1 year ago
31
West Birmingham has one less option for groceries. The Save a Lot on Dennison Avenue closed its doors permanently, Thursday afternoon.Below is a picture of a note posted on the entrance.The news caught many shoppers by surprise who stopped by. Some feel like their community is not a priority when it comes to making sure neighbors have some of the basic necessities, like fresh food."I do not like this store closing; this is the closest door right at my home," Dominique Webb said.WVTM 13 reached out to the company about the closing. Here's the statement sent to us: "We take the decision to close any Save A Lot location very seriously. The independent licensee who owns and operates the Birmingham store at 873 Dennison Avenue has made the difficult decision to close, effective today, August 31, as a result of changing market conditions. We are grateful to our loyal customers at this store and encourage shoppers to visit our nearby location at 161 Bessemer Super Highway in Midfield."However, leaving your own community to grocery shop is not the easiest for some."Especially when like I said, when cars are broke down is easy to walk is easy to walk here. Besides walking to five points, for instance, or Fairfield, that's a long walk. And especially if you don't have the money, you can't take the bus. So walking like this right here, right close to the neighborhood," Webb said.The people who could potentially be affected the most are those without transportation and the elderly.WVTM 13 spoke with Birmingham City Council President Pro Tem Crystal Smitherman about the closing. She said the city had been in talks with the company to keep the store open:"Building equity in our community, especially as it relates to food insecurity, must start with ensuring healthy, affordable food options for residents that live in one of Birmingham’s designated food deserts. In so many communities across Birmingham, the only food retailers available are 'Dollar Stores' which only offer highly-processed foods. The proliferation of these stores is a major factor in preventing larger grocery stores from wanting to locate to these areas. They also undercut grocery stores that are currently operating here. In 2020, I joined my colleagues in passing legislation to prevent more of these stores from opening in underserved communities. For the second year in a row, I partnered with local farmers and vendors to for monthly farmer’s markets across District 6 in Birmingham. Not only was this an opportunity for residents to access fresh produce, but it also allowed them to build relationships with local farmers. While I’m not going to comment on this current situation I want to assure our residents that the City Council is taking this issue very seriously and we will continue working with the Mayor and his team to find ways recruit and retain more grocery stores in these historically underserved communities." Watch the video to hear from those who live in the area.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —
West Birmingham has one less option for groceries. The Save a Lot on Dennison Avenue closed its doors permanently, Thursday afternoon.
Below is a picture of a note posted on the entrance.
The news caught many shoppers by surprise who stopped by. Some feel like their community is not a priority when it comes to making sure neighbors have some of the basic necessities, like fresh food.
"I do not like this store closing; this is the closest door right at my home," Dominique Webb said.
WVTM 13 reached out to the company about the closing. Here's the statement sent to us:
"We take the decision to close any Save A Lot location very seriously. The independent licensee who owns and operates the Birmingham store at 873 Dennison Avenue has made the difficult decision to close, effective today, August 31, as a result of changing market conditions. We are grateful to our loyal customers at this store and encourage shoppers to visit our nearby location at 161 Bessemer Super Highway in Midfield."
However, leaving your own community to grocery shop is not the easiest for some.
"Especially when like I said, when cars are broke down is easy to walk is easy to walk here. Besides walking to five points, for instance, or Fairfield, that's a long walk. And especially if you don't have the money, you can't take the bus. So walking like this right here, right close to the neighborhood," Webb said.
The people who could potentially be affected the most are those without transportation and the elderly.
WVTM 13 spoke with Birmingham City Council President Pro Tem Crystal Smitherman about the closing. She said the city had been in talks with the company to keep the store open:
"Building equity in our community, especially as it relates to food insecurity, must start with ensuring healthy, affordable food options for residents that live in one of Birmingham’s designated food deserts. In so many communities across Birmingham, the only food retailers available are 'Dollar Stores' which only offer highly-processed foods. The proliferation of these stores is a major factor in preventing larger grocery stores from wanting to locate to these areas. They also undercut grocery stores that are currently operating here. In 2020, I joined my colleagues in passing legislation to prevent more of these stores from opening in underserved communities. For the second year in a row, I partnered with local farmers and vendors to for monthly farmer’s markets across District 6 in Birmingham. Not only was this an opportunity for residents to access fresh produce, but it also allowed them to build relationships with local farmers. While I’m not going to comment on this current situation I want to assure our residents that the City Council is taking this issue very seriously and we will continue working with the Mayor and his team to find ways recruit and retain more grocery stores in these historically underserved communities."
Watch the video to hear from those who live in the area.
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