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SHOPPERS have cried and shared their fears as a store closure could leave them with no grocery options.
Concerns around a potential food desert were sparked when IGA announced it would shut its location in Pamplico, South Carolina, around 50 miles northwest of Myrtle Beach.
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This remote town had relied on this singular grocery store for decades.
IGA confirmed this branch would close its doors at the end of September following a decision to not renew the location’s lease, according to Fox affiliate WGHP.
A spokesperson for IGA revealed the reason for this closure was that the Pamplico store was older and smaller than its other locations.
This shuttering will shake up the area as no other grocery options are available for these locals.
After this closure, the nearest store will be 15-20 minutes away.
Local resident Tiffanie Wright shared her fears for a specific group of people, per WGHP.
“But I just kind of hate it for, you know, the people who don’t even have cars or anything like that,” she said.
“They’ve got to find a ride to the store and everything like that.”
A lack of public transport in the area could mean people without a car would have to endure a five hour walk to the next closest store if they had no other options.
Wright also shared her fears about the availability of fresh food in the area.
“This is the only store we have down here with groceries,” she added.
“I know we got a Dollar General down the road, but it [doesn’t] have that much stuff that IGA has.”
The IGA spokesperson revealed that 26 employees would be affected by the closure but added they would be able to work at the brand’s nearby stores.
This representative said that the chain attempted to find another store to enter the vacating location but have not been successful.
2024 Store Closures
Retailers across the country have suffered with changing customer habits and the economy, which has led to closures.
SHOPPER’S FEARS
Pamplico has not been the only area to risk turning into a food desert.
This term has been used to describe communities that have limited access to fresh, healthy, and affordable foods, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Officials in a low-income area of Albuquerque, New Mexico, slammed a Walmart store and Walgreens store for abruptly leaving the area, The U.S. Sun has previously reported.
District 6 City Councilor Nichole Rogers shared her fears about the potential health risks these closures could cause.
“So it’s a top priority to get some fresh food here as soon as possible,” she said.
The closure of a Giant grocery store in Baltimore, Maryland, sparked similar fears earlier this year.
This retailer had been the only full-scale food store within a mile of the city’s Edmondson Village neighborhood.
