Publix coming to Richmond (Hampton, Charlottesville: organic, shopping center, rated)

[VA Yankee]

Originally Posted by sls76

What is Food Lion's purpose? To make the other grocery stores look good? Martin's only purpose for me was to sell Ukrop's baked goods.

Food lion is very often the only supermarket in moderate price communities and in small towns they are often the only option. Lets face it the Ukrop's deal that Martins agreed to has got to be one of the worst ever, no wonder no one wanted to buy the chain. Well now Kroger is selling some Ukrop's baked good and you don't have to hear their name in every advertisement.

[Carolina Knight]

Originally Posted by VA Yankee

Food lion is very often the only supermarket in moderate price communities and in small towns they are often the only option.

Food Lion has faced and lost to Bi-Lo, Food City, Harris Teeter, Ingle's, Kroger, Publix, and Walmart in moderate price trade areas. It has a quantity of stores still serving small towns and communities in Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvanis, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Competitors are moving into those trade areas either to infill in their footprints, or to add store count with smaller stores (i.e. Publix's 29,000-square-foot stores).

Originally Posted by VA Yankee

Lets face it the Ukrop's deal that Martins agreed to has got to be one of the worst ever, no wonder no one wanted to buy the chain.

Either Ahold had the best offer to acquire Ukrop's out of Delhaize, Harris Teeter (prior to becoming a subsidiary of Kroger), and Kroger, or no one had interest in them.

[VA Yankee]

/\

I think no one had interest in Ukrop's , when you look at the emphasis that Martins had to place on Ukrpop's baked products the size and placement of the Ukrops's name almost eclipsed their own. Now that Martin's is not the exclusive carrier of these goods their niche is gone and so will they be soon.

[Carolina Knight]

Without Martin's as a supermarket participant, Food Lion, Kroger, and Walmart Neighborhood Market would be the only immediate options. Wegman's should be opening area stores later this year followed by Publix in 2018. I think the top three chains in the food retailing market will be, in no specific order, Walmart, Kroger, and Publix.

[tylerSC]

They are apparently closing several Giant-Landover stores near Fredericksburg and DC, as well as the Martin's stores in Richmond, which are a division of Giant-Carlisle. Looks like they would have chosen to close some of the Food Lions rather than Giant and Martin's, since Food Lion is the inferior store. I know some divestiture is necessary to resolve antitrust and monopoly concerns, but I don't quite understand this decision as the Ahold-Delhaize merger proceeds. Looks like they got it backwards. Unless somehow the Food Lion stores are higher performing in terms of sales.

And does Ahold own the Ukrop's bakery, as apparently they no longer have exclusive rights to those much acclaimed products.

[sls76]

Originally Posted by tylerSC

They are apparently closing several Giant-Landover stores near Fredericksburg and DC, as well as the Martin's stores in Richmond, which are a division of Giant-Carlisle. Looks like they would have chosen to close some of the Food Lions rather than Giant and Martin's, since Food Lion is the inferior store. I know some divestiture is necessary to resolve antitrust and monopoly concerns, but I don't quite understand this decision as the Ahold-Delhaize merger proceeds. Looks like they got it backwards. Unless somehow the Food Lion stores are higher performing in terms of sales.

And does Ahold own the Ukrop's bakery, as apparently they no longer have exclusive rights to those much acclaimed products.

The Food Lion stores likely weren't worth as much. Martin's had much better locations and clientele (what's left of it at least). That's what I believe Publix wants.

It stinks about the Giant's closing in Fredericksburg.

I believe the Ukrops still own the bakery and their exclusive agreement must have ended last year since they started selling to Kroger.

[tylerSC]

And I wonder if Harris Teeter may be interested in acquiring those Martin's stores, since there is a gap from NC to the DC area of Northern Virginia. This would allow them to infill their void and help thwart the predicted Publix expansion.

But perhaps Publix could be interested in those stores as well. Will be interesting to see how this develops.

[aquest1]

Originally Posted by tylerSC

And I wonder if Harris Teeter may be interested in acquiring those Martin's stores, since there is a gap from NC to the DC area of Northern Virginia. This would allow them to infill their void and help thwart the predicted Publix expansion.

But perhaps Publix could be interested in those stores as well. Will be interesting to see how this develops.

Harris Teeter is actually building a new distribution center in Caroline County in the northern part of the Richmond metro. Funny thing is they don't have any stores (yet) in Richmond and just announced a new store in Stafford. Perhaps they and Publix will strategically split the Martin's properties and Richmond will end up with two new players in the market.

[sls76]

Originally Posted by aquest1

Harris Teeter is actually building a new distribution center in Caroline County in the northern part of the Richmond metro. Funny thing is they don't have any stores (yet) in Richmond and just announced a new store in Stafford. Perhaps they and Publix will strategically split the Martin's properties and Richmond will end up with two new players in the market.

But Harris Teeter is owned by Kroger now. It would compete with itself. Either one is ten times better than Martin's.

[Carolina Knight]

Originally Posted by tylerSC

They are apparently closing several Giant-Landover stores near Fredericksburg and DC, as well as the Martin's stores in Richmond, which are a division of Giant-Carlisle. Looks like they would have chosen to close some of the Food Lions rather than Giant and Martin's, since Food Lion is the inferior store. I know some divestiture is necessary to resolve antitrust and monopoly concerns, but I don't quite understand this decision as the Ahold-Delhaize merger proceeds. Looks like they got it backwards. Unless somehow the Food Lion stores are higher performing in terms of sales.

Eyebrows in the grocery industry are raised in concern of possible divestiture of Giant-Landover and Martin's stores over Food Lion stores.

Food Lion has a quantity of stores in the Richmond, Virignia, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Those stores have significant shortcomings that make Giant-Landover and Martin's more desirable. First, most of its stores lack pharmacies. I know at least two stores in the metropolitan area have pharmacies. Second, Food Lion has struggled with higher prices. It claimed to have "extra low prices" years ago. I doubt increasing prices to make up for lost sales is a wise idea. Third, Food Lion has talked about getting better, but it has not walked the walked to getting better. "Easy, Fresh, and Affordable" is another campaign to get customers in the doors only to notice minimal updates.

Food Lion has struggled against and has been obliterated by Publix. If its stores are staying the course of not improving, Food Lion may have fewer stores than Publix in several years.