Safeway Closing Ashburn (Lynchburg, Chantilly, Leesburg: buy, prices, shoppers)

[novanew]

Has anyone heard why the Safeway in Broadlands Village Center is closing? From what I could always tell, it had a decent amount of business. Just curious, Id hate to be that person and ask an employee who's about to lose their job.

[VRE332]

They closed one in Gainesville a few years ago. It had a robust customer base, and GREAT chicken wings at the hot bar.

[LynchburgLover]

Probably just too much competition in the grocery business these days. Idk about this one but I went into the one in Leesburg last week for the first time in years. The place really smelled awful.

[NOVA_guy]

I feel like the Whole Foods and Wegmans type of grocery stores are taking the Shoppers, Safeways etc out of business. It seems like as of late more and more of them are closing.

[car54]

Safeway was just bought out by a hedge fund, whose motives may not be obvious to us outsiders.

The same hedge had just bought another large grocery chain called Albertson's. In markets where Safeway and Albertson's both operated (mainly west coast), the hedge fund was forced to sell a couple hundred stores in order to overcome anti-trust issues.

Incidentally, the hedge fund that now owns Safeway is named after a mythical three-headed dog that guarded the gates of Hell. Reassuring, eh?

[VRE332]

I shop at the Korean market Lotte (The Ashburn or Chantilly locations). Their prices for fruits, meat, fish and vegetables are so much cheaper.

[rome99]

You can't keep the vegetables for more than 2 days. I wouldn't buy meat there.

Originally Posted by VRE332

I shop at the Korean market Lotte (The Ashburn or Chantilly locations). Their prices for fruits, meat, fish and vegetables are so much cheaper.

[blindside]

Originally Posted by rome99

You can't keep the vegetables for more than 2 days. I wouldn't buy meat there.

Delicate vegetables (lettuce, most herbs) you shouldn't keep for more than 2 days anyway, cabbage, onions, and potatoes store well though.

The meat and chicken is more 'gamey' than most, though I like the flavor. I like their beef ribs and thinly sliced beef (asian style).

Fish is good (though I have serious doubts on the origin labeling).

The produce is excellent.

The parsley and cilantro are *much* cheaper and fresher than Wegs/Giant (about 0.50$ and $0.75), I usually buy them weekly if I don't use them right away.

Their garlic is from china (they shave the root off as required by the USDA for imported garlic), so it's terrible.

Avocados are good (2 days ripening) and cheap ($0.75 - $0.85).

Herbs are great ($2.99 for much more herbs than you would get from Wegs).

Persimmons (in the fall), pomegranates, mandarin oranges, are all great.

The only place I can find reasonably good Kent Mangos (almost as good as the ones I had in California) in the summer.

I dislike all their packaging (yellow styrofoam trays).

[jpiszcz]

I just stopped in this morning, 30% off everything the entire store, sad to see it close though.

[scimitar12]

I've been to the two Safeways in Sterling Park and Countryside. Both stores always smelled bad to me. And, until recently I thought the stores were always so dark.

Originally Posted by LynchburgLover

Probably just too much competition in the grocery business these days. Idk about this one but I went into the one in Leesburg last week for the first time in years. The place really smelled awful.