Save A Lot recognized 10 retail partners during the company’s annual meeting and food show in St. Charles, Missouri.
The awards honored performance in 2025 across several major categories, including year-over-year customer and sales growth, Store Managers of the Year, Hometown Hero, Omnichannel Leaders, Outstanding Customer Service and Retail Partners of the Year.
“These retail partners and store leaders demonstrate every day what makes Save A Lot special,” said CEO Bill Mayo.
“Through operational excellence, meaningful community engagement and a commitment to delivering fresh, full, friendly and clean stores, they drive our brand forward. We are honored to recognize their hard work and leadership across our network.”
Award recipients
The Retail Partners of the Year Award went to operators who delivered outstanding results across all business metrics – sales, customer count and purchases – while demonstrating community involvement, team engagement and brand commitment.
Winners were divided by store count:
The Rabban Brothers took the large store owner (seven-plus stores) award. For more than three decades, they have been among the most respected operators in the Save A Lot network. Despite significant challenges in 2025, particularly at locations heavily driven by EBT sales, they remained solution-oriented, leaning into merchandising to protect value and maintain momentum.
The Sauer Group received the medium store owner (two-six stores) honor. With more than 45 years of ownership, the group continues to set the standard for community-driven operations. Known for popular three-day meat sales, the Sauer Group provides affordable meal solutions. The award carries added significance as patriarch Wayne Sauer enters retirement.
Steve Dunn won the single store owner category. Operating his Save A Lot since 2019, Dunn navigated shifting market dynamics by staying focused on creating a safe, clean, fast and friendly shopping experience. In 2025, his store saw customer count rise more than 4 percent and sales increase over 3 percent.
The Sales and Customer Count Growth awards recognized the highest year-over-year gains for 2025: Dwayne and Greg Smith in Lavergne, Tennessee (single store); Jason Bramblett and Patrick Sowers in Greensboro, North Carolina (medium); and Anchor Foods in Russell Springs, Kentucky (large).
The Omnichannel Leader awards went to operators excelling in app engagement, loyalty signups, e-commerce adoption and digital strategy: Rod and Angie Taylor (single store); Shannon McPherson (medium); and Ascend Grocery (large).
The Store Managers of the Year awards recognized employees for leadership, operational excellence, customer focus and team engagement. Save A Lot honored Brandon Dial in Lavergne, Tennessee (single store owner); Rosalinda Teneyuque in Saginaw, Michigan, operating under Al Kessel (medium); and Jorge Aguilar in Denver, Colorado, operating under Leevers Supermarkets (large).
Al Solanki accepted the Hometown Hero award for his decade-plus commitment to Moultrie, Georgia. His generosity includes an annual Christmas Day tradition of partnering with the local Mennonite community to feed the homeless, setting up a tent in front of his store to offer meals, sleeping bags, gloves, socks and essential items. He also regularly supports local schools and the YMCA.
The Outstanding Customer Service award went to Scott Clewis, IT director of product delivery at Save A Lot’s support center, for his commitment to problem-solving, transparency and hands-on partnership with retail partners nationwide.
[RELATED: Save A Lot Posts Largest Gain On Customer Satisfaction Study]