Have the grocery stores in Liberty Township affected the business of the North Side Sparkle Market? There was some discussion about this on the radio this morning.
I do 98% of my shopping at the Union Square Sparkle and they always seem busy. As to Giant Eagle I also shop there 2% of the time, especially when they have sales on.
Both stores have been there for years and years, but Sparkle's personal are what keeps me coming back, as well as their deals on meat.
Union Square Sparkle will be closing soon ... what a crime. This store, its management and its employees are wonderful people.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- The Cafaro Co. announced minutes ago that the owner of the Sparkle Supermarket in its Union Square Plaza at Belmont Avenue and Gypsy Lane plans to close his grocery store July 31. Employees were
"reluctantly notified" this morning of the closing, according to The Cafaro Co.
Union Square Sparkle Closing After 40 Years
http://www.wkbn.com/content/news/local/story/Union-Square-Sparkle-Closing-After-40-Years/DC71onLOxESqetKtGVyU_A.cspx
Will Giant Eagle be next?
When WalMart came in they said thei presence would stimulate business growth. >:( WHAT BALD FACED LIARS THEY ARE. >:(
Youngstown just lost another business. A storefront will be empty. The city will no longer receive the employees' income tax.
This is what happens when the residents of Youngstown are not loyal to the city and its businesses.
I don't think you can blame Walmart entirely for this. I live on the north side and have tried on various occasions to shop in that Sparkle store. I found it to not be very clean at times (strange odors), they don't carry a lot of brands of items that I like to purchase. I prefer to buy my milk in a paper carton, Sparkle didn't carry any milk in paper, all plastic. I finally gave up, kind of sad that you can't stop a a store for bread and milk and find something that you are happy with. I shop at Giant Eagle for these reasons, I haven't shopped at Walmart although I did go look around and it appears to have a good selection and was very clean. I can't be "loyal" to a store just because it is in the city when they don't do their part to satisfy the customers.
My food dollars went further at Sparkle than Giant Eagle even using the Advantage Card, especially where meat is concerned, but still, I have to agree with Shar to an extent, that in this day in age when family budgets are tight, we have to shop where we can get the biggest bang for our bucks, so I guess that I'll be doing a lot of my shopping at Save-A-Lot as well as Giant Eagle. But I wonder just how much longer the Save-A-Lot store on Belmont Avenue will stay in business since it is in the same plaza as WalMart.
Maybe Save-a-Lot will move to the old Sparkle location.
Now that's an idea worth considering seriously.
jay williams and his administration will not help a store that is an union shop. williams would be elated if a nonunion grocery store would reopen in its place low wages and tax abatements that makes Mayor "J" heart leap with joy.
Hopefully someone will move into that location. The plaza stays pretty busy and I would hate to see the remaining business in the plaza suffer because of the loss of traffic from Sparkle.
"...and then there were five.":
http://shoutyoungstown.blogspot.com/2010/07/and-then-there-were-five.html
Prior to the Sparkle closing there were approximately 80,000 city residents/customers for the six major grocery stores. That's over 13,000 potential customers per store if equally divided. Too many residents of Youngstown prefer to send their money (and our jobs and tax dollars) to the suburbs.
When will it end?
I doubt political borders have much to do with where people spend their money .
Northside Sparkle is closing because it's competition does a better job of meeting the needs/wants of it's 13,000 potential customers. Read Shar's post, I'm sure she's not alone.
People decide where to shop based on many factors. Some factors are based mainly in facts: prices, business hours, proximity to customer (home, work, commute, leisure), etc. Some factors are based mainly on perceptions: value, cleanliness, safety, etc. Many factors fall into both groups and the groups probably differ from indivdual to individual.
It will only end when Ytown's entitlement majority no longer can be subsidized by a bankrupt government and become innovative and productive again. It will only end when free enterprise becomes what made America great once. It will only end when us Americans return to the teachings of all our faiths that "from the sweat of thy brow, thou shall eat", when we all work and not live off the dole of others.
Secondly, The Village Pantry is one of the few stores in Poland Village that has not closed its doors because it does compete with Marcs, Giant Eagle,etc. Again, unsubsidized business people compete by being innovative and hard working. The Village Pantry competes by going back to the old ways, they repack bulkfood into smaller packages which the large stores cannot do. The Amish suppliers have developed a large distribution company which now has manufacturers supplying product that one may not find at standard grocery stores. White house farms and The Dutch Cupboard are a part of this independent supplier and they too are expanding. One may get educated by checking out Dutchvalleyfoods.com. Who knows, some entrepreneur may come forth and open up a bulkfood store in the City and if done right, will be successful.
I stongly support "Neutral Money"
(Quotes below from the Shout Youngstown website)
Quote"Neutral money" comes from businesses that circulate revenues within an economy. (You buy haircuts from me, and I buy ice cream from you.)
I strive to support "Good Money"
Quote"Good money" comes from businesses that trade outside your region. They generate wealth. (Turning Technologies, other YBI companies, and numerous local exporters fall under this category)
It has been said that there will only be five larger grocery stores in the city of Youngstown after the north side Sparkle Market closes.
North Side - None
East Side - Two
South Side - One
West Side - Two
Walmart does stimulate business growth, just not in the same area of retail. The opening of a WalMart tells other national chains that the area is a good place to locate in. So the Wal Mart may be the key that unlocks the door to a future Lowe's, Home Depot, or other large retailer to the Belmont Avenue district.
I have shopped at Giant Eagle and the new Walmart, but would not shop the Union Square Sparkle as it looked rather uninviting and would not have the same selection that we are accustomed to. Perhaps they should get out of the general grocery business, reassess their opportunities and find a niche market that they can thrive in. Look at how well Jimmy's is doing in their niche.
I shop where I can get the biggest bang for my bucks, and if that means shopping at Save-A-Lot and Giant Eagle, so be it. Wih Sparkles closing, I'm going to shop at the stores that I just mentioned, and not at stores that just happen to be in the city because those in my neighborhood are convience stores that don't save me money. Today I went to Giant Eagle and came home with 10 bags of groceries for under $75.00. None of the convience stores could match that on a good day.
How many large grocery stores were in Youngstown in 1980?
I wonder how long Westside Sparkle will stay open? It's sort of an old-fashioned neighborhood grocery store. So, it doesn't have the room to carry the same amount of selection as modern, big-box grocery stores. It sounds like the only difference between it and the north side Sparkle, is that it doesn't have big-box competition nearby.
With the departure of Sparkles, the north side died a little this week.
Now the north side has more cemeteries than major grocery stores. :'(
Yet another reason why I cannot stand Wal-Mart...
Jay, In regards to neutral money, maybe this will sink home to many on this forum. If we produce shrimp in Ytown, within this local economy, what product can we transact in return? 57% of Ytown's inhabitants produce nothing and subsist on the dole of Jobs and Family Services, they have nothing to offer but government dollars. Maybe another 20% are employed by State and Federal entities, what product do they have to sell me? Free enterprise is under attack in America today and the reason this depression is more dangerous than the last is because unlike the 30's, we basically produce nothing.
At least during the Great Depression the unemployed Americans had a work ethic and WANTED to go to work. Same cannot be said for a way too large portion of the population today.
Rick,
Don't confuse unemployment and welfare.
In order to be unemployed, you have to have worked. Everyone that I worked with had worked their entire adult lives.
I don't think any of us have decided that living on unemployment is acceptable.
Sorry Jay but I don't agree....the North Side is no less alive this week than it was last week.
For a business to survive in the City of Youngstown it has to compete with the business in the suburbs. That means that it must provide a quality product, friendly service and a clean environment. I have talked to many of my neighbors on the north side this week about the closing of Sparkle. None of them really shopped there for various reasons such as poor selection, rude check out people, etc. I don't think that any business should expect the citizens of the City to accept less quality than the people in the burbs receive. Again, I am not a fan of Walmart and I don't shop there but you cannot blame them for this closing. All they did was provide a clean friencly environment with a good selection of groceries, meats and baked goods that is close to the city. When given a choice, people will spend their money where they believe they get the best value.
Amen Shar. I've also ran into rude check-out clerks at that store, but on the whole most were nice.
Jay seems to think that we should only shop at local stores regardless of what that does to our food budget, but he's not putting the food on our table, or taking care of our family budgets each month.
As I said before, I shop where I can get the biggest bang for my food dollars, and if that means shopping at Save-A-Lot and Giant Eagle in Liberty so be it., and when Jay is prepared to put the food on my table then and only then will I shop at the local stores.
Speaking of grocers and grocery stores, can anyone name this famous local grocer?
"Day-O! Day-O! Daylight come and I wanna go home.
Come Mr. Tally-man, tally me bananas."
Is it Mr. Tally-man?
"T'aint funny McGee." ;)
Come on folks, surely you've heard of this man.
towntalk is it henry nemeth's father?
How about our former Mayor Geo. Oles
BINGO John. It was George Oles Youngstown's 6 month Mayor.
Since Oles' home was in Poland, he an Mrs. Oles moved into the Hotel Ohio in order to run for Mayor.
percy squire wanted to do the same thing from columbus, ohio.
haha thats funny
since it is unconstitutional to have city employees live in their respectable city that they collect their paychecks from the city/sub taxpayers. why does a citizen must live in the city to be mayor. i heard jay williams is living in canfield, oh at the former residence of rev wagner.
hey iwasthere you should follow him home some night..See what is up with these crazy rumours...Maybe he is vacationing in Canfield but still living in the city...Its like when you go to your country house to get away from it all. Sort of like people in New York City when they go to the Hampton's for the weekend..Take pictures 8)
Quote from: Rushblvd on August 04, 2010, 04:00:32 PM
hey iwasthere you should follow him home some night..See what is up with these crazy rumours...Maybe he is vacationing in Canfield but still living in the city...Its like when you go to your country house to get away from it all. Sort of like people in New York City when they go to the Hampton's for the weekend..Take pictures 8)
maybe "J" would even invite me in to his new summer residence for a cocktail or two and some delicious BBQ later on that evening too. :o i knew of older lady having a summer home too but she was evicted/thrown out by her nieghbors. :-X
iwasthere--our friend received the help she needed and will be returning to her summer home
rushgal your commie pinko neighbor told me he talked to a neighbor of this individual. the water bill is still in the name of her former tenants. the family had to replace a new hotwater heater that was in the basement. the house must be cleaned from the musty smell due to a flood in the basement. all in all this individual has a place to stay in your neighborhood.
iwasthere--you are right---she has her home unless she goes to her old apt(garage) but then she will probably get evicted again 8)
Quote from: Rushblvd on August 06, 2010, 01:07:24 PM
iwasthere--you are right---she has her home unless she goes to her old apt(garage) but then she will probably get evicted again 8)
she will stay in her house aslong as she follows the doctor's orders thus avoiding the freindly nieghborhood welcome wagon love fest attitude.
iwasthere --we try to make all feel welcome -I am sure the neighborhood welcome wagon only wants the best for this person---we are glad to have her back and a member of society again..As fas as a love fest happening that will only take place Labor Day week-end at the annual Labor Day ///Wookstock///party :laugh: :laugh:
iam glad that what would jesus do attitude is still strong in your circle of your neighorhood. i will join your love fest if it is in the true spirit of woodstock. 8) :o