Discount grocery store opens in Elkhart

ELKHART, Ind. -- A new type of grocery store has opened up in Elkhart on Old US20 East. The store sells groceries at a discount because they're blemished or just past their "use by" date.

"I have seen the value which people come in and they realize the savings of these types of products," said owner Paul Heinrich.



20 East Discount Groceries opened just five days ago and sells salvaged groceries.



Heinrich wanted to open a store that could suit everyone's budget.



"It is considered a discount on salvaged groceries," said Heinrich.



Mainstream stores won't sell products past their "use by" date.



"Basically what they do is they pull them from their shelves and send them back to a reclaim center, and then at that point a person that owns a store like this will purchase those products," said Heinrich.



The store carries all of your basic grocery items at a bargain price.



He doesn't carry refrigerated items, though. He wanted to keep it simple.



"I wanted to make it real simple, you know with just items that people can basically come in and the shelf life even though it may say "use by" or "best by" that those items usually last longer than the date that is indicated," said Heinrich.



The owner said his customers save 25 to 50 percent off what they would spend at a traditional grocery store.



The store is located at 23820 Old US 20 E in Elkhart.



It is open Wednesday through Friday  noon-8 p.m., Saturday noon -6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m.