Save-A-Lot - Roslindale, MA

Save-A-Lot
Open: before 1992 - 2020

Owner: Todd Slawsby / Madison Foods

Previous Tenants: unknown

Cooperative: none

Location: 650 American Legion Hwy, Roslindale, MA

Photographed: July 28, 2019

There's a lot for us to see at the corner of American Legion Highway and Canterbury Street in Roslindale. We begin with this Save-A-Lot, which has been in business since at least the early 90s but no earlier than 1981, and which in 2020 switched to Price Rite when owner Madison Foods left Save-A-Lot and joined the Wakefern Food cooperative (just like in Brockton).

While it's hard to tell for sure, my best guess is that this Save-A-Lot carved about 25-30,000 square feet out of a former department store. In fact, this strip mall originally had a supermarket at the other end -- an A&P approximately where these stores are today -- from the late 50s through about 1980.

As you can see, the store setup inside is very similar to Brockton, although in these pictures it's decked out in Save-A-Lot red rather than Price Rite blue. Produce is on the left side, with meat and cold cuts on the back wall. Dairy and frozen are on the right side with baked goods in the front-right corner.

It is, of course, a no-nonsense discount store with a limited assortment, but for what it is, it's been kept clean and orderly.

Frozen foods is mostly in single-tier coffin cases on the right side of the store, in a very old-school setup.

Looking across the back wall towards the produce department...

And dairy and additional frozen cases line the outside of this area.

And a look across the front-end...

I've been back to this store since it switched to Price Rite, so check it out here. On Monday, we're still not leaving this corner, and we'll be seeing a before-and-after of an independent grocer across the street!