Hello readers! Today begins our second tour of the Manassas/Bull Run Plaza Shoppers store. With many changes all about, this one will definitely be an important one at this turning point in the chain's history. Last we saw, Shoppers was continuing to run a steady pharmacy operation - though with this one, we see how they will be working to wind it down.
Photos taken on May 19, 2019 by The Battery Mill
The store tour begins with two different views of the exterior. First comes the main facade, lit up in evening lights, even for the now-closed pharmacy. The second solemnly highlights the Shoppers cart logo within the sidewalk area - a decor tradition dating back to the chain's early years.
This neon sign had not yet been unleashed from the attachment wires, however it had appeared to , despite it having shone a rather dim light recently.
Attention Shoppers!... of Shoppers? This store would like to inform you of its shopping cart locking system.
As our interior opener, we tab over to Shoppers' floral array, spanning from wall to wall. While small floral selections have long been a part of the chain, the introduction of Shoppers Club in the mid-1990s expanded these departments to rival competitors such as Giant and Safeway in helping D.C.-area customers pick out bouquets and balloons.
A selection beyond simple fruits and vegetables was a later introduction for Shoppers, including certain organic selections as well as produce-derived products, like some of the beverages you see here. Though if you'd take a look closer into this image, some of these labels don't seem to be accurate at the moment.
Here we take another look of the . Looking this way, the footprint of the produce section has generally remained intact since the store's 1986 opening - albeit fixtures would have likely been shifted to accomodate for the freed space.
What happens when you put seafood and apples together? One may find out within this view of the store.
This is another perspective from the previous spot (and Part 1), now featuring the back end of the shop as well.
Here we have some views around the meat actionway, a design trait typical of Shoppers stores. Most often, Shoppers has used this design to segue from their produce/prepared foods areas into the rest of the store; though in this case, only produce and seafood make up the front end of this grand aisle.
The "triangle" formed by the Lunchmeat/Kitchen Shop/Floral wall serves as the primary store office area, with an opening provided at the customer service desk (not pictured).
As we mark our journey into the center of the store, we see a quaint collection of dairy coolers. Shoppers has traditionally used open fixtures for this department, however with recent remodels they have referred to door-based models to contain cool air.
We now move closer to the highlight of the event, focusing the inner portions of the store. Starting in the 2008 decor package, Shoppers has designated health & beauty aisles lettered aisle markers. Since being expanded as a category with Shoppers Club, many have featured simply large overhead signage marking said territory.
Alcohol products, such as Wine and Beer are seen occupying the left corner of the store, leading up to the deli/bakery "grand court". Quite large for such a store, shall we say?
And now, here it is - Shoppers' pharmacy department has officially met its demise, (likely unintentionally) returning the chain to its traditional off-price state. While said move had been implemented to more easily assist sales to non-grocery retail, there has been no direct word as to what this will lead to in the end. Curiously, several shelves and signs indicating pharmacy functions/decor remain (two weeks after the shutdown), an anomaly where most would want to deter theft after employees move out of the space.
The left door stood as the pharmacy entrance, while the right door provided for the long-closed M&T Bank. Since the bank's closing, the 2016 remodel has adapted the extents of the decor to provide for a new waiting room.
Zooming in on the other photo, The wavy pharmacy logo has been used by many SuperValu stores. Sister chain Cub in Minnesota continues to operate pharmacies with such a logo.
With the store's front end in the background, we see a plainly-statured sign alerting customers of the pharmacy's closure.
All pharmacies across the chain were incrementally closed over a span of two weeks, accounting for prescription transfer processes. This store would be one of the last to empty their pharmacy shelves, closing on May 7, 2019 alongside that of the Stafford, VA location.
Now to complete today's journey, we take another view of the upper pharmacy area, as seen from the checkouts. A variety of ceiling heights serve as a testament to the store's history and remodels.
The round wall elements date back many years for Shoppers, having been used in various locations until an entirely new decor package launched in 2008. Also to note is the lighting difference: While Shoppers recently upgraded their tiled lighting fixtures to LED across the board, classic fluorescent lights have remained in certain places (namely above front ends, vestibules, and alcoves like that of the pharmacy).
Nevertheless, let this be the end of Shoppers' pharmacy legacy - a feature that helped bolster the chain as a traditional grocer, serving customers from Hunt Valley down to Fredericksburg.
We do have one more feature, however. Here we spotlight an empty checklane right at the end of the road. I must say, seldom-used checkouts in the vein of this one can be mysterious. Who knows if these ever opened to customers?
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Next up within our Manassas Shoppers saga will be a brief photo stop to prepare you for the most important event, something marking changing tides in the local grocery industry. As always, keep on keeping on and visit us for the next installment!
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