The Larson family’s grocery business, formerly known as Big Star, recently underwent major changes.
Renamed Larson’s Cash Saver, the store has been a community staple since 1977 and is the only locally owned grocery store in Oxford.
Keith Larson, part-owner, said the changes have been well received since the official reopening on Feb. 1.
“We have changed our store from a traditional grocery which marks up items at least 20 percent to a cost-plus store where everything is priced at market cost and then only 10 percent is added at the register.”
The name change was necessary to indicate the low-price concept. The store is still operated under the same management and employees, but this is the Larsons’ way of competing with large chain stores such as Kroger and Wal-Mart.
In order to lower prices, Cash Saver has done away with the grocery carry-out service, and it has begun using dump bins instead of displays. Larson said the bins are geared toward achieving the lowest possible cost, including labor costs, to get it on the shelf.
These changes have enabled Cash Saver to cut the prices of name-brand products such as Frito-Lay and Coke nearly in half.
“Dollar sales have increased two-fold,” Larson said. “We have seen a tremendous increase in business from students. Students are smart and they see the price differences in those name brands they love.”
Senior accountancy major Phil Murphy goes to the store about twice a month.
“I started coming to Big Star when I lived near here. It’s still the cheapest beer in town,” Murphy said. “The real reason I come (to Cash Saver) is that they accept Ole Miss Express. My mom gives me Express instead of cash, so I buy my groceries here.”
Cash Saver is also on its way to joining other Oxford stores in selling ice-cold beer since the cold beer and Sunday sales law went into effect Sept. 19.
“Our cold-beer cave is being made in New Albany right now, so it should be up and running in about two weeks,” Larson said.
In addition to maintaining inexpensive prices on all its products, the store’s meat department prides itself on having the highest-quality meat in town.
Jim Avent, head of the meat department, said Cash Saver has upgraded its beef to Certified Angus Choice.
“That’s the best meat we can buy from our distributor. We now have better beef and lower prices.”
Avent mentioned that he has noticed an increase in sales, especially for steaks and family-sized roasts around tailgating time.
“With higher sales, we can move our stock faster and we don’t have to worry about anything going bad and losing money,” he said. “The changes have definitely been positive.”
