BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Save A Lot at 2160 Genesee Street in Buffalo is permanently closed, with a sign thanking customers for their patronage on Thursday.
A gap in the shutters revealed an empty store in disarray, with shelves already cleared out.
Neighbors say it has been closed for the last few days, with a previous sign saying the closure was due to "inventory."
WATCH: 'A sad sight': Save A Lot in Buffalo closes for good
The closure is sudden, with no notice other than the sign on the door.
"A shock," said Rei Quan, who lives nearby and does not drive. "It's been around for years now. A lot of people have been shopping here for years, and the fact that it's closed is scary to see."
Quan told me he will now have to walk much further to get groceries.
"The only option we got close right now is Family Dollar. But that's it right now. Everything in our neighborhood is closing," he said.
Abdulaziz Alsoufi works in a cell phone repair shop a few doors down. He tells me he often sees people walking their groceries home from the store.
"Someone that drives, they always have a lot of options. But people that walk, people who use their own shopping carts to get their groceries? They don't," Alsoufi said. "They only have that place, or the other corner stores, but corner stores don't have as much variety as Save A Lot."
A handful of local Save A Lot stores have closed in recent years. The store in the Broadway Market closed in June 2024, followed by the Lancaster location in August and the Batavia location in October of the same year.
A Save A Lot spokesperson confirmed the closure late Thursday afternoon.
"We take the decision to close any Save A Lot location very seriously. Unfortunately, as a result of changing market dynamics, the independent licensee who owns and operates the store at 2160 Genesee St. made the difficult decision to close on May 11. We are grateful to our customers for their loyal support of this location and encourage our customers to visit us at 79 S. Rossler St in Cheektowaga to continue getting high quality, fresh affordable food options."
