It looks like the last week of March is when the beginning of a new shopping generation hits Richmond, as Martin's starts the laborious process of closing, renovating and reopening a handful of the 20+ Ukrop's supermarket stores they've acquired on a weekly, rotating schedule.
In the meantime, Richmond BizSense spends some time with an overlooked, unwitting victim of the takeover – the wine-and-beer shops that made a living off of the customers of the booze-free Ukrop's stores. (I spent a fun year working for cash, wine and beer for my former brother-in-law when he ran a wine-and-beer store next to the Ukrop's near Clover Hill High School not too many years ago.)
The Ukrop’s next to Matthew Lake’s wine store will soon become a Martin’s Grocery store and do what would have seemed inconceivable a year ago: sell beer and wine.
And that presents a formerly unfathomable challenge for the wine stores that for decades operated symbiotically with Ukrop’s in the same shopping centers. But local wine stores aren’t giving in just yet.
Richmond BizSense also recently spent some time chatting with the grocery industry insider who first broke the news last year about a possible sale of Richmond's favorite brand:
RBS: Ukrop’s had a full store packed with goods and now Martin’s is going to add an entire beer and wine section. At Kroger, that’s an entire aisle. What will they get rid of?
JM: I can’t answer that specifically. My best guess is some reduction in perishables. You are going to see ultimately more priority to health and beauty and general merchandise. What they’re going to try and do is look at what the customers are buying. They will see what local items they need to keep in place.
And obviously Martin’s/Giant has a strong private label program. Ukrop’s over the years increased private label, but I expect a strong presence in that sector.
RBS: Do you think locals will sour on Martin’s because it took out their beloved local grocer? Is there some ill will out there?
JM: When the Martin/Giant people did their focus groups market research, the Ukrop’s name had become obsolete.
RBS: How much can Martin’s boost sales by opening on Sundays and selling beer and wine?
JM: There is tremendous advantage in just the Sunday opening, maybe a 12 to 15 percent sales hike in revenue. Certainly beer and wine is another modest revenue booster. I think the key long-term is getting stores a bit more modernized. Getting the Martin’s pricing and merchandising program fully integrated will take some time in execution and consumer traction.
