"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!

The NARDI Construction Archives: Shoppers Edition

Welcome back once again to the Shoppes of Battery Mill, where blogging is a pleasure (or something like that!)

This blog post is part of a discovery I've had in my hands for quite some time, part of two portfolio PDFs from NARDI Construction.

Now what is this, you may ask? NARDI Construction is a firm based out of Beltsville, Maryland. The organization has attached their name to dozens of building projects in the Washington, D.C. area and beyond, making a mark in the local retail scene alongside. While NARDI has been known primarily for constructing shopping centers and malls, they also maintained a working relationship with supermarket chain Shoppers Food Warehouse in the 1990s. This is what I will be focusing on for this post, though I do plan on exploring the rest of their archives down the line.

With that being said, let's get it started! I will showcase a few exteriors of Shoppers stores worked on by NARDI, in store opening order before we dive in to the rest.

Exterior photos

The collection begins with the Takoma Park, Maryland Shoppers (store #19/2340). While this location dates back to the Jumbo Food days (pre-1980), it was expanded and remodeled in its years under the Shoppers name, most notably to the Shoppers Club moniker in the mid-1990s. This location closed in the late 2019 wave and was sold to German discounter Lidl along with several others. I do quite like the orange bevel accent at the end of the facade here.

Next, here is the Woodbridge, Virginia location (store #45/2361), which opened as a Shoppers Club in early 1994. I covered this location in 2016, prior to closing, and today it stands as a Hobby Lobby which has gutted traces of Shoppers like the Takoma Park Lidl has. To the right is a Trak Auto (now Advance Auto Parts), and in the front is an empty pad site (now a Mission BBQ).

In my personal opinion, I have a soft spot for this facade - it matched the aesthetic of the nearby Potomac Mills mall and conveys a rather industrial quality. It was unfortunately replaced with a generic facade in a remodel.

Rounding out exterior photos, we travel to the Cloppers Mill center in Germantown, Maryland (store #46/2358). This center was profiled by NARDI as breaking ground in early November 1994 and finishing in September 1995. Of the three, it is still operating as Shoppers in 2022 and is notably the only Shoppers build to feature open-truss ceilings.

To the left is a standalone Chevy Chase Bank. Not so long ago they were a major fixture in Washington, D.C.-area shopping centers, heralded by a Benjamin Franklin lookalike inviting customers over to "The Leading Local Bank". Then everything changed when the CapitalOne nation swooped in, with these buildings now disappearing due to a shift to online banking. The site is now home to a Dunkin' Donuts in place. It's unfortunate for those fancy Federalist designs - where would one be able to ask for dollars when everything's now digital?

In the words of Steve Jobs, one more thing: this close-up of the facade. This one may have been taken a few years into the center's existence, as storefront advertising has changed slightly from the plain red and white posters featured earlier on.

Before I begin these interior photos, I would like to note that they are from several different locations, none of which have been specified (although NARDI has listed several Shoppers which they worked on).

Now it's time. Let's enter through the automatic doors and travel back into Shoppers' heyday, once again.

Interior photos

 

Our savings start here, and so does this store tour! We get introduced to the inside via the pleasant aromas and sights that behold us in the floral department, clad in reflective slatted walls, swooping accents, neon, and grid lighting. While Shoppers had long invested in fresh flowers, the Shoppers Club concept expanded the selection greatly, defining the chain for years to come.

In the background, we have a partial view into the Shoppers Café dining area and a "Restrooms" sign. This layout configuration would carry over into Shoppers stores built in the 2000s.

Turning to the left, we have prepared foods counters and shelves at a glance. This was another defining feature of Shoppers Clubs which I first touched on in my overview of the College Park site. This time, however, we get a closer look at the deli and hot foods portion, with soda/coffee fountains taking center stage. I must say, SFW was quite ahead of its time here!

Here is a closeup of the "Hot to Go" counter, displaying a buffet of warm delicacies. At the left of the photo, Shoppers touts its paninis for only $2.98 - a deal, I must reckon!

This is likely from a different location than the photo above, seeing as sunlight from the café windows is present to the right. Though bear with me, I may be wrong.

Just across the actionway is another Shoppers layout standby, the corner produce department. This happens to be a shot similar to that of College Park's produce, though it appears to be slightly smaller and with fluorescent as opposed to mercury vapor lighting eminating from the ceiling.

Before we check out, let's hop back over to the prepared foods side of things, of stuff, and of sorts combined. We are adjacent to Shoppers' expansive cheese, deli meat and edge produce selections, though we can also see further into the store in greater detail. In case you forgot this was "Shoppers Club", you can go get a Club Pak of steak before rounding the corner into the rest of the supermarket.

While we have seen our fair share of neon accents, the bakery and seafood departments are where Shoppers' neon delight continues to unravel. I just hope somebody got ahold of that wavy fixture next to "Fresh Fish"!

We close out this tour at no other place than the checkouts. In this photo from November 1996, we see a good glimpse into the aisle markers, express lane signage, Shoppers instruction manual, and tabloids too.

As opposed to being from Shoppers Clubs, this happens to be a photo of a standard late 1980s-early 1990s purpose-built Shoppers warehouse. This design is smaller than what came after, and features a distinct alcove going across the front end. This photo also marks first time I've seen orange warehouse racks in this era of SFW, interestingly.

Before we head off, let's go over some of the steps we need to take to save at Shoppers:

1.  ?
2.  ?
3. "U Pack Your Order"
4. "U Load Your Car"
5. "U Do a Little, U Save a Lot"
   

As you can see I can't quite get a glimpse of the first two directions, but I think it's suitable at this point of our grocery trip. If anyone could help find the rest of them to better our Shoppers store trips, it would be great. All constructive comments are appreciated, as always. Just before we get home, though...

Bonus Photos

Here is a look at the former South Valley shopping center in the Hybla Valley neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia, also a NARDI project. I chose to feature this center primarily as, upon its reconstruction, it was unified with the Mt. Vernon Plaza to the north which indeed features a Shoppers.

 

The center was comprised of two stories of retail and also once featured Kmart (store #3712), which closed in 2000. Upon Kmart vacating the space, the center was abandoned and demolished for Home Depot which currently stands.

Anyhow, thanks for reading as always!

-BatteryMill

Sale of Shoppers Delayed

Welcome back! Today, I am here to present you with a long-awaited introduction to my regular blog feed. 

This blog post is to be the first installment of my Retail News column here on the Shoppes of Battery Mill. My purpose with these posts is to inform readers of relevant happenings in the retail industry. Articles featured here primarily zone in on the Washington, D.C. area, albeit occasional reports will focus on chains and shopping destinations from outside said area as well. Keep in check for more headline retail stories, as well as insight on each story!

 Our first story will focus on the Mid-Atlantic grocery stalwart, Shoppers Food. It's something I have covered quite a bit since first getting into retail in 2014, in pertinence to its history and current events.

The last major update was in December 2019, when UNFI finalized its plans to sell thirteen Shoppers locations and close another four outright. This news followed almost two years of speculation, stemming from SuperValu's initial plans to exit their own retail brands. The time period in question had already shown dedication to the wholesaler's goal, with a string of other Shoppers closings and the sale of sister chains such as Farm Fresh, Hornbacher's and Shop n' Save. 

Among the supermarket outfits who bought into SFW included Lidl, Compare Foods, and McKay's. Sales began within days; most stores on the list had wrapped by mid-January 2020, with some finishing only two weeks after the announcement. An additional two stores (Kensington, MD and Franconia, VA) were added later on, closing in tandem with the original 17 announced earlier in the month.

In the aftermath of this round, grocery industry analysts wondered what would be UNFI's next move. All that they had indicated was that SuperValu's holding company was still in the process of selecting buyers for the remaining 24 locations. This version of the story held true until the month of March. As COVID-19 cases began to pop up in the region as they were nationally, customers flocked to the stores to take in essential products in advance of lockdowns. Once the dust had settled, the sales numbers for the chain had grown higher than the usual. This would provide not only for better financial stability, but a greater return down the line.

This brings us to the actual story. In May 2020, the first reports of UNFI retaining the Shoppers brand appeared. Speaking in a BMO conference, UNFI CEO Steve Spinner declared his intent to delay the sale of their Shoppers and Cub chains as a result of the aforementioned sales increase. Both chains had previously been marked as having "discontinued operations" - a code which meant the two banners were in autopilot, no longer to expand on their brands as their individual locations were in talks for sale.

During this two-year period, Shoppers will continue to close and sell select branches as they had previously. There, however will remain some stores by the time the period will lapse. It is yet unknown if these final stores will continue (whether under the Shoppers name or not), or close down simply. Regular maintenance, and probable remodels are also to continue for the rest of these stores.

Will Shoppers survive as a brand or not? What locations do you believe will be sold in the meantime, and to whom? Let me know if you wish.

Sources

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/maryland-news/shoppers-food-is-leaving-13-locations-heres-what-is-happening-next/2019/12/17/d5ccbd5c-2041-11ea-bed5-880264cc91a9_story.html
• https://www.grocerydive.com/news/unfi-delays-sale-of-shoppers-and-cub-foods-stores/578048/
• https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/cub-foods-shoppers-stores-be-spun-unfi
• https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2020/06/11/shoppers-stores-will-stay-open-for-up-to-two-years.html
  

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?

-

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!