Independently Owned Giant Eagle Store in Monessen Closing

    MONESSEN, Pa., June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The independently owned Giant Eagle
 store in Monessen will cease operations effective June 27, 1998, due to
 economic losses in recent years, weak sales and competition from other
 supermarkets and national discount chains in surrounding areas, store owner
 Gene DeMaro announced today.  DeMaro began notifying his employees last night.
     "This was a tough decision for me because I did everything possible over
 the past 11 years in an attempt to improve the store and turn the business
 around," said DeMaro, who acquired the Monessen store in 1987.
 "Unfortunately, the store was struggling to survive and its losses mounted
 over the past several years, leaving me with no choice."
     DeMaro renovated and remodeled the Monessen store several times, most
 recently in 1997, in an effort to attract more customers.  The store was
 expanded by 50 percent in a major remodeling in 1994, he said.
     Several other Giant Eagle supermarkets are just a short drive from the
 Monessen location and customers will be able to access public transportation
 to meet their future shopping needs, DeMaro noted.
     The Monessen store at 301 East Donner Avenue has 14 full-time employees
 and 42 part-time employees.  "I will be reaching out to other Giant Eagle
 stores in the area in an effort to help identify potential opportunities for
 my employees," DeMaro said.  "I want to make this difficult transition period
 as smooth as possible for them."
 
 

SOURCE  Giant Eagle