Shoppers - Dumfries, VA: Peaks and Valleys (Part 1)

Welcome back to the Shoppes of Battery Mill, where values come to life! (do I have the right warehouse chain?) In this installment, I'm catching up with an old grocery retailing friend to see how things have been going for them this decade.

 Photos taken on July 18, 2023 by BatteryMill (cover photo taken May 24, 2015 by BatteryMill)

Store information

• Store number*: #2381 (current), #74/#2674/#052074 (former)
• Address: 4174 Fortuna Center Plaza, Dumfries, Virginia 22025
• Opening date: June 5, 2005
• Decor package: Fresh & Healthy 3.0
• Features: Deli, Meat & Seafood Counter, Bakery, Beer & Wine, Shoppers Café

Long one of the Washington, D.C.-area's "big 3" supermarkets (alongside Giant and Safeway), Shoppers has logically been a staple of my retail blogs. I've showcased numerous Shoppers locations and dug deep into their illustrious past, all while enjoying dozens of Colossal Donuts along the way. Yet, in my 10+ years of retail photos and history documentation, there seems to be less to get out of Shoppers as the calendars change.

With the continuing evolution of the D.C. grocery landscape beyond the three traditional titans, and troubles at corporate parent SuperValu (later absorbed into United Natural Foods, or UNFI), this past decade has been understandably rough for Shoppers. The chain's detour through the badlands has routed them amidst corporate consolidation passes, onto administrative layoff exits, around a dotted map of store closings, as well as into an infinite desert of no pharmacies. Shoppers' UNFI-supplied wheels were starting to fall off only four years down the line as the wholesaler hinted at passing on the title or cutting support off entirely. Sister chains such as Save A Lot, Farm Fresh, and Hornbacher's had gone down this path before, each to varying results.

Source: wamu.org

In the same vein, it looked as if it was the end of the road for what was once a warehouse grocery pioneer. A late 2019 wave of store closings and sales to new competitors like Lidl lit a low fuel sign on Shoppers' dashboard. Crossing into the year of 2020, additional closings were tacked on as the tank was projected to go empty that summer. But did it really?

As we know, a global pandemic shook the nation. People rushed in droves to get the essentials everyday at Shoppers, as well as at remaining UNFI banners like Cub. Executives believed it wouldn't be a wise decision to proceed with the initial sunsetting plan for these chains. Therefore, Shoppers and said UNFI holdings were refueled with an initial 18-month stimulus package, followed by a new, indefinite membership. This Washington metro supermarket standby was thought saved. In a few ways, at least.

For a time in 2022 to 2023, UNFI recommitted to Shoppers Food & Pharmacy. Several stores sold to independent operators during their 2019 closing round returned to the Shoppers fray. A new decor package was launched, and an ambitious expansion plan returned the food retailer to the Southern Maryland region in a big way. Not everything is keeping the cogs of Shoppers Food Warehouse turning, however. The rest of the store base, as one will see, leaves questions to be answered. Then there are the closings. They keep on coming. Sure, those locations might have their reasons, but it stacks up more riddles than a comic book villain.

Even in the most uncertain of times, one can certainly generate answers to some questions. Where does Shoppers stand in the 2020s? How and when did it begin its walk on the boulevard of broken dreams? The way I'm going to answer this question today is to sample one of their salesfloor offerings from their mid-2000s peak. Not only am I going to take a look back at when SFW loomed large over Washington and Baltimore alike, but also reflect on what kind of shadow that golden age casts on its stores today.

Store history

Shoppers has maintained a presence in the Fortuna Center Plaza shopping center for two decades. That busy strip mall, located off VA 234 (Dumfries Road) near the mighty Interstate 95, has many reasons to draw customers to each of it store, and it has lived up to the name well. Featuring renowned retailers like Target and restaurants like Five Guys, Panera Bread, and the omnipresent Starbucks, it is only logical that the center have a solid supermarket centerpiece. Said centerpiece just so happens to be Shoppers. Many people might say they don't fit in with the newer homes and trendier tenants of the center. So how did they get here, seeing as times have changed? Let's answer this question.

 

Located in the southern corner of Northern Virginia's Prince William County, Dumfries was once a sleepy town located near the banks of the Potomac River. While rich in historic interest (like its northwestern neighbor), it never held significant growth. That was, until the establishment of local transportation networks occurred. The rise of surrounding suburbs like Woodbridge and Dale City thus changed Dumfries' fortunes. Local developments such as Montclair and Southbridge would terraform this portion of the county into the new millennium. Therefore, a concordant need for more retail space came about, just as all those houses were being built. One would believe Woodbridge to the northeast already had a brisk retailing market ready to serve the entirety of eastern PWC, including an expansive Shoppers adjacent to the famed Potomac Mills mall. With around 20,000 local residents as of the 2000 U.S. Census, though, Shoppers was itching to break ground on a store down Dumfries way.

 

Shoppers' presence in Dumfries is also tied to the troubles of their biggest rival. Giant Food was allegedly tapped as a tenant for a proposed new shopping center located along Route 234 in 2004. Just as the center was moving forward, however, things got shaky for the Big G. Their 1998 acquisiton by Dutch conglomerate Royal Ahold started in solid shape, though would eventually bear marks of stress under pressure. Giant's parent company's finances lagged in this time, and a 2004 fraud scandal would be the breaking point. It was also at this time that Ahold consolidated operations with sister chain Stop & Shop, marking the departure of many longtime executives and thus lessening focus on expansion. Giant thus took some years off to adjust to the standards of their New England colleagues, all while their corporate parents balanced finances. Shoppers, meanwhile, saw another golden opportunity.

 

One of the SuperFreshes acquired from A&P, located in Forestville, MD. Source: shoppersfood.com

 While Giant entered the sophomore slump of their Ahold stint, Shoppers was an honor roll student under SuperValu's tutelage. The 1980s and 1990s were the chain's golden age. Shoppers was a supernova bursting out of the laggard Jumbo Food chain, swelling to nearly 40 locations by 2000, all thanks to its commendable warehouse format and innovations. Even through its own corporate adventures, like the Haft/Dart Group mess and entering the SuperValu fold in 1999, the momentum did not stop heading into the new millennium. Some may say Shoppers' downfall was incited by their pivot away from warehouse grocery and subsequent upscaling, as we see at Dumfries. Yet, SFW consistently refreshed and rebuilt stores, found success with pharmacies and in-store banks, and also made major expansion moves. The latter included acquiring four ex-SuperFreshes, taking over sister chain Metro and venturing into the Baltimore market, and taking advantage of rising suburbs (Gainesville, Laurel, and here).

Source: Potomac News (newspapers.com)

After signing on in a flash, construction began on the store, as with the rest of Fortuna Center Plaza. Finally, on June 5, 2005, officials from Shoppers and Prince William cut the ribbon on the 66,870-square foot store, complete with all the chain's bells and whistles found in their expansive stores of the day. 

For the next several years, the store benefitted greatly from continued suburban growth, adjacent businesses, and their brand being the strongest it had ever been. Target, along with several other establishments quickly followed to the scene. A standalone Rite Aid was constructed out front approximately two years later, enticing external pharmacy customers to get their groceries at Shoppers. 

 

Heading into the 2010s, when issues began showing at Shoppers and SuperValu, the store continued a steady pattern of business. Yet, the Minnesota-based wholesaler behind Shoppers continued some investment into the chain, as was evident at this store. 

Source: Shoppers (facebook.com)

That was because the Dumfries location embarked on its first remodel in the fall of 2015, ten years into its life. The package, modeled off other SuperValu chains' Fresh & Healthy 3.0 package, made its way around other Shoppers between 2010 and 2016. Clearly, some effort was still being made to refresh the chain's image. No significant updates have happened since, but the store has held on through numerous Shoppers closing rounds, as we will see today. That being said, let's head on down to Dumfries and explore the chain and all their peaks and valleys!

Store tour

Checking out the left side to grab a cart, we take a look at the shopping center's color palette. We also see some standard Shoppers signage: instructions to pick up shopping carts, their cart policy, and the cart-based logo leaving their warehouse mark on customers. All buggy-related, yes, but what else do we have going on here? On a more interesting note, these are all adapted from Shoppers stores of the past (especially this one pre-remodel).

I find it fascinating that Shoppers holds on to these small hallmarks of their decor, all while updating them to modern standards. However, we will see the original versions as we go along.

Veering over to the right side of the store for a bit, we can see the window stickers for the Shoppers Cafe in-store seating areas. These started with the pre-SuperValu Shoppers Club concept and stuck through their post-SuperValu years.

This sticker is original to the store, evident by its aesthetic leanings, including the use of the Helvetica font found in their mid-2000s decor package. We will see a few more of these artifacts today, so keep your eyes peeled!

Entering through the right doors, the first major section of the store we are greeted with is the produce department, which is adjacent to deli and seafood. This area has all the usual hallmarks of Shoppers, then and now and is decently stocked. There are also several types of deli coolers to choose from, all with their own options for prepared food and a lowered ceiling to promote such. In recent years, Shoppers has made some updates, including a chain-wide lighting upgrade circa 2017 (though not all lights were replaced, as we will see) and replacing the high-energy produce display coolers with market-style tables. The more important thing here, however, is the quirk of this layout. If you are familiar with this chain, did you see these departments have switched sides? That's because this store piloted a new twist on the familiar Shoppers layout. 

Traditionally, produce would occupy the front corner of the salesfloor, whereas the deli and seafood kitchens stood as a "box" unit aligned towards center store. This setup cast the above departments away from everything else, signaling that service departments and perishable products were still important to such a price-conscious grocer. The rows of grab-and-go coolers and hot food bars switched sides, along with that peculiar lowered ceiling. Produce accordingly filled the kitchens' vacancy, with the bordering bakery and international aisles taking in the sunshine. Elsewhere, everything remained in its usual position. Save for customer service, that is. Party to a butterfly effect, the desk was slotted in front of the registers (and the facade), since there was no deli box to wrap it around like before.

Why exactly was this change made? As with many retail questions I have, I can't say for sure. I do have some theories about that.

With Shoppers' departure from their deep-discount roots, their architectural standards likely became more liberal. It is equally likely that retail design trends may have evolved by 2005. Nevertheless, the concept was replicated at other Shoppers builds that followed Dumfries. I believe that this is a testament to Shoppers keeping up with the times in a graceful way, especially at the peak of their market power. Heck, I'd argue it's less polarizing than another open floor plan trend.

Bathroom break! These restrooms are accessible through the Shoppers Cafe, and are at the front-right corner of the store. I can't tell if this was renovated or not. What is true, though, is that this Shoppers trash can with the old-school logo on it has been here for quite some time!

Overall, it's a clean setting, but it needed a little more maintenance at the time of my visit.

Next, we enter through the bakery alcove, where we take a look at the open produce concept from the other side (thanks to the lunch meats counter). What I appreciate about the signage pieces that border on produce's new location is the flexibility employed by its designers. 

 

Product-wise, most of this area is dominated by bakery (including this display of prepackaged muffins). Perfect, perhaps, for all your sandwich needs? Though I will say, this department is a little sparse and not very lively. 

 

One item I'd also like to point out are the fixtures which have changed in design since the remodel. Previously, all the fixtures would have a lighter wooden color (with slats, akin to the classic warehouse days), the metal would be painted beige, and plastic accents orange. Likewise, it is now replaced by a flat faux wood insert and black-painted accents. It seems that in these remodels, Shoppers goes to great lengths to procure matching fixtures and textured parts for them.

 

No trip to Shoppers Food Warehouse can be complete without grabbing a Colossal Donut! Here we have a stand filled with bags, ready for customers to grab from the bakery case. The bag design itself is a relic of the peaks of Shoppers. This appears to be from their early 2000s branding schemes. I also noticed  packaging elements, such as checkout bags and dozen boxes have stayed consistent throughout the years - perhaps, showing off the valleys of Shoppers' current state.

 

Entering the main grocery aisles, we once again witness Shoppers' open concept here in the international department. What I've always enjoyed about Shoppers is how large their international sections are. The emphasis on this department is on par with Wegmans and above conventional competitors like Safeway and Harris Teeter. This is in part due to the two-aisle spread and shelf space being defined by regions/countries (Hispanic, European, Asian etc.). Therefore, it is an excellent setup merchandise-wise and it is exciting to see Shoppers maintaining these aisles over the years. 

On the flipside, this specialty department is not without the drawbacks of Shoppers' recent situation. Prior to the store's 2015 renovation, the international aisles had a distinctive theming not limited to standard departmental signage. Decor elements such as colorful banners and tile flooring helped these aisles stand apart from its neighbors. Even the lack of a wall between produce and these first two aisles didn't stop Shoppers from making the latter stand out on its own.

Sadly, this was part of a greater trend of character being stripped from such specialty departments, as we will see later in the post. Sure, Shoppers was removed from their prime years and sought quick remodels to stay afloat. What I see in this case is a missed opportunity for them to at least try, or to keep some of the previous decor pieces intact. 

Stopping back at the perimeter, we look down the rest of the store's back row. On one side we see red... all while another is feeling blue. Or is it? We'll have to see about that in a moment. But first, what I can see does appear to be well-stocked and arranged. Perhaps the only issues we'd find here are the lack of customers or visually appealing display elements.

On the other hand, we see another curious leftover from the store's early days. The "Service Meat Bell" wrap carries not only the Helvetica typeface, but also the meat department color code that Shoppers used in their 2000s decor package. It's always fascinating to me that small details like these survive, while fixtures are exchanged and walls are repainted around them.

Moving towards the back-left corner of the store, we watch as the backroom doors separate meat from dairy, all while discount pallets watch.

For comparison, here is the same area pre-remodel.

Finally turning the back corner in dairy, we head to said department's intersection with the vast frozen section. Beer and wine products, meanwhile, are situated at the other end of the store.

I find the layout interesting because dairy cuts so far into frozen. Sure, they are similar product categories, but the former didn't go as deep in another store from this period. I also enjoy the long stretch of 

coffin freezers along with accompanying lights. This clear view of the other side of the store has inspired me to dub these the "infinity coolers". These are later updates to the Shoppers layout, as it appears to have originated after the new Waldorf, Maryland and Stafford locations opened. This prototype also allows for the wide perimeter to retain. Previously, the last aisle would be limited to a standard width setup.

 

Here we have a look at the beer & wine department, as well as the front end of frozen. Despite appearing somewhat unremarkable in this photo, a remarkable history lies underneath it as with the rest of the layout. Pre-SuperValu, beer and wine products would remain in one of the center aisles or along the frozen walls. Bread products instead occupied the "alcove" between checkouts and the front corner of the building. As Shoppers stores grew in size, bread products were reallocated to be closer to bakery; such was true after remodels as well. With other grocers dedicating significant floor space to such a growing category, beer and wine products naturally assumed an expanded spot at Shoppers.

The Maryland stores built in this time would keep bread and rolls in this space due to their liquor laws, but those were eventually reset to carry non-alcoholic beverages.

I'll say it is nice Shoppers kept the original wine shelving and that they carry a decent selection (small by 2020s standards though!) of booze. I'll also note how the ceiling and overhead tile lights look worn for wear. While I like these better than the bright LEDs elsewhere in the store, these certainly need some retouching.

Aisle 12 intermission time! Here we see the divide between grocery and the frozen/dairy aisles play out, albeit in the background. Again, another well-stocked aisle for 2023 Shoppers, this time dedicated to cleaning supplies.

At last, we have made it to Health and Beauty! As with the international and beer & wine departments, the decor has been made somewhat more drab. Shoppers swapped the sky-blue ring and varied tile set out for uniform decor pieces during the remodel. I still lament this decline in character, but what I respect is the inclusion of lettered aisle markers. I give props to the chain in that this system helps shoppers and employees precisely locate these aisles better than before.

In the background sleeps the vacant pharmacy. Four years following the closing of all Shoppers pharmacies, very little has been done to these units chainwide, at least to my knowledge.

We walk up to the old pharmacy space and grab another view of the health and beauty aisles, this time looking out onto the back of the store. Speaking in the immediate area, I do appreciate that special on-shelf product displays (like the yellow one) still remain. I also like that Shoppers has all kinds of HBC ranges for sale, from vitamins to body care products, all of which are in good supply.

Focusing on the rear aisles, we see other specialty departments tangentially related to health and beauty, such as pet food and baby products. Further in the back, the long yellow wall shows the meat and dairy departments in their fullest. Prior to the remodel, the pet/baby aisles featured unique shelving akin to the warehouse shelves used in Shoppers' early years. I can't remember what those were for exactly, though it was a nice break from the monotony of the rest of the aisles. Unfortunately, SuperValu excused Shoppers from said break, and so, here we are.

Looking onwards to the front end, we catch an up-close view of the former pharmacy space. While the lights are still whirring, the empty shell's shutters remain perpetually lowered. Despite the overhead signs remaining, the interior lays fallow. What was once a space full of informative posters, shelves of prescriptions, and on-site pharmacists now gives off a blank expression. This is a space that ambiguously appears to have been cleared out yesterday and four years earlier at the same time.

Merchandising-wise, one can tell that Shoppers still sees the surroundings as a sales environment. HBC items are still perched in front of the old counter, while non-healthcare items are laid out on the floor. Tensabarriers that once invited people to consultation have been replaced by displays that invite customers to stock up on Utz chips and White Claws.

An additional original decor piece survives with the blue sign over the glass "family planning center" case. Shoppers may have no plan for their pharmacy space, but they can still help plan families, 2005 style.

Going past the health and beauty/former pharmacy complex, we make our way out onto the main aisles. One of these gondola sets (between aisles 7 and 8) of sodas stops early to accommodate a pallet... filled with more soda.

That concludes our tour! Another exciting day at Shoppers is complete.

Bonus photo

As this store tour comes to an end, I'd like to share a bonus tidbit from the shopping center, between the Target and Shoppers stores. The Weems-Botts Museum zones in on a house once occupied by clergyman Parson Weems (originator of President George Washington's cherry tree legend) and lawyer Benjamin Botts, famous for defending Aaron Burr in his biggest legal challenge. Talk about history!

I will say though, this mural needs a little work. I've seen it in a better state, so it is disheartening that such a fun aspect of an otherwise typical shopping center would be this poorly maintained.

Conclusion

From this visit, what did we get out of Shoppers in the 2020s? I personally found this store to be skimpy on customers for a Tuesday afternoon and not as attractive with its drab presentation, but otherwise nicely stocked and tidied up. For any faults, it is still great to see vestiges of Shoppers at their highest high, when expansion was still in full swing, and to be informed on why this hot streak fell apart not long after doors first opened at Dumfries. 

 

An excellent Food Trade News article from 2021, authored by Jeff Metzger, explains much as to why Shoppers has gone down the road it has. I promise not to spoil its contents, but what I will say is that it has had to do with SuperValu's other business dealings, unrelated to their Washington/Baltimore operations. Obviously, these ill effects have trickled down to the valleys of this very store, as we see here in 2023. 

 

These won't be the last valleys we will encounter at Shoppers' Dumfries outpost. This is because I have received some unfortunate news about this store. Whether or not you know the answer, all will be revealed in the next post. Until then, stay tuned!

*For the technically minded, Shoppers has had four numbering schemes in its history. The current store numbering scheme (#2381) was introduced sometime after 2003 and corresponds to pharmacies operated in said year. The original 2-digit format (#74) predates Shoppers and is a remnant from the Jumbo days. The next scheme (#2674), with a #26- prefix was introduced immediately following the absorption of Metro stores into the Shoppers fold. I do not know much about the final numbering scheme (#052074), but it is the newest and likely corresponds to SuperValu's different banners across the country. Congratulations on making it to the end, BTW...