"When the Musser's (supermarket space) became available, it seemed like a good fit and something the community could embrace," mused Chris Smiley, founder of AJ's Surplus Grocery. "I had been a business owner in Columbia for 20 years, and I wanted to provide an opportunity to help the community by providing an inexpensive option for groceries and general merchandise."
With the assistance of Tom Lohr, the owner of Red Lion's D&K Surplus Grocery and Thomas Trading Inc., a wholesale food provider for surplus grocery stores, Smiley launched AJ's Surplus Grocery at 960 Lancaster Ave., Columbia, last year.
"We feel very blessed to be part of the Columbia community," Smiley said as the store marked its first anniversary. "We feel like we have been welcomed and made to feel a part of the community even during these difficult times of COVID."
The mission of AJ's Surplus Grocery is to help community members stretch their dollars through surplus pricing and special deals. The store carries groceries, general merchandise, clothing, and anything else that can be found for a good price. After the store reached about eight months in business, store customers were surveyed to ascertain what they liked and what was missing. As a result, AJ's now offers fresh meat and expanded produce and Goya offerings.
"We created an essential list of items people need regardless of if they can be found in the surplus market," Smiley remarked.
On Sept. 25, AJ's introduced "BinSanity," in which bins of general merchandise are placed at the back of the store and feature decreasing prices. New items arrive on Fridays and have the highest price. By the following Thursday, the items are discounted to rock-bottom prices.
"This concept is out there - just not around here," Smiley commented.
AJ's is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. Additionally, the store is open from 8 to 9 a.m. on Tuesdays for at-risk customers and seniors only. For more information, readers may find AJ's Surplus Grocery on Facebook, visit http://www.ajsgrocery.com, or call 717-449-7471.
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