2008.11.19
Opening day for new discount grocer
Today is opening day at Super Dollar Discount Foods in Vinton. This grocer landed on Bypass Road in the River Park Shopping Center, which formerly housed a Winn-Dixie store.
K-VA-T Food Stores of Abingdon owns Super Dollar and Food City stores. According to a news release from the company, Super Dollar has "top-selling supermarket items at rock bottom prices." Its stores stock Food Club and ValuTime brands, as well as certain national brands.
The Vinton Super Dollar store has a meat department, where you can buy packaged and fresh cut meats. Other sections of the store sell produce, dairy and frozen foods and items for $1, named the Dollar Zone.
There will be a separate gasoline station in the grocer's parking lot, though it's not open yet.
Click here to read an update on the Vinton Super Dollar in my retail roundup column in Nov. 16's Business section.
I really hope that the Super Dollar store is successful. K-VA-T's entry into the Roanoke market didn't come with the press coverage or anticipation of Ukrop's from the Richmond transplants in the area. Most people from far Southwest Virginia, like myself, where K-VA-T is the dominant chain don't even recognize the Super Dollar name, rather than the Food City name that most stores have. And it's just their discount chain as opposed to their larger 'Food City' counterpart, but their prices are a lot lower and they really support the local economy of Southwest Virginia with their produce, meats, snack foods, bread, ice cream, etc. The KVAT Food City page on Wikipedia really details it out. In this economy, I really think they'll have a lot better staying power than Ukrop's, and could be a really good outlet for Southwest Virginia farmers and food retailers, with prices that customers with any income can support. I also really hope that several Food City stores are on their way for the future as they're local and much nicer and compete with anybody's price when compared to the Krogers, Food Lions, and Wal-Marts that dominate the market in Roanoke now.
Comment by Jason — December 12, 2008 @ 1:49 am