Save A Lot Honors Retail Partners

Save A Lot recently honored 12 of its retail partners, sharing the names of the owners and operators honored at the company’s annual Retail Partner Awards. 

The awards were presented during the Save A Lot’s annual meeting and food show for store owners and operators, held in St. Charles, Mo. Awards were given to recognize performance in calendar year 2022 across five categories: year-over-year customer count growth; year-over-year sales growth; store managers of the year; “Hometown Hero”; and Retail Partner of the Year. Retail partners were divided into groups based on the number of stores owned (1 to 4, 5-10 and 11+ locations). 

Award Winners: Customer Count Growth 

Given to stores with the highest year-over-year customer count growth for full year 2022. 

• 1-4 Store Owner: Amery, Wis., owned & operated by Doug Rinehart 
• 5-10 Store Owner: Cortland, N.Y., owned & operated by Phuong Phung & Kevin Pham 
• 11+ Store Owner: Bedford, Pa., owned & operated by Melvin Shapiro & David Green 

Award Winners: Sales Growth 

Given to stores with the highest year-over-year sales growth for full year 2022. 

• 1-4 Store Owner: Pennsville, N.J., owned & operated by Bob Newton 
• 5-10 Store Owner: Detroit, Mich. (8 Mile Rd.), owned & operated by the Rabban Brothers/Jimmy Rabban 

• 11+ Store Owner: Bedford, Pa., owned & operated by Melvin Shapiro & David Green 

Award Winners: Store Managers of the Year 

Given to store managers with outstanding performance in 2022 across numerous factors, including sales, customer service, and teamwork. 

• 1-4 Store Owner: Edna Bieller, Pevely, Mo., owned & operated by Tim & Andrea Sampson 
• 5-10 Store Owner: Zena Ajja, Detroit, Mich. (Conner Ave.), owned & operated by the Rabban Brothers/Jimmy Rabban 
• 11+ Store Owner: Chip Bennett, Umatilla, Fla., owned & operated by Ascend Grocery 

Hometown Hero - Horizon Group

As local owners and operators, Save A Lot Retail Partners often go above and beyond to demonstrate their commitment to and support of the communities they serve. The Hometown Hero award recognizes the Retail Partner who consistently demonstrates that a huge heart is a critical piece of the business.  

The 2022 Hometown Hero award was given to the Horizon Group, a 21-store operator with stores in northeastern Ohio/northwestern Pennsylvania. Their Youngstown-based family business goes out of their way to integrate community into each store they operate, supporting over 30+ local organizations that contribute to arts and culture, health and human services, civic and community projects, safety, education and the environment. The team operates a year-round “hunger bags” program, offering a way for customers to directly support and donate to local hunger-related charities. Horizon’s leadership also makes significant efforts to support store teams through consistent recognition for both work and life accomplishments. 

Award Winners: Retail Partner of the Year 

The Retail Partner of the Year award is given to Retail Partners who demonstrate outstanding results across the business on all metrics (sales, customer count, purchases) as well as demonstrate outstanding community involvement, team engagement and a commitment to the Save A Lot brand image. 

1-4 Store Owner: Peter & Celeste Dawson, Bardstown, Ky. 

Operators since 1991, husband and wife team Peter & Celeste Dawson take great pride in their beautifully remodeled store in Bardstown, Ky., welcoming their community to shop and supporting their team members. They often sample new products for customers and are very active in many local organizations. They even run their own version of Bags for a Brighter holiday called “Blessing Bags” year-round. 

5-10 Store Owner: Boris Brothers, Northern Florida 

The Boris Brothers, who own and operate six stores across northern Florida, serve their communities with relevant local products and the best meat operation in the market. Their family business includes three generations who are involved daily in cultivating a culture of training, promoting from within and investing in their teams, which has created strong personal connections and loyalty across their team. They consistently operate full, fresh, friendly and clean stores and continue to invest in their business with four remodels and new stores to ensure continued future growth for their company and business.

11+ Store Owner: The Janes Group/ Joe Janes, Ohio 

The Janes Group owns and operates 31 stores across Ohio and has established itself as one of the top operators in the Save A Lot network. Investing heavily into remodels and store upgrades, owner and operator Joe Janes has established himself as a strong operational leader who communicates goals and objectives consistently to his store leadership teams to drive consistent results. The team’s focus on fresh meat and produce, as well as a relentless pursuit of optimal store conditions, has delivered high increases in both sales and customer counts. Janes also works closely with the Save A Lot team to optimize marketing efforts, including making significant investments in direct email, Facebook and radio. Finally, Janes serves as a supportive peer and mentor to numerous other Retail Partners across the Save A Lot network and offers guidance and feedback to Save A Lot leadership through his role on the Retailer Advisory Council. 

“Our Retail Partners truly are the best operators in the business, and it was an honor to recognize so many different owners and operators at our Annual Meeting and Food Show,” said Leon Bergmann, Chief Executive Officer at Save A Lot. “Each one of them demonstrates commitment to their customers and the communities they serve. We’re proud to recognize them as best-in-class retailers.”