BOARDMAN Sam's plan worries grocers

The store has not filed any official documents on an expansion.
THE VINDICATOR, YOUNGSTOWN
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Some grocery store owners are worried that there may not be enough hungry shoppers to go around if a Super Sam's Club store is built in the township.
The Sam's Club here has submitted written interest in moving out of its location on South Avenue and building a 150,000-square-foot Super Sam's a few blocks north at South Avenue and Meadow Lane.
Sam's Club has not filed an official request with the township. John Bisio, with Sam's Club community affairs office, said the move is in the early planning stages and nothing has been decided.
Kathy Lind, executive director of the Youngstown Area Grocers Association, said smaller business owners are fearful that the potential store will include a large grocery store. She said Sam's Club sells food items in bulk, but the new store would likely sell in smaller quantities, making it more attractive to daily shoppers.
That, according to Lind, would be devastating to the more than 20 other grocers in the township.
Lind said the business people she represents are not afraid of competition, friendly or unfriendly. The concern with Sam's Club, she said, lies in the size of the company and its ability to undersell its competitors by buying items from companies in large quantity.
"It's one thing to play a game if everybody has the same rules, but when you are up against a Sam's Club or Wal-Mart it becomes unfair no matter how much experience you have or how good you are because the company has so much financial and political leverage," she said.
Other views
Henry Nemenz, who owns Nemenz Super Saver in Boardman and several other stores around the area, said the current Sam's Club does substantial business here and with the speculated move could as much as double volume. That increase would mean less business for him and other store owners, he said.
"You don't come into a community and do that kind of business without affecting a lot of people," he said.
Greg Sherlock, vice president of media and communications at the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, said that office has yet to take a position on the store's possible expansion.
Upgrade plan
Bisio said the company is simply looking to bring the Boardman store up to the level of service offered at other Sam's Club stores around the country. He acknowledged that any new store would likely have expanded grocery offerings as well as a bakery and floral department.
Bisio said any concern by smaller grocers in the area is unwarranted because Sam's Club tends to serve customers with different needs than smaller grocery stores. He said many grocers in other areas have found they are not in direct competition with the store.
"There are Sam's Club stores in other locations across the country where other businesses exist and thrive," he said.
Bisio said some of those complaining may be reluctant to change their methods of doing business to compete with the store.
"That is unfortunate because you are talking about free trade and giving the customer a choice," he said.
Should the company move, Lind said residents are likely to see local grocery stores implement creative business practices in areas such as customer service. She said smaller stores would also be wise to examine the demographics of the immediate area and cater to it.
jgoodwin@vindy.com