Schnucks Closing East Alton, Ill., Store

Schnucks Markets Inc. is closing its Wilshire Village store in East Alton, Ill., for the last time on Sunday, Aug. 4. The 22,000-square-foot-store was acquired by Schnucks in October 2018, along with 18 other Shop 'n Save supermarket locations. According to the St. Louis-based company, poor sales are to blame for the closure. 

“We open stores only when we believe they will be both a preferred choice for shoppers and successful for our company, but in this instance, our customers are increasingly bypassing this store in favor of one of our three nearby stores instead,” said Schnucks chairman and CEO Todd Schnuck.

The 27 employees at the Wilshire Village location will be offered transfers to one of these three nearby Schnucks stores — in Wood River, Bethalto and Alton — all within 4.5 miles of the closing store. The associates will retain the same rate of pay. 

Schnucks Rewards members who had the Wilshire Village store as "My Store" in their account as of July 3 will receive $15 in Schnucks Rewards points on Aug. 4 to use at other stores. 

“This is a way for us to thank Wilshire Village customers who have been loyal to this store long before we acquired it, while also encouraging them to continue shopping with us at one of our eight other Madison County stores or any Schnucks store they choose,” said Schnuck.

Privately held independent grocer Schnucks operates 116 stores in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa, employing more than 14,500 associates. The company is No. 31 on Progressive Grocer's 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.