THE BATTLE FOR SOUTH LITTLE ROCK

For residents in the southern area of the capital city, there are very few options available to shop and also get the most bang for their buck.

This took a turn for the worst when residents near the areas of University, Asher, Colonel Glenn and W 36th St. lost their local Kroger in Aug. 2022.

Many were devastated that if they wanted to use their Kroger Rewards they would have to trek across town to the West Markham location or be at a total loss.

When it came to local shopping, their options were Value Foods, a cost plus store, and Kroger. Both had their advantages and disadvantages.

Kroger provided a wide variety of items and an amazing assortment of high quality produce while being able to have that shoppers card to save money on gas and groceries.

Value Foods also had its place offering a ton of items at drastically discounted prices including steak and chicken wings, even when they’ve become a premium due to inflation.

Cost plus means that the store charges what it costs them to get the item and then adds a 10% cost and sales tax at the register.

This resulted in the store being full of customers on a daily basis, almost comparable to the noise level in a mall and lines stretching well into the freezer aisles.

In early March, the Edwards brand known for their illustrious Food Giant stores, opened a Cash Savers, their version of a cost plus store, in the old Kroger building on Colonel Glenn.

Upon entering the store, the renovations are apparent as the main entrance has been altered to no longer have two doors but now one, and windows where the old door was.

The lights have been replaced and add a much brighter look to the location. Beyond that, the store is full of regular checkout lanes even where the self checkouts for Kroger were located.

The produce section was also quite nice, but the main attraction was the Hispanic-focused aisle.

The southern Little Rock area is home to a large minority population, which the majority of them hail from Hispanic descent.

This aisle is packed with amazing items, but most notably it had a viral seasoning that made waves on the internet, that being