Richmond Grocery Wars

[I miss RVA]

On 9/16/2023 at 5:45 AM, Downtowner said:

 

I can understand why the more average joe type grocery stores are doing so well. I can’t even afford to eat or go to the grocery store as much anymore, it’s getting to the point where I can’t afford to live. Where living and breathing is unaffordable. I get mad every time I go to the grocery store or the gas station or get a bill in the mail. Everything too expensive for anyone to afford.  

I get even angrier when I read the quarterly financial reports that indicate the off-the-scale record profits some of these retailers are making and how they've planned their pricing models post-pandemic to take advantage of the overall price increases due to inflation. In a nutshell - it's classic price gouging - and it's absolutely shameful. Unfortunately, it appears that shareholders' accounts and company profit margins are their only consideration. The corporate "let them eat cake" mentality and the blatant profiteering on the backs of every-day Americans is utterly disgusting. Don't get me started.  

Edited September 18, 2023 by I miss RVA

[wrldcoupe4]

It sucks, but to think they care about anything other than their shareholders means the marketing and PR is working. 

[I miss RVA]

3 hours ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

It sucks, but to think they care about anything other than their shareholders means the marketing and PR is working. 

!!!  Sad but so true.

Those of us old enough to remember the late, great George Carlin and his take on corporate America, advertising, marketing, sales, consumerism, etc., and their roles as "prime purveyors of 100% USDA Grade-A genuine B.S." (keeping it family-friendly - his choice of words was a tad stronger...). We certainly can recall what he said on the matter - and how spot on he was then. Every bit as true then as it is today. He gave no quarter when it came to dispensing his criticism. I miss that man.

[whw53]

https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/amazon-fresh-zombie-stores-reportedly-causing-legal-troubles

[eandslee]

3 minutes ago, whw53 said:

https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/amazon-fresh-zombie-stores-reportedly-causing-legal-troubles

Oh boy…they will probably have to repurpose these in the RVA area before they even become what they were just renovated to become!  Can you imagine tearing down basically new construction for whatever these spaces will eventually become?  Wowzers!

[I miss RVA]

Jack Jacobs has reporting in today's RBS that it's looking increasingly likely that Whole Foods will be an anchor tenant in an updated version of a large retail project in Midlothian.

Atlanta-based SLC Ventures has filed a new site plan with Chesterfield County for the development at Midlothian Turnpike and Alverser Drive. The proposed grocery store - at 36K sq ft - is a bit smaller than what was in previously filed plans. Important nugget from Jack's reporting:

Anchoring the project is a grocery store that appears to be smaller and of a different brand than the initial plans. An April 2024 rendering of the center’s planned grocery store anchor refers to the user as an “organic food market” and has a different design than depicted in a previous elevation.

 

(SLC principal) Garrison declined to comment on the identity of the center’s anticipated grocery anchor. His firm SJC Ventures has developed other projects that feature grocery stores, and most of them are Whole Foods Market locations. He had also previously declined to name the grocery store planned as part of the originally approved project.

Whole Foods didn’t respond to a request for comment for this story.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2024/04/10/developer-with-history-of-whole-foods-anchored-projects-tweaks-plans-for-midlothian-depot/

Edited April 10 by I miss RVA

[KJHburg]

Inside your Short Pump Wegmans where I went for a quick bite.  Thank you Richmond for finally opening the Wegmans distribution center as now they have announced their first of several Charlotte area stores.   Took these photos for my Charlotte peeps to show them how massive the store is inside.  I have been to all their open 4 NC stores in the Raleigh Cary Chapel Hill area. 

Question:  Who bought Ukrops your legendary grocery store chain?   

Edited May 15 by KJHburg

[I miss RVA]

What the heck does this have to do with RVA grocers? Should I start posting pix of Chicago-area grocers now?

[KJHburg]

2 minutes ago, I miss RVA said:

What the heck does this have to do with RVA grocers? Should I start posting pix of Chicago-area grocers now?

sorry that is the Short Pump store interior photos.  I will note that. 

[Child2021]

13 minutes ago, KJHburg said:

Inside your Short Pump Wegmans where I went for a quick bite.  Thank you Richmond for finally opening the Wegmans distribution center as now they have announced their first of several Charlotte area stores.   Took these photos for my Charlotte peeps to show them how massive the store is inside.  I have been to all their open 4 NC stores in the Raleigh Cary Chapel Hill area. 

Question:  Who bought Ukrops your legendary grocery store chain?   

Ahold bought them out, and started converting them to Martin's.

[eandslee]

1 hour ago, KJHburg said:

Inside your Short Pump Wegmans where I went for a quick bite.  Thank you Richmond for finally opening the Wegmans distribution center as now they have announced their first of several Charlotte area stores.   Took these photos for my Charlotte peeps to show them how massive the store is inside.  I have been to all their open 4 NC stores in the Raleigh Cary Chapel Hill area. 

Question:  Who bought Ukrops your legendary grocery store chain?   

Again, photos devoid of humans…in a major grocery store!!  Is there anyone in Richmond at the moment?!

[Flood Zone]

13 hours ago, Child2021 said:

Ahold bought them out, and started converting them to Martin's.

My wife and I both worked at (different) Ukrop's stores in our younger days. Didn't know each other back then, but we had common friends through Ukrop's and otherwise. We went to the Village Ukrop's on its last day, and that was a sad one.

Edited May 15 by Flood Zone

[I miss RVA]

6 minutes ago, Flood Zone said:

My wife and I both worked at (different) Ukrop's stores in our younger days. Didn't know each other back then, but we had common friends through Ukrop's and otherwise. We went to the Village Ukrop's on its last day, and that was a sad one.

Great story, @Flood Zone! For so many folks, it was a right of passage. If you were a teenager, you worked at Ukrop's - particularly in the '70s, '80s and '90s.

[keo091]

https://richmondmagazine.com/restaurants-in-richmond/food-news/lotte-plaza-market/

In other news, Lotte Plaza Market finally just had their official grand opening last Friday, May 10th!

As an Asian-American it's a pretty big deal for RVA's Asian communities and lovers of Asian cusine as it's the first big modern Asian grocer chain in the area. These stores can be found all over the DMV so it's great to finally have something like that here in our very own backyard. We went on opening weekend and it was packed; so packed in fact that you could barely move! There's even a whole food court inside with several vendors plus a Tous les Jours supposedly coming soon!

Edited May 17 by keo091

[Child2021]

I also went this week, and will say it does have a lot of items that New Grand doesn't have, and the inside is very clean and just in general nice. I bought some noodles as apart of my first visit.