Big Lot's & Whole Foods & The Giant Eagle Experience

[Bill Call]

I've heard that the Big Lot's store in Rocky River will be converted to a Whole Foods. What does that mean for the Giant Eagle in Lakewood?

A Good Cents store is more likely than a Market District Store which is bad news.

Did the City get any assurances about the Bunts Road Giant Eagle before they greased the skids for the new Get Go?

[Jeff Dreger]

Actually, the Rocky River Whole Foods is currently being constructed in the old FitWorks location on Detroit Rd.

http://www.morningjournal.com/general-n ... ocky-river

Giant Eagle is putting something in on W117th/Clifton supposedly now that demolistion has been approved. I had heard Market District to compete with the incoming Whole Foods but no confirmation of anything yet.

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index ... ienti.html

Seems like a lot of grocery stores in a small radius: Giant Eagle(s), Whole Foods, Earth Fare, Heinen's, etc.

[Paul Schrimpf]

Yep, Heinen's is the one that should be worried. If it's a Market District on Clifton, then Giant Eagle would seem destined to stay as is.

[Bill Call]

The Big Lot employee mentioned Whole Foods. It could be Fresh Market or maybe he was misinformed.

The Earth Fare in Solon Square closed after one year:
http://www.chagrinvalleytoday.com/commu ... f6878.html

If the area has a Fresh Market, Earth Fare, Whole Foods and an upscale Giant Eagle one or more are going to have to close. Can Fairview (Population 16,500) and Rocky River (Population 20,000) support all of those stores?

A lot of Lakewood (Population 51,000) residents do their shopping at Costco, Earth Fare and Heinen's. A Giant Eagle Market District in Lakewood would be a plus.

If Lakewood is going to build on its recent success and not fall back people need to head East instead of West when they go to the store. The bar based economy only takes you so far.

Of course there is a brand new rumor out there about the County's plans for Lakewood and it's not pretty. If the rumor is true any discussion that contains the words Lakewood and bright future is pure fantasy.

[todd vainisi]

The Giant Eagles stores on 117th (next to Target) and on w150 south of Lakewood are both nicer than our Giant Eagle. It bothers me. Are we not worthy of investment?