Small Business Saturday: Save A Lot aims to be your one-stop shop

Meats, produce and bargains abound

By Karen Carr Keefe

Senior Contributing Writer

Save A Lot, at 2429 Military Road in Niagara Falls, has a lot “in store” for Small Business Saturday shoppers.

In fact, it is unveiling a new look, as well as specials that are geared toward Nov. 30’s retail holiday.

Owner Suzanne Schmitz bought the Niagara Falls store last year. It has been open about 10 years. Just last week, she unveiled the next stage in a remodeled version that has a “wow” factor, as well as being a store that’s fully stocked with a wide variety of fresh foods.

“We try to add in as many local items as we can,” increasing variety, Schmitz said. “Definitely, our focus is fresh meats. We have butchers on site cutting meat every day, which is getting more and more rare.” She said the butchers can do custom cuts, as well.

The store has a “Super Saturday” sale every Saturday.

“It’s a one-day sale with super-hot pricing,” Schmitz said.

People can check out those specials on the store’s Facebook page.

And Schmitz said she thinks Small Business Saturday shoppers who are new to the store will find that Save A Lot lives up to its name.

“Right now, our big initiative is that Save A Lot, nationwide, just rolled out an app, so we’re really pushing our loyalty app,” she said. “People can sign up, enter their phone number, check out and earn points. “You can get free things – there’s lots of good coupons and discounts.

“The main thing is that – all of the different owners control their own pricing – so I lowered 1,500 prices when I bought the store. That was our first big change.”

That was an important step in recognizing customer needs, Schmitz said.

“Well, it’s a tough economy, so discount groceries are where it’s at right now. I think we have a really good blend of everything,” she said,

“We have the core grocery items that are our private label, so they’re cheaper, and then you throw in fresh meats with the butchers on site, a full produce department – and all at lower prices. I think that right now is no better time to check us out, with the economy the way it is. I’m doing all I can to keep prices as low as possible.”

The Save A Lot store at 2429 Military Road, Niagara Falls, offers fresh produce, fresh meats and a fresh remodel, inside and out, to complement its offerings. (Submitted photos)

••••••••

As far as the revamped appearance of the store, there’s a new logo on the exterior sign that went up Nov. 20. The wood plank floor throughout the store is the most noticeable change, Schmitz said. Next up is the décor and wall signs.

Schmitz has a lot of background in providing the complete shopping experience for Western New Yorkers. She started with the company when she was 16.

“It was my first job, as a cashier. I worked for a family that owned some stores locally,” she said. That was in her hometown of North Collins. “I learned the business and then, ultimately, ended up opened up some of my own stores.

Now, she owns seven Save A Lot stores in Western New York and actually manages three more for the folks she originally worked for.

Besides the Military Road store, Schmitz also owns the Save A Lot at 1365 Nash Road in North Tonawanda, as well as the five others. There are about 16 employees at her Niagara Falls store and about 14 at North Tonawanda.

Schmitz stands out as a woman entrepreneur in the grocery business.

“It’s definitely a male-dominated industry,” she said.

The Save A Lot stores all are locally owned, and not a corporate entity.

“I definitely feel like we pull between Niagara Falls and North Tonawanda – that area in-between (including Wheatfield) – those folks have to go somewhere else to buy groceries, essentially, because they don’t really have a lot of options.”

But she said the core of the business is Military Road in the Falls.

Schmitz also is piloting a program, just at the Niagara store, that can benefit food stamp customers. Not many stores offer the program locally, she said. It’s a statewide program, but run by third party organizations, not by the state.

It’s called “Double Up Food Bucks NY.”

Schmitz explained that, when qualified customers buy fresh produce, the Save A Lot in Niagara Falls offers a matching program.

“At the register, they’ll get a coupon for up to $10 that’s an exact match to whatever they spent on fresh produce,” Schmitz said. “They can then come back later and redeem the coupon for more fresh produce – for free – so, basically doubling their fresh produce purchases.”

A hallmark of the Save A Lot stores is that they always try to get more regional products, Schmitz said: “Our secret sauce is that we have local owners that live here and are more in tune with the customers.”