The Market Report

Save-A-Lot Owner: Anthony Pena Opened:  unknown Previous Tenants:  unknown Location:  655 Liberty St, Springfield, MA Photographed:  July 9, 2023 When is a Save-A-Lot not a Save-A-Lot? Well, I've been asking myself that question quite a bit lately, with many of the stores between northern New Jersey and Massachusetts becoming more and more like their Key Food or CTown counterparts. Some have reset their product mix , and others even are selling other storebrands like Urban Meadow from Key Food . Here in New England, seven Save-A-Lot stores were purchased by a Key Food owner in 2021 . Two have since closed, and one is now actually a Key Food in the Indian Orchard section of Springfield . Another, over in Holyoke, is transitioning to SuperFresh . The others have been reset to look and feel more like Key Food stores, but haven't seen any major renovation beyond a few new fixtures and a coat of paint on the walls. Despite the updates, this store felt a bit neglected -- it was a li

Medina's Market Owner: Jose Medina Opened:  1992 Cooperative:  none Location:  2705 Main St, Springfield, MA Photographed:  November 20, 2023 Welcome to Springfield! This is, despite the fact that I lived under 50 miles from it for five years, a city I know very little about and have only been to once. My coverage, therefore, is quite a bit spottier than I want. But we have a few stores to see in the city! Hopefully, though, someday I can get back to Springfield for a lot more coverage. Our first stop is this longtime independent supermarket. Medina's Market has been here in the North End of Springfield since 1992, but the building actually dates back to at least the 1950s. In the late 90s, Medina's constructed a major expansion to the space, expanding the original 5000 square foot building to its present 13,000 square feet. You can see more about the store's (and former owner's) history here . Although the Medinas came from the Bronx, I don't know if they have

Key Food Marketplace Owner: Tony Diaz Opened: 2023 Previous Tenants:  CVS Cooperative:  Key Food Stores Location:  185 Exchange St, Chicopee, MA Photographed:  November 20, 2023 Just a few blocks over from the longtime Fruit Fair Supermarket in Chicopee is this newcomer, a Key Food that opened in August 2023. The roughly 16,000 square foot store takes the spot of a former CVS, and it's possible that before CVS, or possibly the Family Dollar at the other end of the strip mall, was originally a supermarket. Inside, the store looks a lot like the Key Food we recently saw in Holyoke , although we can tell the bones are a little nicer and newer because the store's renovation was more extensive. Produce is in the first aisle, with meat and a service butcher counter (which I don't believe Holyoke has) on the back wall. Dairy and frozen are on the left side of the store, with deli and bakery in the front left corner. Obviously, everything in this store is new, since the space wa

Fruit Fair Owner: Samaita and Jared Newell Opened:  1936 Cooperative:  none Location:  398 Front St, Chicopee, MA Photographed: November 20, 2023 This Fruit Fair must be one of the longest continuously-operating supermarkets in Massachusetts! The store dates back to 1936 (although this building was likely constructed in the 1960s), and up until 1936, it was owned by Alvin H. Phillips, who according to Groceteria owned quite a few stores in Chicopee. The store is a Chicopee institution, although it's only been owned by the current owners since 2021 . And they've been working on modernizing and improving the store, too -- including adding a greenhouse on the supermarket's roof! The old-school interior has been updated with new flooring and fixtures, but the feeling is still of an old-fashioned independent supermarket. It's very pleasant and very slow-paced. There's an entrance and exit at each end of the L-shaped store. In the short part of the L is produce and a f