Montrose ShurSave store now Rob’s Market
Published: December 2, 2009
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Rob Robinson took over the reins of the former ABC Market in Montrose last week and reopened it as Rob’s Market yesterday. He also has a ShurSave store in Great Bend. STAFF PHOTO/ROBERT BAKER
The ShurSave Market in Montrose came under new management yesterday when Rob Robinson of Rob’s Market, Great Bend, opened the doors at 7 a.m.
Robinson spent much of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, overseeing a makeover of the former ABC Market with scrubbed and waxed floors and fully stocked shelves that he hoped would draw all of ABC’s loyal customers back and build on a shopper base from there.
“I plan to smother the customers with quality customer service, much as I’ve done in Great Bend for the past 20 years,” Robinson said Sunday afternoon.
Except for the former owner of ABC, he planned to keep the staff of around 20 in place and would add employees as business warranted.
His Great Bend store employs 75 persons, and for the short term, he would like to see the volume of business in Montrose approach about half that labor need.
Robinson has great ambitions for the 15,000 square foot store and has no illusions about the competitive nature of the grocery business with Price Chopper across the road.
He said he recently introduced himself to the Price Chopper manager and let it be known that he was certain there was a large enough customer base in the greater Montrose area for two grocery stores.
“I’ll never bad mouth their store but we’ll give customers a choice with quality products behind the ShurSave name, matched with in-store specials and a really friendly environment,” Robinson said.
He noted that some shoppers of all ages prefer a smaller store, and he hopes to cater to their needs in a special way.
Robinson said he knew the Montrose store had seen better days in years past and reflected that it was a similar environment presented to him in 1988 when he got into the grocery business in the Great Bend-Hallstead area.
“It has been very successful, and we’ll do that here as well,” Robinson said.
The graduate of Chenango Valley High School had a stint with the U.S. Marines in Vietnam where he received the Purple Heart, and said he has always been willing to give everything in life his all.
After service, he became a food distributor for 19 years, first for Nabisco, and then Lipton.
Because of that background, Robinson said he felt he knew what customers wanted 21 years ago, “and the community responded to forge a wonderful relationship.”
He was honored in September with the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Boy Scouts’ Baden Powell Council.
He and his wife of 36 years, Barbara, have two grown daughters and two granddaughters.
He said yesterday’s opening was a “soft” one, but that the public could expect a more “Grand Opening” event after the first of the year.
He said one immediate change would be the addition of one hour a day to the store’s hours, so that it is now open 7 a.m.-9 p.m., seven days a week.
Robinson said he looks forward to meeting the people in Montrose and surrounding communities and hopes they will “Come to me if they have wants or needs they can’t find here.”
“This is a wonderful opportunity, and I am honored to be a part of this area,” he said.
