Lower Saucon Pathmark Store Slated to Close
The landmark local supermarket is on a list of 10 stores its bankrupt parent company says it will close in the next 2 months.
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A landmark supermarket in Lower Saucon Township is on a list of stores its parent company says it will close as part of a bankruptcy restructuring effort announced Tuesday, according to published reports.
The Pathmark store is one of the anchor businesses in the Saucon Valley Square shopping center on Route 378 and one of 32 stores in six states A&P says it will close over the next two months. A&P, which is based in Montvale, N.J., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December.
Originally opened as a Super Fresh store, the Lower Saucon supermarket was renovated and rebranded a Pathmark less than two years ago. In addition to a store in Walnutport, it is one of only two Pathmarks A&P operates in the Lehigh Valley. Many of Pathmark's stores are located in the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas, where news of the closures is already hitting hard in places like Livingston, N.J.
In recent years Pathmark has been a rarity among local supermarket chains, as one of the few remaining grocery businesses to employ unionized workers.
The closure of the Lower Saucon Pathmark will leave residents of the western portion of the township without a supermarket in the immediate vicinity and along the busy Route 378 corridor. The nearest other full-service local supermarkets are Fresh Market in the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley, Giant Food Store in the Creekside Marketplace shopping center just south of Hellertown and Ahart's Market on Broadway in South Bethlehem.
Richard Hafner
2:25 pm on Wednesday, February 16, 2011
When SuperFresh moved from Hellertown, leaving it without a food shopping source, the Hellertown residents never forgot and refused to shop at that 378 location. Later when Giant moved into the area, that really changed everything.
Jaded1
1:55 pm on Thursday, February 17, 2011
Many good people work there. I wonder what will happen to them.
Mary Anne Looby
6:57 am on Monday, February 21, 2011
Looks the Giant will benefit from this closure. Where will the people from South Bethlehem go to shop? I prefer to shop at local stores like Saylors. I shopped at their farm, and for years when they were in the Allentown Farmers Market. They are great butchers and with the marriage of Tim and Maria, we now get great italian foods and baked goods. It's a great place, check it out if you haven't!
Kathy Fenstermacher
9:13 pm on Monday, February 21, 2011
It's too bad because it's always nice to have a choice of another store in the area or when you are comign through this area.
Mary Himmelberger
1:18 pm on Tuesday, February 22, 2011
I just recently discovered this store - what a shame! Unfortunately this may affect the other businesses in that strip as well; I think the Blockbuster is already closing.