Hill District Shop n Save opens today (Pittsburgh, Washington: lease, daycare)

[I_Like_Spam]

Supermarket opens in Pittsburgh's Hill District, the first in three decades - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Mayor Ravenstahl was among the dignitaries present during the ribbon cutting festivities.


The shoppers at the new store were buying groceries before today, of course. Which stores are going to be losing customers with the new store opening and which might get in trouble financially with the loss of their patrons to this new retail outlet? Will this be particularly bad news for Shur Save in Bloomfield, Centre Ave. Market District or the South Side Giant Eagle? Or perhaps another store?

[Geeo]

I think that the shoppers for this store were probably going to the North Side or South Side Giant Eagle, Shur-Save in Bloomfield, and probably Aldi in Friendship and Market District in Shadyside. Those are the closest stores to this one. I don't know about North Side or South Side GEs, but this store may take some pressure off the Market District, which is perpetually packed. Strangely, the Shur-Fine never has more than a few cars in the parking lot.

It will really help the senior citizens in the Hill District, many of whom do not have cars and rely on the bus, jitneys or relatives for transportation. It was a long hike for them to get to the other stores.

[eschaton]

My understanding was always the South Side Giant Eagle was essentially "the Hill District's grocery store."

Which makes me wonder, if Hill residents stop shopping there, will it be fixed up to Market District levels?

[Blackbeauty212]

I thought South Side GE was redone in the "Super GE" style grocery store, like Waterworks and Waterfront. Complete with the Daycare, Florist, Cafe, Prepared Foods and On-Site Bakery.

Anyone seeing Downtown Residents choosing the Hill Store over Cedar Av GE, while Downtown still hunts for its own Full Service Grocery?

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

Anyone seeing Downtown Residents choosing the Hill Store over Cedar Av GE, while Downtown still hunts for its own Full Service Grocery?

I doubt that most will. Many of the residents in town are concentrated on Penn and Liberty Avenues and the side streets over that way, and its an easier, flatter walk across the 9th St. Bridge to Cedar Ave.


of course if you consider Washington Plaza residents to be downtown, it should be convenient to those folks.

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by eschaton

My understanding was always the South Side Giant Eagle was essentially "the Hill District's grocery store."

Which makes me wonder, if Hill residents stop shopping there, will it be fixed up to Market District levels?

That was my hope ever since they announced the project

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by eschaton

My understanding was always the South Side Giant Eagle was essentially "the Hill District's grocery store."

Which makes me wonder, if Hill residents stop shopping there, will it be fixed up to Market District levels?

Market pressure from the new Hill store as well as Aldi's will certainly get the attention of the Giant Eagle brass, and they'll certainly at least consider changes to help preserve their market share.

[zman63]

In a year they will probably opt out of the lease and close the store. It has been tried before. The hill hasn't been able to support a grocery in years

[TheYO]

I'm happy this is finally open. I always felt bad for the seniors waiting for jitneys outside the South Side Giant Eagle.

Something needs to be done with that South Side GE. It's awful. I live in the South Side, but I avoid it as much as possible. I love the new Aldi for basics, and we usually Trader Joe's for everything else.

[Impala26]

Originally Posted by zman63

In a year they will probably opt out of the lease and close the store. It has been tried before. The hill hasn't been able to support a grocery in years

Way to keep (Yinzer) hope alive!

Given that it's been over 30 years since the last grocery store in the Hill, you really not even going to give it the benefit of the doubt? As a former member of Washington Plaza, I can wholly attest that a grocery store there will be used thoroughly, not only due to the close proximity, but also that most residents of the Plaza are first-timers to Pittsburgh, so they don't have the extremely negative-slanted view of the Hill like this....