Closing date uncertain for LoBill

Thursday, November 9, 2006

Officials with Marsh Supermarkets, owners of the Greencastle Lobill Foods, said Thursday they did not know exactly when the local store would be closing its doors for good.

Marsh Spokeswoman Connie Gardner told the BannerGraphic the closing is dependent upon how fast the remaining merchandise in the store sells.

"We still do not have an exact date," she said. "But it will be by Thanksgiving."

Locally, employees of the store said they were told the store could close as early as this Saturday, however, Gardner said she could neither confirm nor deny that information.

"It all depends on how fast the merchandise moves," she said.

The store, located at 1033 Indianapolis Rd., is currently offering 40 percent discounts for all merchandise, excluding cigarettes and alcohol. Unless the company decides otherwise, the store will be open until those items are sold.

Last month, Marsh officials announced that Greencastle was among 16 Midwestern stores scheduled for closing by Thanksgiving.

According to the company's website, Indianapolis-based Marsh Supermarkets operates 67 Marsh grocery stores, 31 LoBill Foods, six O'Malia's markets, and 148 Village Pantry convenience stores in Indiana, Ohio and Illinois.

Local residents told the BannerGraphic they were sad to hear the store would be closing after opening under the Marsh name more than 30 years ago.

Last month, Marsh officials said they would be seeking buyers for all the stores that are scheduled for closing.

Gardner said Thursday that Marsh would seek to sell the properties to other grocery stores.

"We are trying to market that building as we speak," she said.

As for the employees of the store, Gardner said they were offered a chance to either move to another Marsh location or be laid off and accept a severance package. The nearest Marsh stores to Greencastle are in Plainfield, Mooresville and Martinsville.

Local officials declined to comment on the closing.

Marsh officials said in October that the closings were a result of the company trying to improve its financial performance. They said the stores that were chosen for closing were those that were not meeting their requirements for sales or lacked the potential for future growth.

Other LoBill stores that are closing include Danville, Richmond, three in Indianapolis and one in Greenville, Ohio.

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