Retail Mix, Volume 2

Welcome to the Shoppes of Battery Mill!

Today I would also like to commemorate the fifth anniversary of my retail fan branding, as on this day in 2015 I launched my Flickr account which has come to this scene today. As always, thanks so much for making me what I am today and I would also like to thank y'all for the good times and wisdom provided!

Without further ado, again, let's delve into this retail photo mashup:

Photos taken August 10-October 14, 2019

Our first of several retail crossovers today, we see a basic Staples table board line the bottom of chairs at TJ Maxx. Quite unexpected?

The next few photos serve to spotlight the rest of the Mosaic District in Merrifield, VA.

Accompanying Target as a grocery anchor of the center is MOM's Organic Market, a local chain of natural foods supermarkets. In my opinion, the store inside this building is a decent grocer, however - MOM's does appear to be rather staunch in what is sold (whether you like it or not), and the interior appeared to have a rather unfinished, not-so-cozy atmosphere.

While this photo might not clearly feature retail, we have a few restaurants located within this building. To the left of the original Merrifield Towne Centre complex, you can see part of the Mosaic Center, with the Target I visited earlier to the left.

Looking across from Gallows Road leaving the Mosaic District, you see the traditional low-rise businesses that have made up Merrifield's character for decades. To the left is a Silver Diner location, part of a Mid-Atlantic chain.

On the right is a Mobil gas station. The Mobil brand is uncommon in the Northern Virginia area, their ubiquity being eschewed for the sister Exxon brand.

Moving on from Merrifield, we find ourselves at the Fairfax Wegmans. Notice anything new? (the sign, that is...)

As of the past year, a few of Wegmans' earliest locations in the area have refreshed their signage. For example, Dulles and Hunt Valley, MD have also done a changeover in addition to this store. I may admit that their sweeping new logo does not match the rather humble exterior, though I guess it does  add a touch of modernity.

A closer look at various kind of Wegmans signage here. The "Home & Entertaining" section is their testament to general merchandise with things from pots and pans to toys and books highlighted here!

The signage package is one of Wegmans' most recognizable, featuring a relaxed, yet funky modern theme. Alongside new lighting, the chain distributed this signage package chainwide sometime in the early 2010s. These respectively superseded the store's original mercury vapor fixtures and antique market-style signage. I believe this package has a solid, friendly design that is emblematic of Wegmans in this day and age.

Quite an intricate engraving at the Potomac Festival shopping center we have here.

The Festival Companies is a national retail developer which constructed numerous shopping centers in the area from the mid 1980s to the early 1990s. These centers generally abide by a homogeneous design language and featured more specialty tenants in tandem with usual strip mall shops and anchors. However over the years, it appears they have mostly sold these properties off to a multitude of other shopping center owners, all of which have applied varying changes to these centers.

Here's a quaint Savers Thrift Superstore, one of the primary anchors of the Potomac Festival center.  You can notice the center's more tropical, river-influenced vibe with the plaza icons and light color scheme that adorns the center.

Here is the Staples within the same shopping center, sporting a red facade tailor-made for the office supply chain. It is definitely interesting to see this one still open and in its traditional size, as the chain has been shrinking in recent years with a number of quiet closings (especially in this area).

Acme? At Giant? In Virginia? Seems to be a bedazzling supply chain mix-up on seafood utensils. At least you get to take home some awesome souvenirs!

Cheap snacks in the SuperTarget grocery aisle! Notice anything about the slogan? "Right on the Money" was one of Target's 1990s slogans, and it's quite a delight to see this subtle retro reminder on display here.

Going nuts for Archer Farms nut products here!
Recently Target has merged two of their older grocery brands, Archer Farms and Simply Balanced into a singular "Good & Gather" marquee. While the brand was introduced in mid-September, these products shown here continue to be under the Archer Farms distinction.

At the Manassas SuperTarget we take a quick look at a remodel... a brief one that is. The Guest Service alcove underwent a reset removing one hour photo kiosks in favor of Order Pickup shelving. Over the years Target has retired the use of photo labs in their stores as other uses for their spaces have proven more profitable. While the shift is understandable in this current retail era, I believe digital photo printing counters are not entirely outmoded and can stick around.

Starbucks? In my Chick-Fil-A? How could that be?
According to starbuckseverywhere.net (an awesome site compiling Sbux locations worldwide! , such a freestanding store is a first for the coffee chain. In 2017 Chick-Fil-A relocated to a larger site within the shopping center's parking lot, complete with a larger interior and two-lane drive-thru. Regardless of your stance on these two chains,

"Can I get a Taco Bell with a little extra Pizza Hut on the side?"

"Yes, your order is on the way."

A Taco Bell with a bit of a combination with Pizza Hut... how interesting! The store appears to have been remodeled circa 2014 - note the reflective purple piece serving as the backdrop to the Taco Bell logo and the squared architectural elements.

Walmart in a new light! If you saw my previous Retail Mix installment, you might have noticed that the Liberia Avenue Walmart removed their overhead signage. This turned out to be done for new overhead LED lighting storewide, something that was completed by the end of the year.

Finally in early 2020 the store began a full remodel, repainting walls, adding new signage and even exchanging the tile floor for concrete. More on this remodel will be coming to the blog - so stay tuned!

Next to the Manassas Best Buy, in the former Hechinger building resides a recently closed A.C. Moore, which quietly departed the center earlier in 2019 preceding their bankruptcy later that year.

There has recently been a major shakeup within the Sudley Towne Plaza as numerous tenants have left the center or modified their buildings. In addition to A.C. Moore's farewell, other chains have exited the center in the past few years. The Staples, Hard Times Café, and AutoZone ; while the neighboring Burlington store has downsized, leaving the original entrance spot empty. One has to wonder what's next for this center, despite all its successes...

All that remains of A.C. Moore's legacy in town, pointing to the next available location. With the bankruptcy however, the Fairfax location has also closed within the past few weeks.

For today's closing photo, we have a parting shot of the solemn A.C. Moore interior, already depleted of both merchandise and fixtures of all sorts.

As usual, thanks for tuning in to my latest post, and for supporting BatteryMill Retail for the past 5 years! Much more content is on the way, so as they say - the show must go on!