DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - The Kroger located in Decatur's Fairview Plaza has served customers for more than 60 years.
Frequent shoppers said they're not letting go of their store that easily. Dozens of customers rallied by the store chanting "save our store" as cars passed by, honking horns in solidarity. Abi McIntosh and Rochele Bolin organized the rally that day.Â
"We're not going to let it [Kroger] die and get rid of something," Bolin said. "We really want it here. I'm just amazed by all the people that showed up."Â
"We need a store. This is a community store that's been around since the 50s," McIntosh said.Â
The company says that location wasn't profitable. Longtime customers expressed how they did not believe it. One shopper said he's seen more people visit the Kroger in Fairview Plaza than other locations.Â
"Our profit margins are so small that a busy store is not necessarily a profitable store," Kroger said in a statement.
For many customers, this store was convenient for them because it was close to get groceries or to work.Â
"This is for the people who need it," McIntosh said.Â
However, Kroger said the decision to close that store was delayed for a long time and there was no "realistic opportunity to restore profitability."Â
