Giant Eagle will close store at US 23, Powell Road
Giant Eagle plans to close its Lewis Center store at the end of the day Oct. 2, ending 21 years at the site.
The store, on the east side of U.S. 23 north of Powell Road, was one of the first stores the Pittsburgh-based grocery store built when it entered the Columbus market two decades ago. The company said the building’s size “made it difficult” to operate given the way customers now shop.
Giant Eagle occupies about 94,000 square feet of the 116,000-square-foot building in the shopping center. Staples occupies the remainder.
“After careful consideration of the unique store layout challenges facing our Giant Eagle supermarket in Lewis Center, we have made the difficult, but necessary, decision to close the location,” said Giant Eagle spokesperson
Dan Donovan.
“We thank Lewis Center and the surrounding communities for two decades of patronage and loyalty. Our commitment to central Ohio is unwavering and we look forward to providing area shoppers with enhanced shopping experiences in the future.”
The company’s Getgo convenience store and gas station at the northeast corner of 23 and Powell Road will remain open.
The store employs about 115 workers, all of whom have been offered jobs at other Columbus-area Giant Eagle and Getgo locations, the company said.
The store is the latest of several central Ohio Giant Eagle stores to close in recent years. In 2017, the chain closed stores at 1000 E. Dublingranville Road, 777 Neil Ave. in Victorian Village and at 1760 Hilliardrome Road in Hilliard. Since then, the company closed its store at 280 E. Whittier St. in Schumacher Place.
Giant Eagle operates 21 stores in central Ohio including a store about 4 miles west of the Lewis Center location, in Powell, and about 6 miles east, in Westerville. jweiker@dispatch.com @Jimweiker