OXFORD – For over half a century, a grocery market has been a mainstay in the Village of Oxford; however by the middle of next month, shoppers looking for a full-service grocer will have to go out of town.
The Oxford Great American will close Aug. 11. The property has already been conveyed to a private investor. The business that purchased the property leases properties to Dollar General discount stores. The building, which has been suffering from slow decay, is expected to receive a full renovation.
“I can’t speak for other people, but I was notified that the two properties making up the grounds around, and the building itself, have already been sold and a new business is already preparing to open up in its place,” said Oxford Village Mayor Terry M. Stark.
Stark said that the new business, Dollar General, should be operational by Nov. 1 and that it would employ approximately the same number of personnel as the Great American.
The Oxford store, originally a Victory supermarket, once operated as a main hub for local residents to do their day-to-day shopping, but the advent of larger supermarkets in Norwich has left most of the clientele purchasing only convenience store items, said Manager Doug Cronk.
“The village is looking to help find more employment opportunities and we are looking around for a small grocer who might want to move into the area. This is a loss to the community, and we must try to find a way to replace it with some alternative,” said Stark.
The village is hoping to encourage the new dollar store to carry more of a product mix perhaps including some food items. Stark said he was also concerned for the employees currently working at the store and wanted to find solutions to help create more employment opportunities.
Great American is expected to hold an auction or sale towards the final days of its closure to liquidate its equipment and remaining inventories.
The current operator of the store, Ar-De’s owner Ronald T. Mies, declined comment for this story.