Well, what did Dekalb County expect? With yet another Walmart opening the Kroger at Memorial and Hairston will probably be next.

I've never shopped at Walmart and I won't, however, its very interesting that Decatur residents aREstill putting up a fight regarding Walmart opening in their neighborhood, but very little discussion was made regarding a Walmart @ Memorial Dr/N.Hairston, what we think doesn't matter & unfortunately to many foolish people will shop there and you are absolutely correct that Kroger will be next, Walmart doesn't just put mom & pop business out of business, Walmart put everybody out of business, no competition, and last I checked that called a MONOPOLY!!

another one bites the dust. shameful, just shameful. well off to Tucker I go now to shop that publix.

Noooo!. This makes me very sad. I shop at this Publix all of the time. It is within walking distance of my house. I see many folks who walk to this store and there is a bus stop right in front. Is there anything that can be done to change this plan?

The reason the Memorial Drive Publix is under performing is due to profiling. For the last 10 t0 15 years customers have been treated very badly. We were considered either black, dumb and poor or white old and poor. Not true!. So many items were not carried because of this attitude. We were unable to buy grocery items we needed because the corporate folks didn't believe we were either smart enough or have enough money to buy the items they considered unnecessary to have on the shelves. In the last six months the store has improved measurably. I have seen more of my neighabors there and I personally have gone back to shoppng there. Now some idiot at corporate thinks we don't deserve a decent store. Why not work with the community to help solve the problem. Yes, leave us with one more empty building. It is so good for our property values.

If you want your stores to stay open, your grocery dollars--the majority--need to stay in your own community. I remember Hosea Williams saying this years ago about Oakhurst when it was in decline. If the store doesn't have every item you want make a trip out for those items, but support your OWN community with your shopping dollar.

I agree. However, if the stores don't have what we need, ask them to carry those items and we won't have to leave the area. Ross moved in, now a fitness facility. Why can't Publix make it work. Let's fight. Contact your county commissioner, Burrell Ellis, Michelle Henson and your local civis association officers and requist Publix to come and justify this decision. They do have some responsibility to the communityt

I would be glad to attend merchant meetings, letter writing, etc., but the bottom line for these merchants is that the dollars form the community support their being here....the goods I believe would follow if that were happening.

I guess it's all about the Benjamins. If the store is losing money, they gotta go. We need to come together as a community to keep the legit stores like Publix from leaving. On the positive side, we have a Planet Fitness opening where Save-A-Lot used to be. Maybe I'll go to the Dekalb Farmers Market more now and hope that Walmart doesn't bring the rest of the stores down.
As they say, 'The high cost of low prices".

I am so upset to see this happen. I live down the street from Kroger, and gladly drive past it to shop at Publix. After 10 years, I have great relaitonships with the employees, as I am sure many of us do. The corporate office never invested in this store what they did in other locations. I agree, its Farmer's Market and Trader Joes for me.

I am the owner of the shopping center and obviously very unhappy that Publix is closing.
I have spoken to them and there is nothing I can do about it.
I have tried hard to make Memorial Bend Center the best center on the highway.
Good stores, clean safe shopping environment.
This comes as a terrible blow and could bring the whole center down.
I just spent million of dollars building a new Ross Dress Store
I have tried calling County CEO Burrell Ellis for help, no response.
I have heard from Charles Watley who is in charge of Economic Development.
I need help and need it now.
I have spoken with Gerald Taylor owner of FOOD DEPOT.
I understand he runs a very good food business.
I need to get "grass roots" community support if we are going to attract another food store.
I would be happy to come to town and meet with community leads if they think they can help us.
I want to keep the Memorial Bend Center a good place for locals to shop at.
Please help me
Jerry Bedrin
Thank you
201-803-7113

I don't think it is because of the items that they do not carry. If you would of asked for the items they would have tried then out to see how they were selling first.'
I am almost certain that they lost more in thefts than they made. So shame on the commutiy they put the store out of business not the products that they did not carry. The crime is so bad in stone mountain until this city needs to be taken off of the map all together or the whole police department fired and bring in police who care about keeping crime under control and stores open

Oh dear!!!!!! I agree, I don't believe Wal-Mart had anything whatsoever to do with this. Publix is a better grocery store, offers items not found at other stores, and in some instances, higher priced for this area. It is JUST what we need to try and revitalize our declining corridor. If their corporate is closing due to under-achievement, it's time for us as a community to contact their corporate and beg for mercy, and also to flood the store with patronage. I, for one, will make a point to start making regular, weekly stops to the store. I challenge Stone Mountain residents to do the same.

It's sad to hear this store is closing. When I was in the area, I shopped there regularly, in fact, I bought 2 rocking chairs on sale several years ago which are still in the family. The store was clean, well-stocked, and a good place to shop.

Publix is probably not going to comment, but after the incident at Walmart in Lithonia, I think most major stores are having to deal with a lot of shoplifting, which can make it unprofitable to keep the doors open. With the economy still in such bad shape, the problem is getting worse and unless you can catch the person(s) with the items, the store is losing a lot of $$.

I wish it hadn't come to this. A month's notice is not enough for the people in the neighborhood, AND the employees who have to support their families.
They deserve better.

As landlord i obviously contacted CEO aftert getting the news
they wont change their minds
we need to find a good replacement

The problem is bigger than Publix. There were auto dealerships that closed. K-mart closed. Restaurants closed. The Bookstore closed.

Where are the Coffee shops? Donuts Shops? Software Stores? Art supply stores?
Movie theatres?

This Publix was surrounded by three Walmarts to the north, east, and southwest, all roughly within five miles. This has nothing to do with, as Jim Radcliffe noted, the "culture of the community." It has everything to do with the success of Walmart's business strategy. As the rural and suburban customers are no longer able to support Walmart, the company has turned to intown neighborhoods. The cost? Not only the loss of small businesses, but larger national chains that offer better food choices. Publix lost. Walmart won. Period. Walmart can spin the building of yet another store as economic development, but we all know that's bunk. Walmart's success is a community's loss. The Hunter College Study, "Walmart's Economic Footprint," can explain it better than me. The impending addition of yet another Walmart at Suburban Plaza in Decatur is a threat to another community. When will we all wise up and realize that Walmart's selling out the 99% to the benefit of the 1%?

Jerry, Consider finding a kind of Farmers Market or International Market, similar to the one that used to be on Peachtree International. Something that can anchor your plaza and be different from Wal-mart.
The other thing is to get the County to clean up the street by cracking down on Ordinance violators. The untended frontages look terrible.
Also consider a mini-Lowes or Home Depot for that spot.

Bring Trader Joes here. That will bring more shoppers to the area.

In my opinion our community has to do some soul searching. As a business owner if their was no profits I would leave too. We are so eager to point the finger on someone else when we should look in the mirror.

We don't support the businesses in our community like we should!

The businesses in the community need to be more aggressive in offering us better customer service!

The grass roots organizations need to show me they are more for the community than their personal glory!

We need to fight for better support for those organizations and schools that give our youth alternatives than hanging in the streets!

Where are leaders of worship? They had a big forum this summer for our youth in Stone Mountain while the cameras were rolling, and are silent now they are gone.

We need to support Mr Bedrin as he look for a new store!

I could do more!

It is very interesting to see Mr. Bedrin trying to help a Grass-Roots organization, Her in New Jersey, just the opposite is happening. Mr.Bedrin is taking a very different approach to Our GrassRoots efforts. he has spent thousands of Dollars on Ads and Signs telling OUR community how great a WALMART will be in our town.
That is because Jerry is the Developer who is trying to bring a Walmart to Hawthorne NJ. Jerry's view seem to change dramatically once he is in New Jersey.

I'm very sorry to see this store go it offered great advantages for coupon clippers, Fresh produce, and the bakery is the best. I live in this neighborhood and have used Publix on many occasions I shopped their Saturday and acquired a great recipe!. It's not the walmart that is causing Publix to close they do not feel they are making enough revenue from the community. Publix is a great store but they do have High prices they know what they offer are well worth it so they can, but at the same time a lot of people in the neighborhood can not afford to shop there all the time like the do Walmart or even Kroger. The new focus should be to help Jerry Bedrin in bringing a store to the community that will boost productivity and offer jobs if anyone didn't address this Publix was the only store in that area offering jobs to 15yr olds that attend the Community High School i.e Clarkston high. They also offered many, Many international people jobs. Long story short now that it is closing we need to replace it quickly, no more auto-parts stores, No food depot, and no more clothing stores we need a Food and Bakery Provider in the area.

Thank you!

How about approaching Aldi or WholeFoods?

Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, even Fresh Market I can't see them wanting to place their businesses in this area. We have to travel into Atlanta for them. If residents think Publix was high there are so not gonna shop at WF, TJ or FM. I on the other hand would LOVE to have them on this side of town. Thumbs up on the international style market/farmers market, that sounds like a good deal. YES no to FOOD DEPOT, I actually hate that store

I, too am sad to see Publix go, but from a business perspective, I do understand. If they are not making the revenue to sustain that location, they have to look at all of their options. With that being said, I admit as a resident that lives less than a mile from the store that they were not my top choice for weekly shopping. I used them frequently for quick trips, but this is not enough to sustain a store. The reason was simple, I got tired of the beggars and other undesirables hanging around in the parking lot, the long lines b/c it seems that they never have enough registers open and the fact that on more than one occasion, I bought things that were spoiled and had to be returned.

It is frustrating for me that the community has changed to the point where people think everyone in the area is poor, uneducated and has no desire for quality goods and services. The result of that is those of us who can, hop in our cars and travel elsewhere while the businesses in our own communities suffer. I believe that if we, the members of the community who have a choice can band together we can bring another grocery store into the area. I am not for begging a chain store either. I think with the diversity in our community we could support a neighborhood co-op (ie. Sevananda-L5P) quite well. But we at the grassroots level have to want it and support it.

I do NOT believe it's just the competition from Walmart that caused this Publix to close. True, Publix's regular prices are a lot higher that Walmart's. But dollar for dollar, I spend more money at Publix than at Walmart, and will go to Publix more frequently than I do Walmart. I think a factor may be the BOGO offers at Publix, which I spend a lot of money on. If Publix is losing money on these specials, which they have every week, and are hoping to make it up on full price products, then that, plus any other issues (including shoplifting) may have been enough to send them over the cliff. Most of us are pretty savvy about buying the lowest priced product from the best store.
That being the case, Publix might just pull out of more markets than this one. I don't see the economy and consumer spending doing an upturn right away.

I hope the Krogers does close on memorial dr, it is not worth going to anymore. Lots of out of date food, poor quality of baked food. The management staff obviously thinks the shopper don't notice or prefer substandard food and such. They started off good and went way down hill. I don't know if anyone remembers the old location of Memorial Dr krogers, but it was filthy and shameful----it would be nice if walmart made them think about their business as what it is---customer service, and filth and poor quality doesn't cut it.

Not looking forward to Walmart, I'll try not to shop there, I think bull-dozing most of the business' and putting up fences and shrubbery and welcoming new neighbor-hoods on Memorial Dr is the way to go----everything else is substandard and disgusting on our hwy.

The Bedrin Organization is trying to bring a Walmart Market to my town of Hawthorne NJ.
My grassroots community organization, HawthorneDeservesBetter.com, opposes this for obvious reasons.
How ironic that Jerry Bedrin is losing a quality store like Publix at least in part due to competition from a Walmart Market.
If you profit from bringing Walmart to Hawthorne NJ, don't be shocked when Walmart bites you in the behind in Stone Mountain, Ga.

I don't understand why everyone is so mad at Walmart? Atleast they are building in the Urban areas. May I remind yall of Kmart, Big Lots, Marshalls, TJMaxx, AJ Wright, Krispy Kreme, Curcuit City, Lens Crafters, Service Merchandise, Red Lobster, Chilis, Olive Garden, Folks, Pep Boys, Chevy, Ford, Mazda, Volkswagen, 3 movie theaters and other big name retailers that were once on Memorial Drive! Face it, Publix didn't fit in on Memorial Dr. They also closed a location on 78 @ Killian Hill (now Burlington) and MLK on the Westside (now WalMart).

I can't believe Mr Bedrin sees first hand the damage a walmart market can do yet continues to fight for walmart in my home town while residents beg walmart to go away. Shame on you Bedrin and your unethical worship of the mighty dollar changing your ethics with whichever way the wind blows.

While I respect the NJ residents issue with Mr. Bedrin. Our issue is Stone Mountain is bigger than Publix and Mr. Bedrin and Wal-Mart for that matter. Thanks for your comments, but we aren't concerned about his well being, we are fighting for the stability of our community.

I remember back in the 1980's that shopping center had a huge fire in a shuttered grocery store. I also remember going to the Lionel Playworld in that center as well as the Oz Records and a Chuck E Cheese Pizza Place. I'm sure they'll find a new tenant.

Mr. Bedrin is after the almighty dollar. He supports the community when it makes him money and fights it if they threaten his profits.

I am enraged. I remember that Publix being built. It was the first "nice" store down the street from my mother's house. There is a Walmart less than 10 minutes away. The Publix is always kept clean, they have respected us and anytime my mother has had a problem with something being out of stock, which has been few and far between, that product has never been out of stock again. I do not shop at Wal-Mart. Their values are selling plastic trash, from the food to cutlery and clothing, and I cannot believe the people of Stone Mountain are putting up with this. Is this new news or have I missed on months of protest? What can be done? It is shameful, in Stone Mountain we have no Whole Foods, Starbucks or Trader Joe's, no Caribou Coffee, hardly a boutique or specialty shop as there are in northern suburbs, and I am sick of having to spend my money on employees and business that do not contribute to our community. This Wal-Mart must be boycotted! Publix should not be shut down, it can be renovated. Stone Mountain already looks like a lost town compared to other suburbs, Publix shone in my eyes, it was the only place I go to that is larger-scale, because that's really all we have that's nice, and I'm proud of that. If anyone has information on how to at least try to stop this or find more information please post.

I don't understand...the landlord of the Publix mentioned in this article is the owner of a lot in my town, Hawthorne NJ where he's fighting TO OPEN a Walmart Marketplace!!!

Has this turned into the Hawthorne NJ Patch?

Folks in Hawthorne: You may contact Zak Koeske, editor of Fair Lawn-Saddle Brook Patch, about the Walmart Neighborhood Market plans in your town: zak.koeske@patch.com

Publix is a business. If a store is underperforming, it has a right to close. You will have to find another place to shop.

Here's what the majority of these comments is overlooking:
1. Publix is the ONLY DECENT grocery store within 5-10 miles of the Memorial corridor. The Kroger at N. Hairston is a breeding ground for criminals. I speak from experience.
2. We are in GEORGIA not NEW JERSEY!!!!!!
3. There are some other stores, Sav-A-Lot (no thanks) and Save-Rite (I call it "the crap store"), otherwise, we have to drive to Decatur or Lavista for decent shopping.
We must STOP expecting others to fix our problems, pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and GET CRACKING making an impact ANYWHERE we can be heard! And yes, Publix is a for-profit company, but still, if more folks shopped there, their revenue would show it. I get the business decision, but why can't we band together and CHANGE THAT???????????? Let's be heard!

I think Publix should give us [the Memorial Bend consumers] some time, at least a few months, to work on improving the store's business. I stop in there 2-3 times a week and the store is always full, so I can't fathom that the store is "under performing"... but I don't keep the books. Clearly, there are a lot of people disappointed that the store is closing so I think now that people are aware of the impact this will have on our community, if given the chance, people will shop there and save the store. Okay, Walmart is coming, but Publix is our community store and I think due to its location and accessibility, many people will still shop there vs. Walmart. Publix, please consider giving our community a few months to rally together and if you do not see the change, THEN do what you have to do, but it's not fair that we only had a months notice of this and no chance to fight for our store.

I'm a Former business owner in Memorial Bend, Mr. Bedrin is a good & thoughtful landlord , he tries his best to run a good center
Problems - homeless ( many drug addicts) hang out in center parking lot, shoplifting is unbelievable in this center, Dekalb police are terrible , it's location is its worst problem

So today's the day. The end of an era, at least at Memorial Bend. Sad. Thanks for the update, Leslie.

Very sad to see Publix go. I don't really like Kroger on Hairston, and I don't find Walmart all that exciting either. I don't know what should go in place of Publix. I'd hate to see anymore auto parts stores, chicken wing restaurants, Dollar Stores etc. The area just keeps getting shabbier over the years. I'd love to see some coffee shops, decent clothing and shoe stores, I would also like to see the Stone Mountain/Clarkston area promote its diverse ethnic culture. Get all the "foodies" in Atlanta to come out here and spend money. I've had Nepalese, Bosnian, Eritrean food here, and it's fantastic! I go to a local bakery for tandoori nan bread, eat momos at Kathmandu Grill, all reasonably priced, and very filling. Maybe a Farmer's Market would be the way to go here. Lots of variety, good fresh produce, and a place for local merchants to sell their "specialties" like baked goods.

While I hate to see Publix leave this location, I do understand that as a business it needs to make a profit. About five years ago I complained to a store manager that no one was asking to take my cart to my vehicle. She told me that they did not have the sales to warrant having more people on staff. Needless to say this surprised me as it seemed the store was always full. She explained to me that it is full a lot times but unfortunately people are only spending $30/40, not doing large shopping carts like the Publix in Tucker where people are spending $200/300 a cart. She said lots of people come in for a bag of sugar, a sandwich from the deli, etc. but not real shopping. This made me think. Sometimes we think the grass is greener on the other side, my husband is a good example. He feels that without a doubt the Publix in Tucker is better while I feel they are about the same so why not support your own neighborhood?

Im not suprised, this is nothing new, I grew up in the area in the 90s and since then, probably before, it continues to decline, I remeber a number of top brand business throughout stone mountain and South Dekalb, Remeber the Target off Covington Hwy?? Avondale mall?? heck alot of Memorial Drive?! ya know the Atrium and Tupac Center was Movie theatres? and car dealers? the Old kroger(by rays/Hambrick roads) and Kmart? well i could go on but this is nothing new and probably dude to the decline of the community that lives in sadly.

I think Aldi would be a good fit.....

I agree. Aldi's fits the neighborhood, prices are low, and they carry a lot of everything. Their prices continue to beat all the others, including walmart. One problem is that their stores are pretty small and would not fit the space left by Publix.