The Giant Food store off Seminole Trail (Route 29) is officially closed for business. The store shut its doors Thursday afternoon.
After 26 years in the community, growing competition finally took its toll. A spokesperson for the company says this was a business decision. After doing a thorough review of its stores operating performance, Giant decided to close the Seminole Trail location.
It is news that was difficult for many people to take in at the shopping center Thursday. Many customers said they have shopped at the Giant since it first opened in July of 1986.
Some say they will go to nearby competition such as Whole Foods and Kroger, while others will remain loyal to the Giant brand and shop at the Pantops Mountain location. By and large, people said they would miss the staff the most.
Giant customer Renee Quick said, "It's nice, I love it. The people that [are] here used to be up on Pantops some of them, they transferred so you know they're like family."
Giant says it gave the Seminole Trail employees an opportunity to transfer to the Pantops store, or a store outside of this area.
Any leftover inventory will go to other stores, and some of it will be donated to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.
