Another IGA shuts its doors to shoppers
By Heath Hooper, Rome News-Tribune Staff Writer
Monday February 12, 2007 9:18:06am


Click here for a previous story about the closing of the Calhoun Avenue store.

Click here for a previous story about the Armuchee story’s opening.

The Armuchee IGA supermarket bore signs announcing its closure on Sunday, less than a week after similar signs appeared on the chain’s Calhoun Avenue location.

Cars continued to drive up to the store Sunday afternoon, turning around after their occupants read the signs posted in the store’s windows and doors.

The supermarket, where the first newly branded IGA opened in September, was one of four area Piggly Wigglys slated for conversion to the Chicago-based Independent Grocers Alliance last fall after the formerly partnership-owned business was bought out by one of the partners, Rick Davis of Tennessee.

Davis could not be reached for comment Sunday night.

Frequent customer Lindsay James, 21, said Sunday she was unaware the store had long-term plans to close.

“I came last night to get a few things, and I noticed these signs up, but I thought they were just closing early. I had no idea,” James said as she stood outside the location.

“I just thought they were closing for the night.”

The Armuchee location’s closure comes less than a week after similar signs appeared Tuesday on the chain’s Calhoun Avenue store. Its Maple Avenue location has been closed since last October.

Both of those locations remained closed Sunday, with each featuring signs announcing renovation plans.

The store’s fourth location on Shorter Avenue location remained open for business Sunday, and store co-manager Scotty Kerr said the store’s business was normal.

Kerr, who declined to comment about the other stores, said his store had seen customers from the North Rome store.



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mikesdaydreamer
Comments: 2
Joined: 09/07/2007
09/07/2007 05:13:11 AM
Wow...The Piggly wiggly stores in Rome were icons to me. I was totally surprised to find out that Jim had sold out the stores and then when they went to IGA I was really surprised. I worked at two of the Pigggly wiggly stores when I lived in Rome. It was like a really big family back then. Sometimes progress isn't all that great. I think Rome is getting to big and impersonal. That's why I left at the first opportunity. There's no Southern hospitality anymore. Everybody seems to be out for the big bucks. Somehow I don't think this is what the founding fathers had in mind.
 
AirWolf
Comments: 29
Joined: 03/27/2006
02/14/2007 03:15:10 PM
I don't think buying them to shut them down was the intent. Most of the grocery stores in this area that close likely do so because they are speciality stores that can't afford to compete with 'general stores' like Wal-Mart or K-Mart. People want connvenience, period.

If someone can go to Wal-Mart get groceries, clothes, new tires for their car, toys for the kids, new DVDs, and practically anything else they might need why whould they instead go to all the different stores that carry those items when they can make one stop and save money doing it?

Simple: They won't.

At this rate Wal-Mart stores (and the like) are going to replace malls as far as shopping convenience goes. I can see their stores sprawling out and getting even bigger - with departments becoming sub-stores to themselves.

Honestly I'm shocked it's not already like that. All the while putting specialty chains out of business because they just can't compete. The best places to stand a chance against uber-department stores putting them out of business are online stores, sadly. Less over head with the lack of walk-ins stores, but just as much available and nearly as much convenience/savings.

If Amazon isn't the next Wal-Mart in 20 years I'll simply be amazed.


 
bert57
Comments: 183
Joined: 12/13/2006
02/12/2007 08:41:10 PM
sounds like some folk post blogs...( as my dad used to say) just to hear their heads rattle!!!
 
opinionatedDA
Comments: 2
Joined: 02/12/2007
02/12/2007 04:26:43 PM
Why did they buy the stores if they're just going to close them down ? Why spend money only to close the stores ? If I was a stockholder in the company that purchased the Rome Piggly Wiggly stores and wasted stockholders money only to close them, I'd either sell my stock or demand that heads roll for these idiotic expenditures. Why do so many grocery stores close in the Rome area ? If it's because they're not profitable then why do Wal-mart and K-mart spend so much money getting into this business ? I'm not the smartest person on this subject so if anyone has a genuine answer to these questions please post them here. The post by going2hell is even more ignorant and uninformed than I am. How Bush bashing got tied in with these stores closing makes no sense whatsoever. Where do the so called young and democratic shop for their groceries ? Who exactly qualifies as a old person ?
 
going2hell
Comments: 7
Joined: 12/18/2005
02/12/2007 12:17:30 PM
It's just the signs of the times. IGA/Pig catered mainly to old people. Old fogies who don't really drive the economy. Thank God George W. Bush is the president. Since Armuchee voted overwhelminly for his candidacy in 04, maybe he'll come to the rescue and fix it up. He's already defeated saddam hussein and Al Zarqawi so thank God we're safer now. Despite the treacherous economy and job losses, we have God to thank for Dubya.
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