Save-A-Lot - Roxbury, MA

Save-A-Lot
Open: opened between 2002 and 2007, converted 2020

Owner: Madison Foods / Todd Slawsby

Previous Tenants: Family Food Land (open by 1992, closed after 2002)

Later Tenants: Price Rite Marketplace (2020- )

Cooperative: none

Location: 330 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Roxbury, MA

Photographed: June 2, 2019

Welcome to one of two supermarkets here in Roxbury! The neighborhood has a very low density of supermarkets compared to other neighborhoods in the city, but it's about to get another one. Vicente's, a chain we recently most saw in Brockton, is preparing to open about two blocks from this store.

The store is located within the Washington Park Mall and takes up around 25,000 square feet. I'm not entirely sure of the history of this mall, but it appears to have been opened around the 1980s. The original grocer here, Family Food Land, was open by 1992 and closed at some point after 2002. Save-A-Lot, owned by Madison Foods, opened between 2002 and 2007, then converted to Price Rite in 2020 along with the other locations in Brockton and Roslindale. You can tour the Price Rite here.

As you'll see if you read the Price Rite post, not much has changed. The bones are the same. The store is in the west part of the indoor mall facing the indoor walkway, so the front-end is oriented to run along the indoor hallway. Produce is on the right side, with meat and cold cuts on the back wall. Frozen and dairy are on the left side. Although the Vicente's will definitely be competition for this store, they are very different operators. This store is no-frills and very limited in selection, while Vicente's has a lot more but higher prices.

Still, Vicente's will be a big step up when it opens.

No-nonsense grocery aisles.

Having no idea what Family Food Land looked like, I don't know how extensive the Save-A-Lot renovation was. Still, I'd assume most of the fixtures were new when Save-A-Lot moved in.

Coffin cases for frozen in the last aisles. 11 aisles in total, including three that have freezer cases, and also counting the produce department.

That's all for this Save-A-Lot, but don't forget to visit Price Rite here!

Not to mention that the other supermarket in Roxbury, Tropical Foods, is one we've actually seen before, although that was way back in ancient history (2017). It's about north along Warren Street, which runs alongside the mall. Tropical is more similar to Vicente's, actually, and may even be more hurt by the incoming store than this Price Rite is despite being so close. Tomorrow, we're off to a big supermarket about a mile northeast!