Former Shoppers - Manassas (West), VA: Shoppers Squared (Part 3)

Welcome back once again! Today I have a mini update for you, essentially the calm before the Shoppers storm that follows. This is one final look at the store in its generally operational days, even after the aftermath for the pharmacy.

Photos taken on June 25, 2019 by The Battery Mill

We start with the photo's namesake, or rather a very peculiar signage setup. As Shoppers removed their pharmacy signage, they did not go further with another instance of their main wordmark, all in all leaving a puzzling remnant. The sign in question was installed in the 2016 remodel as a slight refresh to the facade.

A look at the exterior during the remodel (photo taken in October 2016)

Also to note, while I did title this post "Shoppers Squared" as in Shoppers^2, it actually turns out to be Shoppers^Shoppers. That I didn't believe would make as great of a drawn out title ("Shoppers to the Power of Shoppers"), especially considering I have enough on my plate above. Layers of irony here, eh? You be the judge. Heh. :P

We take another look at the pharmacy sign, which remains in the state it was before. From memory it might have been removed later in the year, precipitating a given major event in Shoppers history. If you don't know, you'll certainly find out what went down soon here on this blog.

For our lone interior shot, we visit one of the most important portions of our visit, the pharmacy. Yet more oddities are abound as the complementary pharmacy decor has not left the building in addition to the main sign. Thankfully however, some merchandise continues to remain signifying the store soldering on for a little while more.


Prior to the fourth installment of the series, I will provide you with a few more extras, that being the third Retail Mix volume along with another relevant retail news update. Till then, keep posted!
 

Former Shoppers - Manassas (West), VA: Post-Pharmacy (Part 2)

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.

From an unidentified 1990s Shoppers store. Credit: NARDI Construction

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!

Sources

• https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/shoppers-begins-closing-pharmacies/161345/
• http://nardiconstruction.com/
  

Former Shoppers - Manassas (West), VA: Before the Fall (Part 1)

Today I am embarking on a long-awaited store tour series, one that has been in my queue for a while. Sorry for the wait on this one - organizing these photosets was difficult. Nevertheless, it's been solved and I'm here to present it to you at last!

 Store info

• Address: 10684 Sudley Manor Dr, Manassas, VA 20109
• Store number: #25 (original)#23xx (SuperValu)
• Opening date: Circa 1986
• Closing date: January 3, 2020
• Renovations: Circa 1996 (expansion to Shoppers Club), 2009, 2016
• Features: Pharmacy (closed May 7, 2019), Provident/M&T Bank (closed 2012), Deli, Bakery, Seafood, Floral, Walk-In Beer Cooler, Wine, Kitchen Shop, International Foods

The store originally opened around 1986 within the Bull Run Festival, as part of the Bull Run development on the edge of Manassas. For the first several years, it was a typical barebones warehouse Shoppers store. It, however received an upgrade in the mid-1990s to the then-new Shoppers Club concept, adding specialized departments and products comparable to warehouse clubs. Despite SuperValu shifting Shoppers to a more conventional grocery store, its influence in town continued to last.

...That is, until the past year or so. Under the auspices of SuperValu/UNFI combining to leave behind their own retail storefronts, this store has gradually wound down from its status in the following photos. This will be another multi-part series of mine: I have four photosets ready to go, which will be here on this blog in the coming weeks. With that being said, let's delve into the opening chapter.

Photos taken on April 17, 2019 by The Battery Mill

For our first photo of the tour itself, we take a look at a retro sign advertising the in-store pharmacy on the left side of the store. At one time, there were other neon signs attached under these facades, including one for the in-store bank that closed in 2012.

Adding on to Shoppers Pharmacy-related scenery, we see an insurance plan poster as one of the main advertisements seen as one walks into the store.

Following this photoset, Shoppers announced that it would terminate pharmacy operations, selling prescriptions to drug store giants CVS and Walgreens. The move was conducted on the basis of SuperValu trimming their stake in retail, even more so based on UNFI (who had recently acquired SuperValu)'s debt.
How would this work for the eventual sale of Shoppers? Sources state this transaction aided the sale of stores to tenants that generally do not operate in-store pharmacies - uses such as e-commerce fulfillment centers were touted as examples, whereas price impact grocers such as Lidl and Compare Foods became primary tenants for former Shoppers after the December 2019 sale. (This store, in particular, has seen no known successor.)

Prior to the Shoppers Club expansion, the left corner of this photo would likely hold the bakery section. Since the expansion, the area has featured seafood and meat products.

A small seafood counter, featuring fish and an open service kitchen for employees. With the original SuperValu Fresh & Healthy package in the late 2000s, Shoppers introduced service seafood departments to older stores which often lacked such a counter. Hope you get a chance buy the fresh catch of the day here!

Value beef & chicken or quality burgers & steaks? Which one could it be? It's up for you to decide.

Have a look at a nice, quaint bakery stocked with cakes for every occasion. The bakery itself is uniquely located, on behalf of the Shoppers Club expansion in the mid-1990s.

The bakery, along with the deli department, was pulled away from its original location wrapping around the produce department. This created a "grand court" featuring these service counters working in tandem with buffet bars and other grab-and-go selections. The design was minimized within the 2009 remodel, leaving behind a curious backroom area (where the cheese and olive bars would once be located). This is something I have photographed before over on Flickr, and will be revisiting during this series.

Now looking towards the front end, we see the last days of the pharmacy operation in this store. The bulk of large item pallets are an unrelated, yet ominous telltale sign of what's on the horizon.

Both the pharmacy and bank spaces were introduced to this store in 1999, around the time of SuperValu's acquisition of Richfood (who then owned Shoppers). Both additions helped shape Shoppers into a conventional grocer, separating themselves from their traditional discount warehouse mantra. Prior to the introduction of these departments, this space would have likely belonged to bread or wine products (common in this portion of the salesfloor at the time).

M&T Bank quietly "withdrew" their service banking operations from most Shoppers stores in 2012, however remaining stores continue to feature ATMs managed by the firm. Since then, the space became an employee break room, with the pharmacy decor having been extended down the wall.

Completing today's store tour, I present to you with an idyllic look at Shoppers aisles and endcaps, as viewed from the front end. Whether you're looking to grab some milk and go, browse gift cards, or prepare for a banana and Nilla Wafer treat - you've got it all within the bounds of this photo.
On the right side of the image, one may also see the International Foods section and the Kitchen Shop, a new department introduced with the 2016 remodel.

Part 2 continues right where we left off, with more supplemental views of the store as well as the aftermath of the pharmacy closing. Till then, don't touch that dial!

Food Lion - Manassas, VA: Taking Shape (Part 4)

Welcome back to the Shoppes of Battery Mill! Today, we continue the Food Lion remodel saga, exploring the changes the store has made in the month since I last visited. Lots of interesting things are here to discover, so stay tuned!

Photos taken March 7, 2020

Colors I feel could have been more fitting would have been blue to match the new logo, or at least green as it was upon opening. Nevertheless, it's nice to see Food Lion freshen their stores up.

Before we delve into the store's latest updates, we might want to pick up a store directory - something that'll come in handy as we try to navigate these topsy-turvy aisles and prepare for the final configuration upon completion.

One thing to note here is the spelling - the street, and the city it leads to are spelled Centreville, versus "Centerville" which is seen among several businesses and street signs in the area. Hopefully Food Lion corrects things next time!

This particular shot is rather standard to the prior configuration, sporting unchanged endcaps and plain shelving. As one can see, the only major changes here involve the temporary holiday shelving to the left, and the aisle markers which we will return to in a moment.

A look at the produce department. While the inviting Bloom backgrounds are gone, reduced to a plain cinderblock atmosphere, we can still rejoice in the variety of fruits and vegetables down at our level to keep us enticed.

A closeup of the previous photo, now showing the further progression of the produce wall's makeover. I'm not sure how the produce department is to look now - but I'm hoping those girders are in good condition!

Out with the Bloom swirls, in with a clean and straight blue stripe! This store is certainly getting its lion's share of the new FL style, all alongside a reset aisle catering towards ingredients. Wine products that previously occupied this aisle have been moved across the store. On the flipside, the wooden flooring and spot lighting from Bloom still remain.

Here one can see the last vestiges of the Bloom color scheme along the walls, with a tan color scheme sporting the previous shelving's residue and a brief wooden slatted portion to the left.
A water fountain, once displayed along the slatted sector, has been ironically exchanged for bottled water. Also interestingly, Poland Spring water is generally sold in the Northeastern United States, however it is not uncommon to see their products spill over into Deer Park territory, as seen here.

Shiny new aisle markers for shiny happy shopping purposes! In the past month since my last visit, Food Lion has rolled out their fleet of new aisle signage storewide. I'll say this is certainly a step-up from the previous Bloom aisle markers!

Next we tab over to the heart of the meat/seafood department. While the cases at this time remain original to their previous conditions, most of the change has been occuring along the walls. The slatted Bloom texture is likely returning to a basic drywall as evident by the insulation material. What's interesting to note is that Lowe's, another North Carolina chain, has become a supplier for the store's remodel. I'm not sure if this has appeared elsewhere, but moving on; I'm curious to see how this section will turn out.

Also, something else from this gallery; check out the photo below for a surprise!

Zooming in on the last shot, we can see a hand sanitizer station located conveniently near the store's seafood coolers/employee door. What's unique about this one, though is its' usage of the Bloom logo -
In all, isn't it something we need during this time?

Food Lion unpaved! As shelves and endcaps waltz across the store, either to their new spot or off into the wild yonder, they have left behind no drought of secrets - as seen here. Both a large Bloom tag and unidentified snippings have remained between the endcap base and the adhesive ground. Definitely needs some cleaning, that is, if this is what flooring Food Lion will go with!

This central aisle in the store is likely under major change in regards to shelving and whatnot. While work continues in the backrooms and main floorspace, stock is being held off as this aisle prepares to be reconfigured. This is likely the previous location of books/general merchandise prior to the remodel.

Here's a look down the store's frozen foods aisle, assorted with a random bargain bin and clad with freezers from before the remodel.

One thing to note is that the store's greeting card collection is parked in the far end of the aisle, located on the wooden floor which once teetered on the edge of this section, health & beauty and prepared foods. Quite an interesting move - but we'll have to see if this will be the case or not down the line.

Finishing our photoset for today, we stand along the front endcaps of the store's aisles skirting alongside the prepared foods department. With the coolers separating the aisles removed, cardboard lining the floor and product displays rearranged, it is no wonder this area has been transformed quite a bit. New lighting continues to come into place; while it isn't the simple row lights as before, the change does provide for some creative benefit.

In the background, we see the front end of the store; as of these photos' taking, the store continues to have the old Bloom checklights and blue design.


Given the rush for supplies and health circumstances, this will be my most recent visit for now. Once things ease out, more photos will be on the way with a glimpse at further remodel work. Stay safe y'all, and 'till next time!

Food Lion - Manassas, VA: Work in Progress (Part 3)

Welcome back to the Shoppes of Battery Mill! The Food Lion remodeling quest kicks into high gear today, and I hope you're here to see what's up this time around!

Photos taken February 11, 2020

The first notable change I saw at this visit was in the signage setup. The 2014 logo has officially made its debut on Northern Virginia storefronts, and it'll probably be a common sight from now on.

Our first interior shot for today spotlights the produce department's walls. Located on the right-hand side of the store, bordering on the natural/organic department, Food Lion continues to sell their usual supply of health drinks within the coolers below. However, I would like to turn the spotlight to the wall itself - what once was a backdrop glued to the wall has now been taken down, leaving the paint behind. Food Lion's new look is to be more simply formatted, with a simple coat and other art materials donning this segment.

One of the main focal points of this remodel are the store's coolers, many of which would be relocated or exchanged for new units based on marked tape. Most of these likely date back to the store's 1997 opening or the Bloom remodel (which likely repositioned spaces and added new ones such as natural/organic coolers).

Below these, however, remained tile flooring that was once prominent throughout the store. The Bloom remodel placed new wood/linoleum tiles storewide above said flooring. Later Food Lions (from the "Millennium"/"Stripes" eras)  retained most of their existing tilework, with the exception of wooden flooring where applicable. With this remodel, it is unclear as to whether the Bloom patterns will remain, or if said fixtures will be stripped for a fresh coat of paint on the original.

The writing's on the (cinderblock) wall - the store number, and some "porduce" {sic: produce} thing to be exact. I am not sure when this was written, however it does have something to do with the shuffling of coolers within the store from what I know.

We turn our attention to the back actionway, where meat and seafood products are largely featured. This has become one of the most active areas of change within the store; a lighting lattice that once adorned this part of the store has been removed, while the signature Bloom wall decor has been peeled off as well. Edging upon the wall, some may notice inset lighting is also being reinstated, some segments of which have not been present since the Bloom remodel. What an interesting turn of events I say!

Our final photo today focuses on the prepared foods department, one that is very much evolving from its Bloom-era form. Gone are the round overhead liners and wraparound coolers, in exchange for light tiles and an open layout, as with other facets of the store. The deli and bakery to the left remain open under usual hours at this point.

Thanks for reading today! As always, we hope you enjoyed this post, and are staying safe in this time of uncertainty. This blog will be continuing to provide more awesome retail content to fill the gap, so as always; stay tuned!