Customers not ready to say goodbye to Parkway Center Giant Eagle
Many shoppers aren't ready to say goodbye to their neighborhood Giant Eagle.
The sound of rolling shopping carts and the sight of shoppers tossing groceries into their trunks will soon become a thing of the past at the Parkway Center Giant Eagle.
"I'm sorry to see it go," said Nancy Best.
"I'll miss it," said LaCreece Roston.
After more than 40 years in business, the store is closing for good on June 28. The pharmacy will shut down on May 21.
Life-long customers in Pittsburgh's Ridgemont neighborhood told KDKA on Friday that it's a shame they have to say goodbye to the store.
"Our family has been in the area for 65 years, and we've been coming to this store since it's been open. So, you know the people," Best said.
"I'm not happy about it. It's been here before the Parkway Center Mall was here. And it's been here for years, and I've lived in the area for almost 50 years," said Emily Rider.
"I felt very sad because I've been going here since I was born, the store is older than I am. I was here whenever the old mall was here, so it was a big part of my childhood," said a shopper named Lindsey.
A Giant Eagle spokesperson said it was not an easy decision, but it would've needed to invest too much money in the store and the surrounding development.
"We live close, so it was really convenient and you missed a lot of traffic coming to this one," Roston said.
"When they opened the other one, I thought this was just a matter of time. They're too close," Nancy Best said.
The company said it believes its locations on Noblestown Road and in Crafton will serve Parkway Center customers well. Giant Eagle opened the store on Noblestown Road a few months ago.
"Have to go to Noblestown Road, which is a little bit more of a drive. Not much further, but it is further. When my kids were young, they would walk up here," Rider said.
"It's not too inconvenient with the new one, the new location, but we were just used to this one, used to the people, the personalities," Roston said.
It's going to take shoppers some time getting used to a new grocery trip routine.
"This one's more convenient, I like it here," Quincy said.
When the grocery store's pharmacy closes later this month, Giant Eagle said customers can have their prescriptions transferred to any other location.
The company said all 75 Parkway Center employees will also be offered jobs at nearby stores.
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