In the final chapter of a wholesale transformation that began in late 2020, Save A Lot has announced the relicensing of its remaining 18 company-operated stores in the St. Louis area.
They are being acquired by Leevers Supermarkets Inc., a Save A Lot retail partner with 29 stores in markets including Denver and Philadelphia. Leevers will continue to operate the St. Louis locations under the Save A Lot banner.
The move finalizes the company’s strategy to shift operations of all locations to independent, licensed ownership and to foster continued brand growth as a wholesaler.
“It’s clear that our long-term growth momentum must be rooted in the success of our strong network of retail partners,” said Leon Bergmann, CEO.
“Since its inception, Save A Lot has filled an important need as a discount, high quality hometown grocer in each community it serves. Our retail partners are closest to and best positioned to meet the needs of those customers.
“Their commitment to our brand and the consumer we serve is unmatched in the industry. The time was right for us to step fully into our role as a licensed wholesaler and put all operations in the hands of our dedicated retailers.”
Gabe Disbrow, Leevers Supermarkets president and CEO, said the company is “thrilled to grow our footprint with the brand.”
“We remain fully committed to delivering an exceptional shopping experience with unmatched value to every shopper who walks through our doors. We’re looking forward to being a part of the St. Louis community.”
While no longer operating stores directly, Save A Lot will continue to work with retail partners such as Leevers and others to provide a base for testing innovations and programs before deploying them to all stores.
“We are excited to expand our collaboration with the Leevers team, who have been fantastic partners, strong operators and excellent ambassadors of the Save A Lot brand,” Bergmann said.
“They join a strong and dedicated network of other retail partners in the St. Louis area to continue to provide first-rate leadership to many other retailers in our national network. We’re confident that with this change in our business, we are best positioned to achieve our long-term goal of enabling profitable sales growth for all Save A Lot retailers.”
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