By Miles Shuper
Dinuba - Save Mart officials
will attend a Dinuba town meeting tonight to hear citizen concerns over the
pending closure of Dinuba's Save Mart.
The session will be at 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of the JFK Academy at 999
N. Crawford Ave.
Citing competition as a major factor in the company's decision, Save Mart announced the 35,000-square-foot store at 21505 El Monte Way on the east side of Dinuba will close at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6.
Dinuba
Mayor Terry McKittrick, a self-described loyal Save Mart shopper, expects
the town meeting will be well attended. Once news of the closure was made,
McKittrick said city officials received “lots and lots of calls”
from residents asking what can be done to keep the store open. The mayor said
a letter including the phone number and e-mail of the Save Mart corporate
headquarters in Modesto was published locally, prompting a large response.
Save Mart officials confirmed receiving at least 130 combined comments, calls and e-mails urging the huge supermarket chain to save the Dinuba market which has been there since 1991. Two corporation vice presidents, Dinuba store manager Bennett Lee and company communications director Alicia Rockwell are scheduled to attend the session.
Lee said none of the 35 workers at the Dinuba Save Mart will lose jobs. Each of them have been offered positions in stores in Reedley, Selma, Kingsburg, Visalia, Tulare, Fresno and other locations. Lee said it is fortunate that most of the employees live in the general vicinity and the majority will face no major commute changes. Lee, who was raised in Reedley, said he has not yet learned where he will be moved, adding that Save Mart has worked hard to ensure that no one will be jobless due to the Dinuba closure.
Lee said competition, especially from the Wal-Mart Superstore, which includes a large-scale supermarket, was part of the reason for the relatively poor economic performance of the Dinuba Save Mart over the past several years.
City Manager Ed Todd said there has been talk in the community that the Dinuba Save Mart was not doing well in meeting the corporation's profit margin. Todd said the Wal-Mart Superstore competition added to an already weak economic performance by the store.
Todd and McKittrick both said the company's response to community concerns and its willingness to meet with residents have been encouraging, but admitted that once a store closure decision is made it is unlikely to be reversed.
McKittrick said Dinuba's recent rapid growth, along with plans for a new elementary school and a large residential development in East Dinuba where Save Mart is located in a shopping center which includes K-Mart, will be stressed during the meeting.
Dinuba has at least three other food markets, besides Wal-Mart Superstore, but none is dominant, city officials said.
A letter addressed to community members and Save Mart customers states: “Store closures are never a happy occasion for us and we only do so after exhausting all other options. It is essential for us to not only protect the future success of our company as a whole but also protect the best interests of our employees. They are our most valuable commodity and their job security is important to us as well as to the communities where they live.”
The latter notes weekly Save Mart advertisements will continue to be sent to Dinuba area residents. “It is our hope that there may be times when shopping in our Reedley store will be worth the drive. Additionally, for those signed up with the S.H.A.R.E.s program, Save Mart will continue to put dollars back into the community buy supporting local schools and organizations whenever they shop.”
The letter acknowledges the Dinuba store's poor performance stating, “We regret any inconvenience this may cause you but it was time to take action with an under-achieving store. We are actively looking for another tenant for this location.”
Save Mart management has made no secret of concerns over Wal-Mart's blanketing some Central Valley areas with its Superstores. Grocery union and attorneys affiliated with Save Mart have filed legal actions in some cities basically over the competition issues.
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