Martin's - Front Royal, VA

Welcome back to the Shoppes of Battery Mill, where... alright, I'm no cynic, but let's just get on with the post.

 

Photos taken July 26, 2020 

 

Store information

• Store number: #6282
• Address: 409 South St, Front Royal, VA 22630
• Opening date: ca. 2003 (per Historic Aerials)
• Decor package: Today's Table (pictured: Giant-PA Swirls)
• Features: Deli, Floral, Bakery, Pharmacy, Beer Cooler, Wine, Nature's Promise Aisle, The Marketplace Kitchen

If you know me, then you know I've covered Giant, a supermarket chain based out of Landover, Maryland, extensively on my blog and on my Flickr. While I've uncovered their history, as well as new sister chain Food Lion's for many years, I had never stepped inside the other Giant owned by Ahold (Delhaize). That was, until one fateful day in the summer of 2020. I thought, "why not check out another new grocery store?" and that thought led me to one of their stores. More specifically, Martin's, which is essentially a clone of Giant-PA.

 

Through my exploration of this store I got to see yet another retailer that I only saw through the pixels of my computer screen in person, and I was able to judge the decor in front of my very eyes. Not before I left some photos behind, of course. I'll tell you all about what I think of it later, especially as the tour is coming up.

 

But first, I have to ask. What exactly is Martin's, and how did they get to Front Royal? Let's find out.

Store background

Martin's was once a little chain of supermarkets based in Hagerstown, Maryland (about 70 miles north of Front Royal). It was founded by Clarence Martin around 1950, and grew to several more locations in the city before being subsumed by the Carlisle, Pennsylvania-based Giant Food Stores in 1970. From there, Giant-PA retained the Martin's nameplate, integrating their strengths while descending down Interstate 81/U.S. Route 11 and into West Virginia and Virginia. Martin's was also a handy way of avoiding confusion in places where Giant-PA would run stores close to other "Giant" chains, including western Pennsylvania's Giant Eagle and Giant-MD. The combined Giant-PA/Martin's chain would eventually join under the umbrella of Dutch supermarket conglomerate Royal Ahold in 1981, setting the stage for changes to come.

 

As fate has it, Giant-MD and Giant-PA did eventually join forces. Ahold bought out the former in 1998, following the passing of president Izzy Cohen three years earlier. Some Martin's were divested in favor of Giant-MD, while other cities kept their Martin's as Giant-Landover departed.

 

Not much is known about Martin's history in Front Royal, though from what I've gathered on Historic Aerials, the store looks to have been built around 2003 on top of an existing building. Once opened, Martin's anchored the Royal Plaza shopping center alongside Kmart (now closed and converted into a Rural King). If you do have any more sources as to when Martin's first came to down, do let me know!

 

Currently, Martin's is the only full-service, non-hypermarket grocery store in Front Royal. Previously, Food Lion operated just a block away at Gateway Plaza. With Martin's and Food Lion being the only two significant supermarket players in the Shenandoah Valley, Front Royal was impacted by the 2016 merger between Royal Ahold and Delhaize. To meet FTC antitrust standards, the two parties chose to give up the area's Food Lions. This was likely as these stores (operated by Delhaize) were smaller and often lacked robust prepared foods selections, as well as pharmacies. The Front Royal Food Lion would be sold to SuperValu and reopened as a Shop 'n Save, only to close by 2019 as the Minnesota-based wholesaler was curtailing their retail operations.

 

Otherwise, Martin's competes with an Aldi and a Walmart Supercenter located across Interstate 66. The only potential competitor to this store would be Publix, who has announced stores in nearby Winchester and Stephens City. The green Floridian grocery behemoth has so far not hinted at stopping here, a little south of those cities, to shake up Front Royal's grocery scene. Therefore, Martin's stands alone in this regard... at least for now. So I say, why not finally get on with the tour?

Store tour 

 

 

Let's start our tour with a directory to help plan our visit. There are multiple in the store, but obviously, taking photos of just one was enough for now.

 

Interestingly, this design has made its way to Giant-MD, albeit in their own colors. What's also noteworthy there is that the chain has used hanging store directories like this long before coming into the Ahold fold.

 

Whether you see both chains having a history with store directories as a tandem operation or just a common enough facet of grocery retailing, it's still a great idea to have these in the stores. It really does save the hassle and doesn't rely on smartphone apps, which may or may not always be at a customer's disposal.

 

According to the plan (or lack thereof), our first stop will be in the produce department. This is where we can get acquainted with the decor package. For one, I really appreciate the whimsy of the patterns as well as the stock photos associated with each department head. I'm sure someone was having a blast designing and lighting this package up!

While we're in produce, why not say 'hi' to Marty? He's the spill-detecting robot trawling the store, looking for, well, spills. You've got to see him in person to believe his ways. As I took this picture, he was sliding through, beeping with the exact same sound as a register, googly eyes wobbling around. He was also sporting a face mask, perfect for pandemic times like these.

 

Marty was first implemented at Giant-PA, but he has made his way to nearly all other Ahold Delhaize USA banners, including Giant-MD and Food Lion. He has been lauded in the press for pushing the way for automation in American retail as well.

 

Diverting our attention away from that lovable computerized creature, we are able to see the rest of produce, as well as floral. The displays that day seemed to be well-organized, that's for sure. 

 

 Getting to the aisles, our first stop will be in the Nature's Promise Organic/natural foods aisle. I for one appreciate Ahold's practice of creating dedicated and clearly visible natural foods aisles/departments in their stores. The inclusion of nearly every product category in this one aisle means there is a "store-within-a-store" effect, curtailing these products from the rest of the store. I like this exclusive vibe here. I especially appreciate how this aisle lines up with the tall entrance window. Really "shines a light" on this aisle...

 

 Behind the organic aisle, this is what greets us the perimeter. Cool beer, frozen seafood, and cereal bars... the perfect summer treat combo!

 

What I do like here is the addition of a cold beer cooler, something I wish was more common throughout grocery/convenience retail. Also, I will have to give props to not only the decor package designers, but to the store team for decorating the shelf above the beer coolers. Really makes the summer feel special!

 

 

No Aisle 12 today, sadly... though I do have Aisle 15 on camera. The store appears to have gone through a slight remodel around 2017 or so. A few new fixtures were installed, including entirely new aisle markers. I like how they're now three-sided, but on the other hand I dislike how these clash with the rest of the decor package. But hey, at least it helps you bring home the bacon!

 

 

Now making our way around to the left side of the store, we find ourselves in the egg and cheese portion of dairy. Above the cooler we are able to see more employee-set decorations, albeit ones you may or may not be able to purchase from Martin's. Continuing with the 2017 partial remodel, gooseneck signage has also been updated to match the aisle markers - though this is something that's common within grocery retail.

 

We turn another corner, this time to check out the Corner Bakery Shoppe. How about some Carvel ice cream cakes or fresh rolls today?

The service departments standing clearly apart from the self-serve departments was a good idea, I would say. The flooring being dynamic at stores like these was another excellent choice on the designers' behalf. Examples like this and the organic aisle's patterning really do add to the dynamic range of the decor package.

 

Ahold rolled out updates to the bakery and produce racks at all their stores in 2015. While it fits with fully remodeled stores, and adds emphasis to useful features, the new color scheme feels just as out of place at this store as are the aisle markers.

Something interesting I've seen at other retailers above their service kitchens is that dark ledge that is exposed to the rest of the store, as we see above the crown moulding. I hope it isn't too dusty back there, just saying.

Immediately to the left of the bakery, we can see the phamacy in all its glory. The department is sporting the "Relax. Renew. Revive." theming which started at Giant-MD in 2001 and made its way to other Ahold brands. 

Speaking of which, placement of the above two departments does remind me of what Giant-MD was doing in the "Fresh Ideas. Great Values." days with their newbuild stores. The bakery and the pharmacy were located in one of the front corners, depending on how the building was oriented. Ditto here at Martin's. I do know the layout was first implemented in 1999 (one year after Ahold took over), but I have heard it was in the works earlier, or at least without their input. I'll need to do more research on that.

Lastly, we arrive at the checkouts. What can I say except those are some huge checkout lights?

Actually, I do have more to say about this front end scene. On lane 16 you can see LED candy shelf lights, a nice merchandising innovation that, to me at least, is really underrated. What's more, the store looks to have two stories... at least for employees only. A mezzanine office discreetly watches over the store, as seen by the small windows above the exit doors.

Before I forget, R.I.P. Redbox.

Conclusion

Since my visit in 2020, the store was updated to the latest Giant-PA decor in its first total renovation. It looks sleeker and organized, but that's all I can say about it. It's more gray blandness, at least in the way I see it. I will say that the package pictured here is not a decor package that really resonates with me either. Now there are things I do appreciate about the package. In its original form, it's really well constructed when new, and has tons of color affixed to it. My criticism lies in that its 2000s kitsch hasn't exactly aged like wine, especially with the clashing decor pieces and lighting upgrades. I might have a more favorable opinion towards it if I were far more familiar with Giant-PA or Martin's, but that has never been the case for me.

Overall, I felt the store was decent enough for Front Royal, being large and packed with a good deal of prepared foods. 

Now, as usual, it's time for my post-related questions. What do you know about Martin's and Giant-PA? How would you compare those banners to other Ahold Delhaize USA properties like Giant-MD and Food Lion? Feel free to sound off in the comments below.

As always, thank you for checking this out! I'm proud to share some of these sights from my travels, and I hope to check in with you all again next time with more incredible retail stories. Until then, keep shopping along and uncover your very own discoveries!

"The Future of Shoppers", 10 Years Later

 Note: These opinions/predictions are mine and do not represent the views Shoppers or UNFI. This article also does not possess, nor condone any libel against the two companies.

The former Woodbridge, VA Shoppers store. Taken January 10, 2016.

Happy New Year, Shoppes of Battery Mill readers! Ten years ago today, I published an op-ed to my previous blog, the Shoppers Food Blog. My op-ed concerned the future of Washington, D.C./Baltimore-area grocer Shoppers Food & Pharmacy, with it contextualizing the chain's situation as of 2016 to discuss potential paths the chain might have taken. A part of the blog's initial rollout, the article served as an addendum to my initial batch of posts covering the past and then-present of Shoppers.

As fate turns out, ten years have now been added to the "past" column of the Shoppers Food Warehouse story. So much has happened at SFW from 2016 to 2026 that I could have checked in at any point before or after today. Yet, the paths of those Shoppers predictions have crossed with a revival of this blog at a rather clever time. I thought to myself: Why not revisit that old post of mine? So here I am, doing this.

This op-ed revolves around three questions: What did I get right in that post? What was I off the mark about? What do I see the trajectory of Shoppers' future being? These will be answered in the conclusion, but the details will be revealed in the next few paragraphs.

Shoppers today 

 

The Dumfries, VA Shoppers closing sale: where Shoppers is going, and where they have been.

I will begin this article by writing about where Shoppers stands today, including what predictions made on my 2016 post are relevant to their current state.

As of the time of writing, Shoppers has dwindled to just 17 locations (15 in Maryland, and a staggering 2 in Virginia). I can't speak on their foot traffic since I have not been in any of the remaining stores, but from my visits to Shoppers in recent years, most had average foot traffic - nothing on the level of say, Walmart, Wegmans or Costco. I will say that there might be squandered potential from some of the now-closed stores that likely carried lots of foot traffic.

The last 24 hour store, at the Potomac Yard shopping center in Alexandria, is already long gone. No information exists on any other Shoppers locations open around the clock. 24 hour supermarkets have fallen out of favor nationwide (and worldwide), so a change like this is proportional to Shoppers' trajectory.

Regarding market share, the data I have scraped shows something worse than what they were in 2016. Shoppers does not appear on Chain Store Age's chart of top D.C. grocers, for example, with Weis Markets (largely on the fringes of the Washington and Baltimore areas) and Target's grocery offerings accounting for larger pieces of the pie. The chain is not in company with rivals Giant and Safeway anymore in the listings, as well. According to industry analyst Jeremy Diamond in an interview with Progressive Grocer, there is evidence for Shoppers falling from its longtime 3rd place perch. Metro Market Studies ranked Shoppers as 5th in Baltimore and 6th in Washington (commanding 6% in the latter market) as of 2018. It is likely that the number has plunged further since with the sheer number of Shoppers closings.

From what I've seen, many people talk about Shoppers in past tense when discussing the D.C. grocery landscape. While they continue to operate in some pockets, their store tally has diminished enough that some locals believe SFW is history. Nevertheless, this does mean Colossal Donuts are still in the spotlight, albeit through nostalgia goggles!

Financially, UNFI, Shoppers' parent company has some well-perfoming customers, but the corporation also has their troubles, with some declining results listed in recent times despite steadfast customers. Jeremy Diamond also remarked that Shoppers has invested little into their stores recently.

This all begs the question: How did we get here? Let's rewind the past 10 years of the Shoppers story to find out.

Shoppers from 2016 to 2026

Picking up where I left off a decade ago, 2016 saw changes at Shoppers that would determine their fate for those next 10 years.

Three locations closed their doors that year, including Manassas-Liberia, Towson, and, as pictured above, Woodbridge. This had been the most closings for Shoppers in one year since 2011, when six locations were shuttered. SuperValu corporate saw some shakeups that year. In addition to the CEO change, one of several executive shuffles in these whirlwind years, one of my predictions became somewhat true. 

This would be about the rumor that SuperValu was willing to divest their grocery retail operations, including Shoppers. Save A Lot was spun off in 2016, and has been going down its own... rather interesting path. Farm Fresh, Hornbacher's, and both Shop 'n Save chains followed suit in 2018, all to varying results. As for the rest of my predictions, well, Shoppers (and Cub, as well as affiliated independent grocers) still haven't been sold off as of 2026. I'll get back to why in a bit.

 

The now-closed Germantown, MD Shoppers store, remodeled in 2016. Credit: Coolcat4433

2016 was also a turning point in Shoppers' investment to their stores. Remodels to the Fresh & Healthy 3.0 decor package continued through the end of the year. After this point, the package was retired. This was likely for several reasons. One was that other SuperValu chains had moved on from the package, or were preparing to wind down - even those like ACME, whom had been spun off several years earlier. It was also likely that SuperValu renovated the Shoppers they wanted to keep, while the stores that hadn't been remodeled were marked for closure in following years. Since Shoppers would eventually spiral into waves of downsizing and then occasional investment, this would be the last major remodel wave as of 2016. On a more positivenote, lighting upgrades at all Shoppers stores were conducted around that year. Sure, they were spotty in some places (the front end, for example), but what do you know, some more work was done to these stores. Some have speculated that all such remodeling was to make the chain appealing to potential buyers. I can't substantiate if this is true, but Shoppers indeed would continue to trend towards a buyout in following years, especially as SuperValu had much leftover debt from the Albertsons era.

2017 was a rather stable year for the chain, yet one where changes were happening underneath the facades of the stores. In March, likely in preparation for a sale, the Farm Fresh and eastern Shop 'n Save corporate structures were merged into that of Shoppers.

 

The Shoppers Market concept in Alexandria, VA. Credit: Will/B-More Retail

Remember how I remarked about Shoppers returning to their warehouse roots? This was the year where doubt was cast on that assertion. While the plain remodels of years prior serviced their traditional ethos, their new remodels signified they were going upscale, just as they had in the wake of the Metro takeover. During 2017, Shoppers piloted the "Shoppers Market" concept at a remodeled Potomac Yard store in Alexandria, VA. This concept downsized the floorplan somewhat, but introduced an enhanced modern look based on gourmet supermarkets. In-store restaurants like Caribou Coffee and pop!corn were introduced, a first for the chain. I don't have much more info at present about what these stores included - both, in expected Shoppers fashion, weren't enough to elevate the chain back to greatness.

2018 saw a whopping seven Shoppers close, the most in the banner's history. Several were sold to rival Giant Food, perhaps the first time said chain had taken over a Shoppers store. Widespread layoffs were also in effect at corporate, with several longtime executives leaving. Many speculated that the end was near, and the sales of sister SuperValu chains showed it, even as the parent company was bought out by UNFI.

The Manassas, VA Shoppers during its closing sale.

 

2019 sought to prove their suspicions. In March, widespread rumors of Shoppers' demise were spreading, attributed mostly to new owner UNFI's explicit intentions of leaving retail behind. These rumors were not responded to by UNFI, adding more fuel to the rumor fire. Weeks later, all Shoppers Pharmacies closed, likely to clear these stores for non-pharmacy purposes in addition to setting the stage for the big sale. One or two standalone closings later, the biggest news came that December when 17 closings were announced. The spoils went to German deep discounter Lidl, local chain Compare Foods, or out into the wind as they closed outright. Two additional stores were added to the tally by years' end.

2020 was expected to be the year that Shoppers would go away. Except, the pandemic happened. All that panic buying made UNFI hold off on selling the rest of the stores. An initial stay of 18 months was enacted, followed by an indefinite freeze on plans to sell off Shoppers, Cub and the rest.

In this time, Shoppers continued to close stores here and there. They also made their first deals with Safeway (as told in this illuminating post about Shoppers' decline!), and those stores were turned around for the Albertsons-owned chain in only one weekend.

 

The short-lived revival of the California, MD Shoppers. Credit: Noah Pillor

 

Suddenly, something exciting happened. UNFI tried investing in Shoppers again. In 2022 and 2023, Shoppers opened two entirely new locations, and reopened an additional five closed during the late 2019 round. This included new incursions into Southern Maryland, where they had previously operated only in its population hub of California. Remodels were also conducted to stores again, introducing a brand new decor package.

2024, however, saw a backslide at Shoppers right as things were looking up again. All Southern Maryland locations were shuttered (except for Waldorf). This was likely due to executive shakeups going on around the time that wanted to let Shoppers go again.

2025 meant that even more trouble was brewing at Shoppers. Nine locations closed in the latter half of the year, most for unknown reasons. Despite protests against these closings, Shoppers/UNFI representatives were adamant about leaving those stores behind. All as executive shuffling continues at the parent company.

This is where Shoppers stands as of my writing.

Shoppers tomorrow

The still-open Shoppers in Stafford, VA. Credit: Holcombe of Hidalgo

 

Finally, we have arrived in 2026. What will Shoppers do in the future?

Heading into 2026, things have been quiet at Shoppers. No further plans for openings, closings, nor remodels have been announced. The last time they were in the news was for layoffs being conducted as a result of their recent Maryland closing rounds. Now that a changing of the guard has taken place at UNFI, there will likely be a new, clear vision as to what will be done. Based on the above factors, my predictions for Shoppers this year are as follows.

I see more closing rounds this year, depending on what is going on around each store. For example, a closing may be dependent on what leases are ending this year. Dumfries was closed due to Shoppers opting not to renew their lease there. However, one of 2025's other closings, that being the Germantown location, was the opposite case: it received a lease extension in 2021. Unless it was a short-term deal, that case shows Shoppers isn't waiting for leases to expire. Who knows, though? Maybe other motions are at play or they simply want any excuse out.

Meanwhile, I don't believe any remodels or new store openings will be in order from here on out, with the former item applying to at least the near future. This means there could be a remodel attempt, perhaps to make the stores look more attractive to suitors (as SuperValu did before Shoppers was announced to indefinitely stay put).

As for what will remain open, I see Shoppers in a Kmart/Sears-type situation, where their store count curve extends without touching the X-axis. Perhaps UNFI may leave stores open where no competitors have offered to take over, or ones in cities that fit Shoppers well. Maybe Shoppers will transition into being an independent grocery store brand, as the people at McKay's showed us. Either way, I don't see Shoppers doing much unless it gets sold off; even then, I believe it won't be as significant of a player in grocery markets that have crowded them out. Such is the unfortunate truth, as someone who was there to experience Shoppers at their high watermark.

Conclusion 

Looking towards the future at Dumfries.

Whew! What a whirlwind 10 years it has been for Shoppers Food & (no more) Pharmacy. Looking over the post, I'd say I was right and wrong about half of the time. For starters, I was more than right about there being some closings by 2020. I was off about there being no new direction, other than continued attempts at upscaling Shoppers.

Most puzzling of all, the chain still hasn't been sold off yet. Guess it goes to show that changing regimes at UNFI have really led Shoppers down a strange path!

One more point I'd like to bring up is that the Albertsons brands have mostly remained intact, chugging along without fear of closure. There are other factors at play explaining this divide, but Shoppers and Cub have remained consistent under SVU and UNFI.

Now it is your turn. If you are familiar with this chain, what do you see the fate of Shoppers being? If you are reading this somewhere down the line, what did I get right and wrong about this post? I certainly can't wait to hear your response.

That being said, thank you all for reading, commenting and sharing, especially as I bring this blog into a new year. Next time on the blog, I will return to Publix for a very special feature. Check in everyday for the post!