Stories
 •6 Selloffs Ratified
 •After Record 2002...
 •Alertness Higher after 9-11
 •Almco Praised...
 •Banking Service
 •Bluffton Fiscally Strong...
 •Bluffton Regional Medical
 •Bluffton-Harrison
 •Courthouse Completed
 •Drainage Board
 •Higher Education....
 •Inventory Tax Gets the Axe
 •Kneller Leads Planning
 •Large Markle...
 •Light at the End...
 •Million Dollar Attack
 •New Food Store in Old...
 •Norwell Progress...
 •Oldest Firm Recognized
 •Ossian Revitalization...
 •Planning Ahead
 •Poore Brothers Finds
 •Rebuilding the Bluff
 •Reed Risks It All...
 •Ribbon Cut at RiverTerr...
 •Southern Wells
 •State of the City...
 •Tradition, Transition at
 •United Way Succeeds...
 •Wayne Metals Adds...
 •Wells Ag Business May Be
 •Wetlands Progress...

 Advertisers
 •Adams County Memorial Hospital
 •Adams Wells Internet
 •ADM Alliance
 •American Family Ins.
 •A Different Light
 •Bi County Services
 •Bluffton Regional
 •The Bowling Center
 •Briner Building
 •Capri Apartments
 •Caylor Nickel
 •Chalet Real Estate
 •Covenant Chapel
 •Craigville Diesel
 •Cupp Realty
 •Curves
 •Daniels Jewelers
 •Decks
 •Edward Jones
 •Elzey-Patterson
 •Express Printing
 •Farm Bureau
 •Farm Credit
 •First Bank of Berne
 •General Insurance
 •Gerber Furniture
 •Good Shepherd
 •Goodwin Memorial
 •Hiday
 •Hiday Service
 •Ideal Homes
 •Innovative Concepts
 •Jimmy's Body Shop
 •John W. Carnall
 •Markle Bank
 •Markle Medical
 •Marks Heating
 •Mike Anderson
 •Minnich's Lawn Care
 •National Oil
 •Ossian State Bank
 •Pak-A-Sak
 •Palmer Ins.
 •PeopleLink
 •Peyton's
 •Pizza Hut
 •Pretzels Inc.
 •Raymond James
 •Shaw Real Estate
 •Shideler Chiropractic
 •Superior Auto
 •The Wellness Center
 •Troxel Equipment
 •Wells Fargo
 •WW Concrete

Progress Includes New Food Store in Traditional Location

By JIM BARBIERI
Food shopping progress here included a new store and concept, adding to customer choices in 2003.
And at a traditional food store site for much of a half-century.
The site at 935 North Main St. in the Villa North Shopping Plaza on the city’s north side was a pioneer supermarket address in Bluffton and home over the past of Farling’s, Maloley Bros., and Gerber Bros. supermarkets.
It became the first Indiana Save-A-Lot to be opened by Alliance Associates of Coldwater, Mich., which had 15 Save-A-Lots in Michigan and 3 in Ohio.
There are other Save-A-Lots in the Hoosier state under other ownerships in the nationally known network, one of the nation’s largest.
The Bluffton store also became the first independently-owned Save-A-Lot to feature a popular Dollar Store as an integral part of the grocery supermarket, it was confirmed by Robert T. Harris, chairman and CEO of Alliance Associates, who was here to help lead the grand opening back on Feb. 12.
He explained that this was made possible by the store’s 14,000-square-feet of selling space -- about 2,000 square feet more than a basic Save-A-Lot.
“We can compete with Wal-Mart,’’ Harris told Mayor Ted Ellis and others at the opening event as he cited the emphasis on quality at discount prices. Illustrated further was another large advance in just-in-time delivery as a means of lower food prices.
Promising up to 40 percent savings, was the watchword in the winter season debut of the Save-A-Lot Food Store here.
“Bluffton shoppers will be pleasantly surprised when they first visit the store and experience Save-A-Lot’s ‘value equation’ — great food at great prices!” said Harris.
He added, “Because of our edited-assortment method of retailing and the incredible buying power of more than 1,000 stores, Save-A-Lot Food Stores offer the highest quality products — many under our own exclusive brands — at terrific savings. If people spend an average of $65 per week on groceries, shopping at Save-A-Lot can mean a savings of more than $ 100 each month.”
Save-A-Lot is one of the nation’s fastest growing edited assortment grocery chains in the U.S. with more than 1,000 stores in 37 states. The company is opening more than 100 stores a year.
The company noted achieving its growth and success by developing a different way of retailing — its stores offer customers the most popular size and variety of the most frequently purchased grocery items.
“The edited-assortment of products, smaller size of the stores and incredible buying power work together to reduce operating expenses. These savings are passed on to the customer through lower prices,’’ the Alliance CEO explained.
Added was that the smaller store size — about 12,000- or 14,000-square-feet — “also makes shopping more convenient.”
“Our store size allows customers to have a quick and easy shopping experience,” Harris said. “And our edited-assortment format means that we’ve already done, some of the shopping for our customers. We know they expect to find great food at great prices.”
Save-A-Lot carries both selected national brand items and exclusive label products. To ensure that Save-A-Lot’s exclusive label products are as good or better than name brand items, the company has a test kitchen, a full-time economist and rigorous quality assurance procedures, it was stated.
“If a product does not meet Save-A-Lot’s standards for top quality, we won’t carry it,” Harris said.
The new Bluffton store was reported to carry about 1,250 of the most frequently purchased grocery items, including fresh meat, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, canned goods and packaged items, frozen foods and more, plus non-food items like health and beauty aids. In addition to grocery items, the store launched a general merchandise section with all items priced at one dollar.
Harris was most interested in the store location’s supermarket history as he cited the Save-A-Lot concept as a return to what made supermarkets a success years ago. He was delighted by the tradition here.
Joining Mayor Ellis in this official welcome to Sav-A Lot were Garry Jones, Wells County Chamber of Commerce CEO, and Suzanne Huffman, chamber manager, plus three representatives of the chamber’s new Ambassadors Committee to welcome new business -- Suzie Latham, Terry Troxel and Vicki Latham.
The new Save-A-Lot received some special attention from the Bluffton Board of Public Works & Safety.
Mayor Ellis, while alluding to winter jobs setbacks here from the Fremont plant closing cited the new Save-A-Lot plus the forthcoming Lowe’s as among the signs of jobs growth here.
He also reported asking a Save-A-Lot representative where the new store would be likely to draw its business.
Save-A-Lot, as indicated in prior accounts here and further confirmed by Harris today, expects to attract new business to the Wells County and Bluffton area as a major name in the price-competitive grocery field, expanding total retail sales here and helping other businesses too, along with community interests.
While most of the past 50 years the location has been a food store, it was most recently the site of Quality Farm Store which closed its store s last year although the operation here was believed a successful one at the time.