Former Shoppers/Fresh World - Manassas, VA: A Store in Three Parts

Welcome back to the Shoppes of Battery Mill, where low prices are only the beginning! Today we cap off Shoppers Week with a look back at a now long-gone Shoppers store. 

Cover photo taken October 3, 2017 by BatteryMill

Store information

• Address: 9540 Liberia Avenue, Manassas, Virginia 20110 

Shoppers

• Store number: #2381 (current), #74/#2674/#052074 (former)
• Opening date: August 25, 2004
• Closing date: August 21, 2016 
• Decor package: Fresh & Healthy 3.0
• Features: Deli, Meat & Seafood Counter, Bakery, Beer & Wine, Shoppers Café, Pharmacy

 Fresh World

• Address: 9540 Liberia Avenue, Manassas, Virginia 20110
• Opening date: November 18, 2016
• Decor package: (Shoppers) Fresh & Healthy 3.0, modified
• Features: Deli, Meat & Seafood Counter, Bakery, Beer & Wine, Shoppers Café

For the fifth and final installment of Shoppers Week, we find ourselves back at the former Liberia Avenue Shoppers in Manassas. This is another location I have covered previously, especially just after closing. However, this is still a busy part of town, and likewise, such an area with prime real estate is bound to continue doing business even after the chain declined under SuperValu's ownership and left. While the site was quickly taken over by international chain Fresh World, not only has the store been continuously running, but there have been significant changes conducted inside and out since. 

Yet, the ghosts of Shoppers past continue to lurk within the store's bounds. What are they, exactly? How have the new building owners adapted to it? What else is there to see? We'll find out shortly.

Store history

The store, ca. 2006-2008. Credit: Tri-Tek Engineering

The Shoppers store's existence rested at the confluence of a fast-growing supermarket chain and a rapidly suburbanizing environment. At the turn of the millennium, Shoppers fell under the mighty wholesaler SuperValu and was determined to continue their hot streak of the two decades prior. Strategic moves like the acquisition of four former SuperFresh (A&P) locations, expansion to Baltimore by means of replacing sister brand Metro, and the continued renewal of existing stores was buttressed by entirely new locations in growing suburbs.

While this wave of phenomenal growth was taking place, Shoppers was running two locations in town. One was located at the Bull Run Plaza store across town and another, smaller shop existed at the Maplewood Center heading towards Centreville. Both places had been established retail districts in the Manassas area, with plenty of mom-and-pops and big boxes serving hundreds of homes. There was, however, one quieter part of town that would come to the interest of Shoppers Food Warehouse. The eastern side of town, previously removed from Interstate 66, Fairfax County and job centers was about to burst onto the scene. 

As soon as conditions were right and space was exhausted on the Sudley Road (bus. VA 234) corridor, new homes started springing up everywhere east of the railroad tracks. Subdivisions encroached on what were once forests and fields. The addition of new transportation networks like the Prince William Parkway (VA 234/294) and the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) then gave a needed jolt to this once sleepy corridor. Liberia Avenue, the road this development occurred on, was also transformed from a 2-lane bypass of Old Town Manassas into a 6-lane commercial street. Now it was time for retail to rise.

While several developments existed on Liberia beforehand, such as the Davis Ford Crossing center with Weis Markets and Staples, there was still room for more retail and restaurants that could draw audiences in more than a neighborhood, grocery-anchored center. Therefore, various chains started making their moves.

Walmart opened across the street in August 2003, marking the beginning of a new era for the strip. The Signal Hill Shopping Center, featuring Shoppers, was announced in November of that same year. At last, Shoppers opened their doors in August 2004. Chains such as GameStop, Chick-Fil-A, and Panera Bread quickly followed suit in the same center.

Just as Shoppers set up shop and fostered a growth pattern on its street, buttressed by local growth as well-, a monkey's paw would emerge. The arrivals of Aldi and Harris Teeter, as well as Walmart's Supercenter expansion dealt blows to what was previously the most dominant supermarket on this street. Shoppers' backslide throughout the 2010s did not cease investment, however. The store underwent a remodel in late 2011-early 2012, updating to SuperValu's Fresh & Healthy 3.0 decor package. Yet, reported lease issues and a transfer of the shopping center from original developer Regency Centers to JCR would be the Achilles' heel for this once prosperous shop. Shoppers would shutter here in August 2016, following rumors circulating since early in the year and the in-store pharmacy closing a few months earlier.

Soon after closing, local international food chain Fresh World stepped up and assumed the space. In November 2016, after some slight work, the two sets of doors on each side of the store were swung open once again. Fresh World has tinkered with the store over the years, adding and modifying departments. Still, a few spectacles remain from Shoppers' past, as we shall see in this post.

This is a story in three parts. One visit from 2020, another from 2023, and now one in 2025 have all chronicled the goings-on at the Manassas Fresh World after taking upon the Shoppers mantle. 

Store tour

January 8, 2020

 

We kick things off in a rather unlikely place: the restroom. I'm not sure if this was redecorated at any point, as it does not resemble the bathroom at the Dumfries Shoppers, though we do see something that dates back to the Shoppers days - one peculiar sign. Keep on reading to see if these findings become a theme.

Next, we head over to the international aisle. While this store is largely comprised of international foods now, there are still plenty 

This aisle still stands to international foods though, as I do recall it takes from a variety of countries (though this store is largely Hispanic-oriented, given the strong local Hispanic community here).

The sign itself was installed chainwide at Shoppers in 2015. Sadly, this meant that a lot of the cool overarching department signs were taken out.

Aisle 12 time! It's always interesting how new chains that move in replicate the old tenant's style with markers like these. Shoppers' aisle markers remain, albeit some are quite faded now.

 

Something else seen in the photos are those burnt out lights. Throughout this set, it will be a recurring sight throughout that many ceiling lights have burned out, or are on the verge of losing their spark.

Now we glance over at what was once the health and beauty department in Shoppers' time. This place, as of 2020, hosts a scattershot mix of merchandise ranging from paper towels to condiments, and baby food to portable appliances. Yet, the lower gondolas from Shoppers and gooseneck signs still hang on.

Beyond the aisles, though before the former pharmacy space, we can witness a green crown moulding. Underneath are a few spaces reserved for stores-within-stores, though none were occupied at the time. These were constructed by Fresh World, and I find it interesting that the paint colors match what Shoppers put in. In the far background, the front end of the store stands.

From the Vineyard... we can see a model windmill, some bottles of corn oil, and a few fixtures scattered in this corner that once hosted alcohol products from around the world.

June 12, 2023

Jumping ahead to 2023, we see Fresh World's cart collection. I must say, these are well-polished (reminding me of what TJ Maxx/Total Wine have in their fleet). Shoppers' cart sign is another artifact that survives. How lucky!

 

We enter the interior, all to witness another Shoppers-era classic. This one's just a small trash can helped by an external set of wheels. How convenient! 

 

It might not be branded "floral" anymore, but we still can buy things that come from flowers here! To the right you can peek at Shoppers' old "Saving Zone", and the slatted floral walls survive. The entire floral cooler has been dismantled to the left, leaving an open wall between the perimeter and the Shoppers Cafe. 

Fresh and ready veggies for you and for me! Again, here we have a category marker left over from Shoppers. It's interesting how sometimes, they don't elect to take out small items like these. Other than that, one can tell the ceiling lights have burned out here - things were much brighter when Shoppers was here, that's for sure. Though this could very well be a stylistic choice, too.

Moving across the "grand aisle", we turn up on the Seafood shores. While sticking true to its promise, restaurants run by outside tenants have operated here, including to the left. We see several more Shoppers throwbacks here, including those ca. 2009 departmental pennants (pictured in orange),  the multilingual department banner, and the unearthed "sea fresh" sign from Shoppers' storage.

Under the lowered ceiling, none of the previous deli grab and go/fountain counters exist anymore, replaced by pallets and displays. What we do have here, however, are tanks larger than what Shoppers had to offer in their day.

As previously discussed on this blog, Shoppers' Fresh & Healthy 3.0 remodels homogenized the once colorful tile floors of stores with the mid-2000s "Real People. Real Value. Real Smart."/"Smart Shoppers Shop Shoppers" decor package. This example, however, eked its way into the remodel. Perhaps it might have been because this particular implementation had no sign, or maybe they forgot to change out tiles. But hey, I'm just speculating.

Bread... or wine... or beer? Entering the bakery, it seems Fresh World has done a reset to move their alcohol products here. Poetic, in a way.

Fresh World and Shoppers signs collide outside the bakery/lunchmeat alcove.

Zipping through International, we witness the changes to this department. During Fresh World's time, this aisle has appeared plainer than what Shoppers had in its time.

I believe the drink coolers are a post-Shoppers addition. One other thing that does still stand from Shoppers is that black and teal departmental sign, as of 2023.

Now, we take a look at the meat department. This is perhaps the most unchanged part of the store from the Shoppers years, with only minimal fixture swaps and signage changes.

Aisle 12, we meet again! As we approach Frozen and the left side of the store, we take a look at what departmental changes Fresh World has made. This place is now home to some different merchandise, now that the Dairy sign has been dismantled, that being spices and chips.

Finally, we are in the corner of the store. Throughout most of Fresh World's tenure, this part of the store has almost never been set up for customers to shop in. From my recollection, it either has been filled with pallets or simply full of empty and turned-off freezers.

Looks like the "infinity cooler" has been sadly made finite.

Somewhere along the left side of the store (don't remember where this was; likely near frozen), a large chunk of Shoppers history lurks: the slatted wall. Once adorning stores all over, the chain made sure to wipe out nearly all traces as stores progressively remodeled. Yet, they just couldn't help but hold on to this one!

We turn our attention to the former health & beauty department's environs. Nothing much has changed here, though I'd argue it's a little cleaner than previously.

The former beer & wine corner, now stuffed with more fixtures than before.

Beyond the Bounty, we can see a glimpse into the former bank space. This started out as a Provident Bank and converted to M&T Bank when these chains merged in 2009. Largely underutilized since 2012, when M&T quietly closed most of their Shoppers in-store banks, it appears to have been rented out to other tenants for a time during Fresh World's tenure. See what you can find from those Provident/M&T Bank days!

Here we see the former pharmacy, with blue-light cases and frozen food coffins, as well as the lattice doors strung down. This looks to have been a store-within-a-store at some point.

Store-within-a-store setups are common fixtures at international supermarkets like this one. These range from sportswear shops, to financial services, to travel agencies and more. It's something eclectic that I definitely wish was replicated more often in conventional American supermarkets!

Would you look at that? Another Shoppers relic, this one stuck on one of the old pharmacy doors!

To the left are some of those underutilized store-within-a-store spaces discussed in the 2020 chapter.

Essential Everyday in the 10th aisle! Hard to believe these are just about the same products you could get here 10+ years ago. Current owners UNFI distribute to a lot of independent shops, yes, but this is crazier to think about.

June 21, 2025

Construction work? Where could Fresh World be steering their boat towards? Well, it appears that the space is being subdivided.

When I visited last year, I was puzzled by the addition of a new wall near where pharmacy/dairy/frozen were located. I had thought that it was temporary, or that it was just Fresh World reserving said space for more backroom storage. Turns out, the shopping center's owners have chosen to sublet a chunk of the store to potential new business, and Fresh World has adjusted accordingly.

 In the next photo, we'll see what it looks like on the inside.

I could tell Fresh World was done with that space as years of continuous disinvestment made the pattern clear. The potential tenant spaces that were in front of the Shoppers pharmacy weren't being filled either, so it was high time to consolidate. I could also tell that no doors on the salesfloor existed into this area, so it was lights out for the space. A shame it is indeed that we might not be getting this store in its entirety ever again.

Fortunately, we have a few Shoppers gooseneck frames intact, with a few of the actual signage slips holding strong, too. 

Around the old pharmacy, Fresh World has built spaces for tenants displaced by the store's downsizing. Only two of the projected six tenants have entered so far, with the rest being used for Fresh World stock.

Now, where would frozen foods go? Near International, apparently. I'm pretty sure this is where frozen foods have been since the store relaunched as Fresh World. These look to me like old Food Lion/Bloom coolers based on the structure and color.

Conclusion

What surprising changes Fresh World has undertaken to one of the Washington-area titans' former stores! International stores are treasure troves of grocery retailing past, and you'll never know just what to expect at them. Speaking of the store itself, I'll make sure to keep a tab on what comes next to the center.

That being said, thank you for reading through Shoppers Week! I will be posting content from other retailers in the coming weeks. More Shoppers-related content will still be posted as well, so keep your eyes out for that! Last but not least, I certainly wish Shoppers all the best as they plan their next moves under UNFI. Good luck to this historic D.C. area retail chain!

Bonus: I won't be placing a bonus photo today, but I have a video related to the topic. Here is a view of the store as of 2010, before the remodel! (warning: language)

Former Shoppers - Manassas (West), VA: The Aftermath (Part 5)

Welcome to the Shoppes of Battery Mill, a blog at the corner of happy and healthy! Today, we are finishing up a series covering the former Bull Run Plaza Shoppers, located in Manassas, Virginia.

Photos taken on August 7, 2020 by BatteryMill (except where otherwise noted)

In the last installment, we covered the store closing sale as it neared its end. This time around, with seven months removed from the store shuttering, some items have remained intact, while others barely hang on or are long gone. What items, exactly? Well, you shall see in a moment.

For the duration of the post, we will be moving from left to right across the storefront. Now that we've covered the basics, let's take a gander at what time has done to this store.

In the distance, you can see one of Shoppers' newer competitors, Lidl. Small discount grocers like Lidl and Aldi have been thought to be spiritual successors to Shoppers, adapting the deep discount strategy from their warehouse days. They take on a different approach, however, opting for smaller store sizes, no service departments, and a store brand emphasis among other things. 

Moving on to one of the entrance canopies, we get to see the best of this store's architecture one more time. This display stands here, inviting customers into a store that no longer exists. I'm amazed this pharmacy sign has stuck it out so long!

 Here we look at the inside through one of the store's front windows. To the left of the photo, we see the half-wall which once divided the front end from the pharmacy. In the background, the dairy and darkened bakery/deli sections remain fallow after Shoppers bid this space 'adieu'. The register area bears the tile pattern of the previous (2009) package, of which dubbed this area the "Saving Zone". 

All in all, we can see the stained marks of gondolas and register setups remain on the linoleum floor following all the closing procedures and associated auctions. 

Next, we move over towards the middle of what once was perhaps the most bustling part of the store. From here, we can see the scale of the store come to life. To me, the ceiling appears lower than it does when shelves, overhead signage, and other fixtures populate the salesfloor.

The last of my three photos of the interior, we look here where the customer service desk, floral departments, and kitchen shop were before closing. The railing for the right entrance is also still affixed to the floor. Looks like the floor is mighty dusty here, eh?

Leaving the interior behind, we move on over to the right side of the store. The Saving Zone and Produce departments once stood directly behind this wall. 

One thing I'll note here is that I really like the diamond pattern. The entire facade has a Shoppers-exclusive exterior design that made these stores appear upscale even before SuperValu's changes were made. I also find the retro wooden ceiling also an interesting choice for a shopping center design. Not to mention, the pattern was continued where the fire exit door would have marked a gap.

Another classic Shoppers sign, the "Please Pick Up Cart Here before Entering" survives the store closing here, too. The big question here is, where are those carts now?

Slowly moving away from the ex-Shoppers space, we catch a glimpse of the very right side of the store, as well as to adjacent tenants. In this time, the Dress Barn space went from its own GOB sale to quickly becoming a Five Below.

Bonus photo

Photo taken on September 21, 2021 by BatteryMill

For today's bonus picture, we jump forward to a year after this photoset was produced. Not long after taking my previous photos, Shoppers' rival Giant Food announced they would be occupying most of their old space here at Bull Run Plaza. The building would soon be gutted, with its exterior realized in the chain's current image. 

Giant opened here (left side of photo) on November 19, 2021, relocating from their longtime location at nearby Westgate Plaza. Party City joined soon after, occupying the right side of the former Shoppers space (former produce/seafood area). Since then, Giant has done brisk business here, while this Party City location became a victim of the chain's 2024 bankruptcy.

Conclusion

With this post, we have officially wrapped my photo journey through a gradual closing of a Shoppers Food store, and the subsequent status of the location after shuttering.

 

Anyways, join me next time for more Shoppers content! You'll never know what to expect next.

Former Shoppers - Manassas (West), VA: The Last 8 Days (Part 4)

Welcome to the Shoppes of Battery Mill, a blog that's fresh for everyone! (at this point, I'll just go with any retail slogan unrelated to the topic).

Today, I'm here to present the long-awaited continuation of my series on the former Bull Run Plaza Shoppers in Manassas (now a Giant Food), documenting the store's descent from business as usual to going out of business.

Photos taken on December 26, 2019 by BatteryMill

As mentioned before, this store was part of Shoppers' late 2019 closing wave, the largest in the Washington/Baltimore-area grocer's history. To exit all its retail holdings, owner UNFI set out to wind down Shoppers through a series of sales. In doing so, the Rhode Island-based wholesaler made deals with new entry Lidl and independent chains like Compare Foods and McKay's to acquire several sites. While 13 of the 17 Shoppers slated for closure went to these buyers, 4 of these would simply shutter without word on any successor. Out of each category, the Bull Run Plaza Shoppers would be one of the latter. All closing sales were the same, though the trajectory of each store would be different.

For now, though, we must take a look at what happened in the weeks following the big closing announcement. This photo set, taken the day after Christmas and in the store's final eight days, shows how the chain departed the Prince William County seat of Manassas approximately 32 years after it entered. With all that being said, let's get on with the tour, shall we?

Store tour 

Getting ready to enter the store under the canopy of the facade, we see a window into the store's front end. Much of this, however, is covered by a large banner marking the sale status of the store, only two weeks in to the closing. From most Shoppers closing sales I have witnessed online or visited, the company pastes on Shoppers-themed closing signs and leaves the rest to the employee team. This one, however, appears more akin to a "going out of business" sale where liquidation firms take over some of the duties essential to running a store. 

Let's stroll on in through the left-side doors! What we can see here, besides the omnipresent store closing signs, are a couple of typed up signs announcing the then-current store hours.

This entrance format has been common to nearly all purpose-built Shoppers, though earlier stores lacked the vestibule and had only one set of doors between the interior and the outside world.

Let's start things off inside with the Saving Zone, once home to an abundance of deals coming from nearly every corner of the store.

With the store having expanded in 1993 to become a Shoppers Club, the ceiling heights and wall alignments drastically vary. The rest of the front end appears in the distance, still teeming with customers.

Here we have two perspectives on the Floral department. Clearly, nothing extravagant would be available anymore, but you could always wow a loved one with what's left.

...and here are store closing signs to match.

Walking under the dividing wall piece hanging across the Saving Zone, we enter the produce/seafood/floral "grand aisle". Now this is a place that calls for a panorama! While it is a feature I like to play around with on my phone, I also find it fun to try it out in unorthodox settings like this one.

The Produce department, presented in three parts. With 8 days on the clock, some scattered fruits and vegetables remain on the shelves. Surprising, especially since so much of the section has already emptied out. It is also a nice place to take a look at another pre-SuperValu Shoppers staple, that being the rugged retro ceilings, akin to those found at Rite Aid.

Now we catch on to the service seafood counter. This section, along with frozen meat in the corner, is done for by this point.

As we depart the produce/floral/seafood area, we enter the lunchmeat territory. Still a few options to choose from here, but most everything else is already gone. Seems some cleaning supplies and plastic bags have been stuffed in the coffin cooler, though.

Making our way towards dairy, we witness nothing but the empty blackness of store coolers. In the background, the entrance to the restrooms is visible. The location of such restrooms is most likely original to the store's opening.

As this was the first Shoppers Club, it was more of a prototype and existed prior to the creation of the Shoppers Cafe seating area, where restrooms would be placed in from there on out. These would also evolve beyond the single-occupant models found in older supermarkets (especially competitors of the time like Giant).

The meat department. No service kitchen for it at this location.

Here's more of dairy. This department sure had a lot of stickers!

 

Every... actually, that's all I'm going to say here.

 

Here, we dip into the store's aisles, this time finding ourselves in the international aisles. This has to be the most well-stocked part of the store, by far. This expanse of the store is also where we can see the cacophony of loud "STORE CLOSING" and "NOTHING HELD BACK" signs at full volume.

One of three specialized aisle markers from this Shoppers package! Nice touch on SuperValu's behalf, I must say.

Looking towards the meat department now, of which intersects with dairy. With the length of these aisles, Shoppers usually took the time (in the Shoppers Club era, at least) to divide aisles into sections (ex. "A9A", "B9B" etc.)

Not quite Aisle 12, but I think this will do.

All the way down Dairy. Bakery/Deli is behind this image.

Now we move over into the bakery/deli "court". I prefer the previous mercury vapor lighting (before the 2009 remodel) as it felt less cheap and added a sense of height to the department.

Here's the bakery, up close. It's hard to tell whether this kitchen is closed for the night or for good, since a few cakes are still available in the coolers.

The highlight of my visit: a cooler being disassembled. Auction time, or just something gone wrong?

What a big store this must be! Once the largest in the chain, but it still holds a great title, with the aisle count going up to 20. This is the intersection between bakery and the wine aisles. Frozen foods used to roam here, too.

Cheers for beers! Beer coolers are a feature that has sporadically appeared at Shoppers stores from the Shoppers Club era onwards. I like that it shows how Shoppers grew in store size during this period, and that it appears similar to larger warehouse chains such as Costco that have dedicated coolers for cold products like produce and dairy items.

Gliding by the aisles, we finally make our way to checkout. It is worth noting that the lettered/health & beauty aisles still have a decent amount of product left.

What's that, a Kitchen Shop? This location is the first time I have seen such signage, as well as any decent selection of such at Shoppers for that matter. Prior to the last remodel in 2016, this place was a continuation of the international aisles. Still a good amount of kitchenwares to take in here, though.

Finally, we make our way to customer service, and checkouts. Plenty of signs here to remind you that all sales are, indeed, final.

We close out this tour of Shoppers with a directory sign for the entirety of the Bull Run Plaza shopping center. This center, opened in 1987 by Trammell Crow, was part of their burgeoning "Festival Centers" concept featuring dozens of tenants big and small throughout the Washington and Baltimore metro areas. It's crazy that that old Shoppers logo stuck around until the end, of course.

Bonus photo

Here's a look at what was to the right of Shoppers at the time. Dress Barn themselves was going through the same thing as Shoppers then, only they made it to closing permanently. Since then, that space has been occupied by a Five Below.

Conclusion

Thank you all for reading through! I have one more part of the series to share with you. Next time, we will be going over what happened to this location after Shoppers left in January 2020.

Until then, take care!