WILSON, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Dollar General on Lake Street in Wilson has been indefinitely closed for months, leaving neighbors without an immediate spot for any kind of groceries since February 5.
At 85 years old, Donald Stevens doesn’t have a car anymore, but what he does have is a lawnmower, which, for him, does two very important and close to home things.
“I can mow with it, and I can also get groceries,” Stevens said. “I’ve got a trailer. I load it up and bring it down [to Dollar General and back].”
With Dollar General closed, Stevens has no store he can conveniently travel to and from to buy groceries.
“I’m totally trapped. If it weren’t for other people helping me, I wouldn’t be able to do anything,” Stevens said.
“Right now, we are a food desert,” Mayor Greg Martin said. “I believe everybody is heading to Newfane, which is 15-20 minutes outside the village… We are an elderly community, with a lot of people who have those issues with travel.”
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The only other option, the Wilson Lakeside Market, has been closed since a fire in January 2025. Nearly a year later, I showcased plans to reopen the store as soon as January.
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With windows still boarded up and old food still seen on shelves, I think it’s safe to say that we are still a little while away from that reopening. I've reached out to the market owner but have not heard back.
As for why Dollar General is closed, I was told by the village that it closed on February 5 after the building had some issues. I am told those issues included a few code violations, but that those have all been fixed for about a month.
“The building is up to code by village and state standards. It’s just up to the corporation to get it open,” Martin said.
In a statement I received from Dollar General, a spokesperson told me they plan to reopen the store in the “coming weeks.”
Our location in Wilson, New York is currently closed to address store standards concerns. While we are not a grocer, we understand area residents may rely on us for everyday essentials, including food, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our customers. We are committed to serving the Wilson community and currently plan to reopen the store in the coming weeks.
