchases and clearly trying to be annoying and inconsiderate.

I stated to her "You'll go to any length to avoid putting it in the box, won't you". She grumbled she wasn't trained to bag groceries. There was no thank you coming from me, I paid my bill and left. If I would have been thinking a bit faster I would have just walked out leaving her to deal with a cart load of groceries that I shouldn't have paid for.

It is very apparent that Save-a-Lot pays low wages, the quality of people they seem to attract are very much substandard. The premise of the operation is good, as a lot of elderly and low income people live within walking distance. Sadly if they don't do a better job of pre-screening their employees, they are going to loose a good portion of the customer base they are marketing toward. I for one will be very selective about what and when I buy there, and will most likely be spending most of my money at the Wal Mart Super Center a few miles further down the road.

If they want any more of my money, they're going to have to improve their service. Saving money on the food is only part of the marketing job, without good service they'll fail in short order.