Downtown’s Savers Food Mart Offers Bargains, and Much More

A new grocery option—perfect for picking up those shelf-stable items at deep savings—is now part of Antigo’s downtown revival.

Kim Woyak is now serving customers at Savers Food Mart, located at 735 Fifth Ave., in the heart of downtown.

It’s known technically as a “salvage grocery store,” meaning it largely focuses on outdated products along with overstocks and misprints that it can sell at deep, deep discounts, up to 80 percent in some cases.

Kim Woyak is now serving customers at Savers Food Mart.

But in reality, savers is a bright nicely packaged grocery store filled with all the items most people need and use on a daily basis.

“Who doesn’t like to save money,” Woyak, personable and knowledgeable about her business and its inventory, asked. “Everyone likes to save money and they can do it here.”

Grab a cart and roll up and down savers for items ranging from name-brand macaroni and instant noodles to canned vegetables, snacks and staples.

There are also cleaning supplies, greeting cards and pet foods.

“We have some ladies who come in here and purchase pet food for the feral cats they feed in their neighborhood,” Woyak said. “I love that. They are saving a lot of money and doing a good deed.”

Woyak did her research and determined this type of grocery outlet would do well in downtown Antigo.

“I had never heard of a surplus grocery store and then I had the opportunity to visit one,” she said. “They are popping up all over.”

She has some big plans for the future, including adding freezer space for wild game and offering hydroponic tomatoes and other vegetables grown on site,

She worked with city and county officials on a package of loan incentives for items such as facade improvements on her storefront.

“I think it’s great what the Langlade County Economic Development Corporation and the city are doing to revive the downtown,” she said. “Those incentives are a big help for anyone opening a business. And things will only get better after the street work is completed next year.

Since her doors opened at Labor Day, business has been brisk and continues to grow.

“It’s been good,” she said. “It’s nice all these stores are popping up at the same time.”

Savers Food Mart is open Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Source: Antigo Daily Journal November 23, 2019 edition