Ukrops for sale?

[Jimbobga]

Kroger has been in Roanoke a very long time. Many of the people in Roanoke have been there a very long time. Families with roots in the Roanoke Valley tend to think as Kroger as "their" store, with any other chain being a new kid on the block. There's a sense of hometown pride in Roanoke, and well up into the fifties and early sixties, Kroger and Mick-or-Mack were home-grown stores in the minds of Roanokers. [This could have been perpetuated by the fact that until the late sixties, many of the Kroger-brand products - especially meat and dairy - said "The Kroger Company, Roanoke, Virginia" on the labels.]
The large distribution center on the west end of Salem gave the same impression. Mick-or-Mack is down to one lone store in an intown residential area of four-square homes.

The person who referred to Food Lion as basically a convenience store was right-on-the mark. Winn-Dixie served this same purpose for years. When folks really buy groceries, they go to Kroger just like they always did.

Ukrop's...being from Richmond had a lot to do with their lack of success, for it's a given fact that anything west of that first mountain is a different Virginia, especially in the southwestern part of the state. Additionally, the rest of the shopping center where Ukrop's was located never really materialized, and traffic in the area was very congested. I was in the store last year...a huge place, and I felt like I was rattling around in there all by myself. It was nice, but some of the newer Food Lion store come close to looking the same way. There was something wrong...because Roanoker magazine mentioned that Ukrop's even offered a $25-off store coupon to customers one week, and it didn't improve sales.

It's too bad Wegman's couldn't have gotten into the Ukrop's sale. Of course, they wouldn't have made it in Roanoke, either, but they might have done well in eastern Virginia.

[krogerclerk]

Southwest Virginia has long been a difficult market to crack. Ingles has had mixed results and is down to two stores-Norton and Marion, both of which lack Kroger. Food City is major factor from Pulaski to the Tri-Cities. Bluefield, VA has seen Kroger close, but Bluefield, WV, Princeton, WV and Bluewell, WV still have Kroger which should be seen as hometown due to Bluefield Beverage and Kroger's long presence.

A&P was strong in the mountains of West Virginia and Kentucky longer than in the surrounding regions due to its long presence and commitment to the market, which only Kroger had. Both chains weathered the economic turmoils of the region until A&P began rapidly closing stores in the 80's and the final stores closed in the early 90's with Middlesboro, KY and Harlan, KY being among the last to close.

The truth is Ukrops would have only been able to expand into Roanoke and the Christiansburg/Blacksburg area due to the more favorable demographics. Maybe Harrisonburg and Waynesboro or Staunton further north would have been a good fit as well. Lack of any other large population centers and the demographics would have limited their expansion. Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads and Charlottesville have Harris-Teeter filling their same niche, along with Bloom, Giant-MD and Safeway having an upmarket target as well. Wegman's entry to Northern Virginia would further serve to veer Ukrop's away from NoVa, along with its more provincial operating style. I,m surprised Ukrop's even went to Fredericksburg, but the area is only now becoming truly a suburb to Washington. If i remember correctly, Fredericksburg was the closest Winn-Dixie came to Washington. You could argue the South ends at the Rappahannock River.

[krogerclerk]

Ahold is buying Ukrop's, an about face since Alhold has shed Tops, BiLo, Bruno's and US Foodservice.
A lot of the quirks that have endeared Richmonders to Ukrop's will fade as the chain transforms into a clone of Giant-PA/Martin's.

http://www.ukrops.com/pdfs/CustomerLetter12-17-09.pdf