Safeway

I met with BF Saul, the Developer of the shopping center. They have no idea what Safeway will do. They still have a long term lease for that site.

 

I did overhear an employee tell another customer several weeks ago that Safeway would be dividing the space and would re-open a significantly smaller operation in the future in one of the divided areas. I didn't post earlier as it wasn't verified, but the idea would make a lot of sense, and if they do still have a long lease, that may lend more weight. This store obviously never had the market to support a full size supermarket which, in my opinion, was a class lower in quality, service and selection than others in the area. It was not uncommon to see employees "shopping" expired products off the shelf - they simply didn't have enough customers to buy all the food and ended up throwing away huge amounts of inventory.

I, like many have suggested in this thread, would go to another store if I needed to do a big shopping excursion or wanted really quality proteins or produce, but dang if it wasn't convenient. I was still in this store 3-4 times a week picking up daily items, and those trips add up. That would still be the case if they opened a smaller, neighborhood market. In fact, it would probably improve the shopping experience (its incredibly frustrating to buy canned products that expire two weeks after you purchase them).

Time will tell...

 

I don't know anything about retail management but wouldn't Saul have to approve sub-dividing the space? I would think it would be in Saul's best interest to get another full size store in there, since it is the anchor space for the center. Especially with other stores mentioned earlier entering the local market (Publix, Aldi) and the improvements to the entrance/exits to the center.
I'm surprised that Saul doesn't know anything about the gas station. Closing that down will be a bigger loss than closing the store in my opinion.

 

One reason I always check the date but it doesn't dissuade me from buying the product. I rarely buy canned foods anymore other than tuna or salmon. Almost everything I buy is fresh, frozen or comes in glass or tetra-paks.

Canned foods are sterile and do not host bacteria so very often can be kept on the shelf for years. The quality will eventually deteriorate and the can lining will break down. So if it says 'best by' and often times 'expiration date', that only tells you when the product will taste the best but it doesn't mean it cannot be eaten.

 

Having worked as a manager in a grocery store for years during college, I wouldn't be shocked that product is thrown out. I was shocked by the quantity here, as well as how many products were close to their expiration date. As to not having a market.... the store is closing. If it was making money, it wouldn't be. Obviously the people of Ashburn have to shop for groceries somewhere, and as you point out, there are a LOT of stores to choose from.

 

Safeway and another large grocery chain was acquired by an equity firm. Closing stores/downsizing usually follows...

 

One would have though i made a joke about yo mamma. I was merely making the point that the ratio of grocery stores to people in this town is very high, and it made sense to me that the store that, in my opinion (Which I qualified in the original post) was of the least quality would be the next to go. If you disagree, fine. I never stated in my post that it was a mistake to open in the first place and assume people who live here can see that offerings have changed over time. You have fulfilled your usual role as board instigator/suppressor of posts.

 

The "standard' for the industry is one grocery store for every 1800 rooftops. Broadlands would support two, but not everyone will shop at the two in Broadlands.

 

Yes, it's closing also.