Craig Beach Sparkle Market closing at end of October

Sparkle Market's Craig Beach location will soon be closing its doors for good.

Sparkle Market Owner Brandon Hacker told 21 News the store will be closing in about a month. Hacker said this was not an easy decision to make, but decided it was time to move on.

Shoppers went into the store Monday for what could be their last grocery haul at the chain. 

“I mean their deli is great, the food prices are good and they usually have some really good meat sales” Aurthur Keffer, a shopper that comes to the Craig Beach Sparkle from Newton Falls said.

“I'll miss it if it closes,” Shopper Larry Benedict said. "I’m going to have to change my habits."

The President of Sparkle Market, Vince Furrie, said they were forced to announce the closure after the village allowed three dollar stores to open up within three miles of the Sparkle on Grandview Road. With all the competition and reduced traffic coming to Craig Beach, Furrie said he will never bring another Sparkle Market back here because they couldn't make a profit. 

“That’s their own fault,” Furrie said to 21 News about the unnamed public officials that allowed the dollar stores to come in. “They eroded their own city.”

Since this was the only full service grocery store in the area, some shoppers said once it closes they’ll have no choice but to drive miles to Newton Falls or Austintown for their groceries.

“That’s a ten mile trip one way, 20 round trips, so you know you don’t dash in, dash out,” Benedict said. 

“Goodbye Sparkle,” Shopper Don Frietrich said, waving to the store as he loaded his groceries into his car. “When we go [to other stores] we'll be buying more. Here we just buy a few things that we want because we can come back…going a little bit further we’ll just end up buying more and have a more prudent shopping list.”

The next nearest Sparkle to Craig Beach is a 23 minute drive in Niles. Some shoppers said they can’t make it that far and are afraid switching stores will break the bank. 

“I come out here usually once a week for the sale ads,” Keffer said. ”I mean I go for the prices, let's put it that way. I need to, every penny counts.”

The last day to shop at the Sparkle in Craig Beach will be sometime at the end of October. Furry said all 12 employees at the Craig Beach location will have the option to transfer to another Sparkle store.

No other locations are planned to close at this time.