BAY SPRINGS, Miss. ( WHLT ) – Bay Springs leaders hope an online petition will help bring a new grocery store to the city.

In August 2023, the Corner Market closed, leaving the Piggly Wiggly as the only grocery store.

Bay Springs Mayor Donald Brown said he and the Chamber of Commerce started a petition to show interest in hopes of attracting a new store.

The mayor said a recent financial analysis showed Bay Springs and Jasper County had lost about $3.4 million from people choosing to shop out of town.

Brown said recouping the loss in tax revenue could be used for infrastructure and other community needs.

“If you get everything you need and don’t have to go other places that way, you’ll save your money and spend it here in town. And our local business will survive. It’s tough for a business to not only survive, but when our kids go to our local businesses for donations for ball and everything, if people are spending their money outside the city limits, there’s nothing there for them to have extra to give to our kids and our local fundraisers and stuff like that. So, we want to make sure all of our businesses stay healthy, that way they can thrive and do that for us,” Brown explained.

The mayor said the city has been in talks with some stores, adding it would not be a big box store.

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