Roanoke Ukrop’s to close
Here’s news today on the fate of Ukrop’s Roanoke store:
Ukrop’s Super Market said Friday that it will close its Roanoke store next month, after more than two years of trying to make its concept work in the Star City. The Richmond-based grocer will shutter its Franklin Road store on Oct. 24.
“We are making this announcement this afternoon after talking with store leadership about this tough decision,” said Bobby Ukrop, Ukrop’s chairman, president and CEO, in a news release. “We wish it had worked out differently. It’s painful for many reasons, not the least of which is that we will no longer be able to offer employment to associates who have diligently served Ivy Market customers.”
First Market Bank inside the Ukrop’s will remain open until Dec. 18.
The 58,000-square-foot Ukrop’s came to Roanoke in June 2007, like a celebrated rock star. But its sales did not meet the company’s expectations. Ukrop’s stores are closed on Sundays and do not sell alcohol.
Walgreens opened last month adjacent to Ukrop’s.
September 18, 2009 - 5:43 PM
Sad, but a look at the Kroger parking lot on a Sunday afternoon will tell you a lot about Ukrop’s business decison making. About 2 years ago, analysts estimated that opening on Sunday and adding alcohol would have added 35M to Ukrop’s sales. Their market share in Richmond has declined over the years from 40% in their heyday to about 18% now. Sad, but not surprising.
This is sad. The only store that I enjoyed shopping at. Bet Geg (? right name) is dancing his happy dance. Again they were no more over priced than Kroger if not cheaper at times.
Sorry it was Rich I was thinking of.
Well, sorry to see them go but there wasn’t much chance for that store to succeed at that location. I hope the employees find good paying jobs. They’re good people.
I only managed to shop there a handful of times, being an NRV resident, but I always felt like they were a good store, with friendly people. Price wise I thought they were very competitive, I never really saw the high price complaints. I liked their bakery items a lot too, I grew to enjoy their wares when I’d be in Richmond on business trips. Sad to see them go, though the location was a bit tricky to get in and out of coming from 220/581. I’m sure the incomplete status of the center hurt them somewhat, plus the market tanking at the same time. I’m also sure the lack of Sunday sales hurt them somewhat, but in the end I think it comes down to bad timing, poor planning by the developer of the center, a generally weak location not close enough to a large enough center of residents, and a reluctance for shoppers to change familiarities.
I have been a loyal customer at Ukrops for over a year, and I will continue to shop at their Richmond stores. Kroger and FoodLion will never get my business! Roanoke Virginia is a joke!
I hate to see them go. I shopped there a lot – they had good specials and the meat and produce was always fresh and well stocked. The associates were friendly and the store was one of the cleanest around.
8 minutes! That’s how long it took from when this story was posted for the No Beer, No Sundays argument to come up! Seriously we get it! Everyone wants to drink lots of beer and buy it on Sundays! I think the store failed for many other reasons than this, mainly a poor location. Let’s think about this, the store came to Roanoke “like a celebrated rock star”. I remember this, everyone was talking about it, looked forward to it, said how great it would be. Did they open on Sunday then? Did they sell beer? No! Did you think they were going to? All the people that said “I used to live in Richmond and I miss Ukrops” or “My Aunt Bertha lives in X and Ukrops is the BEST!” Were you lying? The point is people were looking forward to Ukrops coming. To look forward to something you must have to know a little bit about it. So the no beer, no Sundays problem was not detracting from their expectations back then. And as the whole chain is not closing JUST the Roanoke store I would submit that it is still not a valid argument now. Unless it’s just people in Roanoke that like to buy their beer on Sundays….
I really can’t get two things:
1. The ‘overpriced’ complaints. By shopping smart, I actually dropped my food bill by shopping at Ukrop’s. If you thought Ukrop’s was overpriced, you probably weren’t a regular shopper.
2. The ‘bad location’ complaints. ??? How could they have had a better location? Sitting right on the 581 exits/ramps, next to South Roanoke/Hunting Hills/Virginia Western, close to downtown, next to Carilion where oodles of people come and go from work every day…and the entrances/exits were MUCH easier to deal with than the two Krogers or Fresh Market. I HATE the traffic mess at Towers and will actually drive to Tanglewood Kroger, go in the mall entrance, wind my way around the mall/Barnes & Noble/movie traffic to avoid Towers. Ukrop’s was in and out, no problem. The underground parking was fabulous- no dealing with rain or a hot car.
Well, as soon as I heard I went on my Breakstone Butter run and now my freezer’s jam packed. Sorry to see them go and wish they would consider moving to Kagey Village. It would be an ideal location for them, and for me
Sadly the only time I ended up at Ukrops was a Sunday afternoon when they were closed. Otherwise I would be zipping past and forget it was there until I was past the exit to go there. I appreciated their sentiment for being closed on Sundays, but it definitely prevented them from getting much of my $$.
Beautiful store, it will be missed!
I was born and raised in Roanoke, and lived in Richmond for 6+ years before moving back to Roanoke. My family shopped at Ukrop’s in Richmond and ever since they opened here in Roanoke. My mentally handicapped sister has worked for Ukrop’s since it opened here in Roanoke and will now lose her job.
The comment by ‘Catherine’ in her 9:48pm, 9/18 post about Roanoke being a “joke” is completely off base. I’ll reference an article some months ago pertaining to Ukrop’s and their performance here in Roanoke, a Ukrop’s spokesman was quoted by saying something along the lines that consumers here in Roanoke haven’t adapted to the grocery store chain. Well, I think that says it all. Ukrop’s has slipped to the #2 store in Richmond and has closed stores in Williamsburg and Roanoke. I don’t think those of us in Roanoke are the “joke”. The “joke” may be a company not adjusting to the times and the customer base that it is trying to win over.
I respect any company that can perform at a high level based on the principles that got them there. However, when times change, sales fall and people lose their jobs it may be time for the company to re-evaluate their approach if they truly desire to serve their customers – and employees – well. There is no doubt that the underdeveloped Ivy Market did not help Ukrop’s, and there is probably some truth to the idea that not being open on Sunday’s and not selling beer hurts Ukrop’s. However, a great company (perhaps working with developers and local officials) can overcome situations like these if they truly want to do so.
So the fact that this isn’t the only Ukrop’s store that has closed, and the fact that trade publications have reported the idea that other grocery store chains and private investors are seeking to purchase the chain, probably says more about the management of the chain than it does about it’s consumers in a particular area.
(Oh, and if anyone is looking to hire arguably the friendliest, hardest working employee at the Roanoke Ukrop’s please let me know. She’ll be devastated by this news as I’m sure most Ukrop’s employees are.)
BYE BYE!
So Ukrops, you failed in your efforts to civilize us poor, dumb, Godless Roanokers who are just too stupid to learn how to change their shopping habits to make you a buck. Good Riddance! I didn’t set foot into your self-righteous business one time, and I’m glad to see I wasn’t alone. Further, the City of Roanoke should be ashamed of and held accountable for shelling out $20 Million to an OUT OF TOWN business that has now failed, rather than putting that money toward merchants who have been loyal to the Roanoke Valley for generations! SEE YA!
The location – If it were Ukrops Valley View – this wouldn’t be a discussion. Easy to access and available to all. Where it is now is not convenient. For me – yes. For Northwest, Northeast and all points north and south? Absolutely not. AQ
R.M.&B.O.: I don’t think the location was bad for customers, just bad for Ukrop’s competitively. Yes, that location *would* have been perfect for them, if not for the fact that there was already an established high-end grocery right down the street (and backed up by a Kroger in the same complex).
As it was, we had the only two really high-end groceries in town right next to each other, which made the competition between them a little more winner-take-all than it had to be. Two niche stores on opposite sides of town can both survive because a significant number of people will go to the closer one regardless of other factors. But when they’re that close together there’s no reason not to go to one you prefer, which means that the generally less-preferred one is going to have problems.
The other thing about it is that those of us who live across town only have time to drive there on weekends, so Ukrop’s was automatically losing half of our potential business just with the Sunday closure. If Ukrop’s was close by, then the Sunday shutdown wouldn’t have been much of an issue for me; I’d just go after work instead. I can see how it can work for them in Richmond, where they have several locations and are a lot of people’s regular grocery. But this Roanoke store was designed to survive at least in part as a “destination” store, drawing in people from around the area; and in that role I think the Sunday closure really hurt them.
Dear Lucky, I’am deeply sorry that your sister will lose her job. I’am also sad for the rest of their employees who have waited on their customers with an attitude rarely seen these days. For the money we as consumers spend we deserve having our groceries taken to our cars. We deserve top quality meats and produce. Roanoke is a JOKE! What are our shopping choices now? Roanoke has consistantly destroyed its landmarks through the years. It is documented in their historical society. I moved here 9 years ago after living up north for many years and the events that have played out in this area have overwhelmed me. Ukrops was a bright spot in my life. I will remain their loyal customer as long as they remain in business.
Belks used to be closed on Sundays, but as times changed, so did their business model.
Can the nonsense about a business model based on “Christian principles”. It is a very narrow definition of Christian. There are millions of us who know the prudent use of alcohol is not un-Christian. As long as work was not required of someone to violate their sabbath be it Saturday or Sunday it should not contradict any “value”.
Okay, so it’s a private company and if they want to go bust and use their religion as a “woe is us” defense it’s their business. But once they hire a work force, the moral thing is to do the reasonable things required to support those families.
JR, you do have an edge. Why celebrate a failure? You want us to be so self-centered to only suport Roanoke born & bred businesses? I don’t have any glee that a business model failed, that employees are losing their jobs, that a strip mall will have a significant void.
I am so sorry to hear Ukrop’s will close. They were a great supermarket and its customer service was excellent, somthing Krogers has forgot about. Ukrop’s was a refreshing addition to Roanoke’s grocery offerings. It’s meat department and gourmet kitchen was superior to Kroger’s. Its employees and management were great. This departure of competition will just allow Kroger and Food Lion to control this market. Roanoke and surounding areas need competition in order to control the high grocery prices in this area where there is little choice for supermarkets.
I am very saddened that the Roanoke Ukrops will be closing. I’ve been a
loyal customer since they opened. I would like to thank the Roanoke store
employees for their dedication and exemplary customer service. I have lived in Roanoke most of my life and have never been treated better at another grocer. I hope their associates will be able to find new jobs – they deserve it !
My thoughts on Ukrops didn’t make it:
1)Economy- times are difficult now for many businesses; people
seem to prefer “one stop shopping” and going where they perceive
prices are lower
2)Many people seemed to use Ukrops more for their prepared food/bakery/
salad bar items rather than their total grocery shopping list.
3)It’s very difficult to get people to alter their grocery shopping
habits.
4)Combined with all the other much-discussed reasons of location, closed
on Sundays, and no alcohol sales, Ukrops just could not maintain a
large enough customer base to survive.
Even though they won’t be here much longer, their influence will still be
felt in the area. I noticed other grocers started to stock items that I had seen only at Ukrops previously.
I will miss having Ukrops as my preferred grocery store.
JR and Rich I hope you are both happy now that several more Roanoke citizens will be unemployed. JR I hope you have a job and I wouldn’t wish unemployment on anyone but maybe if you were on the other end of a store closing you would feel different.
As for JR’s comments, You are exactly the reason why other businesses don’t want to come here. In case you haven’t looked recently, jobs are hard to come by. We should embrace any business that wants to come here and employee anyone. I agree the city gave too much but don’t blame it on Ukrops.
As for Ukrop’s principles, Chick-Fil-A has the same ones but I bet you have eaten there a time or two. Chick-Fil-A is even sold at several college and pro stadiums but not on Sunday. Too wish someone ill will becuase they are different is ignorant.
When I worked in Richmond the locals always talked of how great Ukrops was and they were so fortunate to have such a wonderful grocer. I don’t know whether the Richmond folks are just stuck in the past, I don’t know. I never saw anything special about this place. Whenever I tried to shop there they were always closed. I hope the Roanoke City attorney and the Roanoke Times does an investigative report of what happened here. They were only open 2 years, we taxpayers paid for them to come here and what happened to Painter Properties and Ivy Market? Was this just another fiasco from Roanoke City council?
Catherine, if you consider Roanoke to be such a JOKE, maybe you should find somewhere else to live. As a native, I’m tired of people moving here and then taking every chance they get to bash this city and it’s people.
Also, your argument makes no sense. Either we change to suit Ukrop’s shopping environment or we stay the same and leave the landmarks. If the latter were to occur, Ukrop’s never would have been here and their location would still be a field.
The OBVIOUS bottom line:
The Fresh Market is MUCH BETTER!!!!!!!!!!
‘Catherine’… even though I have lived in Roanoke most of my life I agree the City of Roanoke, and the area in general, has missed the boat a number of times over the years. However, I’ve noticed the same thing in other cities and localities I’ve lived in – you could spend a week pointing out the City Council of Richmond’s mishaps.
But to describe Roanoke as a whole as a “joke” is demeaning to those living here in the Valley. In the 6+ years I was gone a number of things have changed for the better here in Roanoke, e.g. the Downtown Market area has so much more to offer that it did 10 or so years ago, and the Carilion/VA Tech medical facilities/college is a huge feather in Roanoke’s cap. If you feel that strongly about it, perhaps you need to move back North.
I appreciate those who have recognized the employees that will be losing their jobs, as they are the ones that are always the victims when businesses cannot adjust. Comments by ‘david’ and ‘Jesse Craig’ are right on the money.
JR…You MUST be a frequent WALMART shopper. Your comments make complete sense if you shop at walmart.
I will miss Ukrops for it’s SUBERB customer service…..which Walmart will NEVER have, and the LEAN MEATS in the Meat dept.
I’m sure most people wouldn’t know what lean meat is around here, but to those of you who do, I am sure we will miss it
It simply amazes me that a lot of people are blaming Roanoke for Ukrops failure. Hmmmmm Could it be the same Roanokers that have taken Ukrops Richmond market share in 2001 from 24% to 17.5% in 2009? I think not.
It comes down to a realistic view about your business model. Ukrops competes against Food Lion, Krogers and Walmart in this area. It failed to meet customer expectations by adjusting hours, alcohol sales and so forth to do exactly what their competitors are doing. Their decline in market share in the Richmond area shows that their business model is not working.
The reason, and the SOLE reason Ukrops closed here is that they are not meeting their customer’s demands and keeping up with the competition. Simple, plain economics and business principles. Nothing else. Ukrops management FAILED to recognize their errors and now are looking to escape by selling off their stores. Do you think any of the owner are going to lose out? Nope, they will cash their big checks and ride into the sunset laughing all the way to the bank.
So stop your finger pointing at each other and put the blame squarely where the blame belongs… on the owners!
As a Roanoker who had high hopes for the store, I must admit that I was continually dissapointed with the store just a few months after its grand opening. If Bobby Ukrop’s had it to do over, maybe he would have considered …
1. Earlier and more consistent advertising on weekly “door busting” grocery specials. The coupons were too little and too late.
2. Before Grand Opening, publish a comparison shop of Ukrop’s versus Kroger versus Food Lion.
3. Form a volunteer consumer focus group of Roanokers from all economic/cultural/social demographics BEFORE the store opened to determine the “right” sales model, location, variety, hours of operation and marketing. Ukrops did not do enough asking of Roanokers to find out what would work in Roanoke.
4. Stop Trucking food from Richmond – the quality suffered and never lived up to the Ukrop’s reputation. If you have a Bakery then why were cakes not “baked” in Roanoke? If you have a Deli, then why truck premade sandwiches 3 hours?
5. If you advertise that you are The Ritz Carlton of grocery stores, then an impecable level of cleanliness and friendliness should have been maintained. That was not always the case.
When someone switches their grocery store, they need to be compelled to do so because they believe their quality of life is significantly impacted by choosing another grocer. Ukrop’s failed to create believers in Roanoke by engaging/involving Roanoke residents in the store’s plan of success. It was a marriage that was never cemented in the community. I, for one, am regretful on what might have been.
Dear Lori, Being a Roanoke native myself, I stand my ground! And if you are truly a “native” then you would remember Holdren’s occupied the area years ago. And to Lucky, You are absolutely correct. The failure of Ukrops has city council fingerprints all over it. Im sure it would have done well in another area. And to Greg, Spot On!
Too many opinions for me. Let’s all blame someone else, because we’re perfect >>>NOT<<<
Try this site to get a clue: http://peopleofwalmart.com/
“Their decline in market share in the Richmond area shows that their business model is not working.
The reason, and the SOLE reason Ukrops closed here is that they are not meeting their customer’s demands and keeping up with the competition. Simple, plain economics and business principles. Nothing else. Ukrops management FAILED to recognize their errors and now are looking to escape by selling off their stores.”
Laurie,I live in Richmond. There is no “decline” in market share, as you mentioned. I’m not sure what your source is, but feel free to post it. The fact of the matter is, in Richmond, the competition FAILS to keep up with Ukrop’s. Food Lion is a food stamp shop, and Kroger was never even in Richmond until it purchased Hannaford. Kroger sucks! As for competition in prepared meals, Ukrop’s competes with Tom Leonard’s, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, none of which are, or will ever operate in Roanoke.
As for “failure”, well, Roanoke is the definition of FAILURE. We all know that. Not only is Ukrop’s leaving, Advance Auto is following suite. What about the fabulous Slate Hill? Dead. I even heard that Panera Bread is closing the Tanglewood location. Low sales, or something to that effect. Ukrop’s is a business model for success.
As for Ukrop’s. Let’s get the truth straight. The “younger” Ukrops family members have little desire in running the company. Is that the founder’s fault? No. It’s simply life. I heard about a possible sale two years ago. These stories are nothing new, but they seem to come in handy now that Ukrop’s is pulling out of Roanoke and people are mad. At least Kohl’s never came, became they would be doing the same thing. Roanoke can’t cut the mustard, and every knows it for a fact.
Roanoke is not the only store that Ukrops has closed, it shuttered a brand new location in Williamsburg not that long ago and very close to its beloved Richmond customer base – so this is definitely not about Roanoke. Most of it is simply related to the economy and a strong competitive market.
There are clearly bigger problems at Ukrops considering it has put itself up for sale. It also seems to me that Ukrops just gave up over the last few months as they stopped advertising in the paper – that was a big red flag.
I am not a big Kroger fan, but perhaps the Kroger at Tower’s should move into the building – it would be a big improvement.
Give it time, that will be a kroger or food lion. City council will cave within a few months, and tell bland painter he can keep the tax incentives if he can get anyone in that space. We’ll know who it is by xmas.
Ukrop’s set the standard for customer service training for their employees. The other grocery chains in the area would do well to hire the Ukrop’s employees, as they are the only ones who seem to know what customer service is all about. Ukrop’s and Harris-Teeter have both now left the Roanoke Valley after attempting to establish themselves in the valley, and we are now poorer by having fewer choices, with less customer service.
I was sad to learn of Ukrop’s closing but not entirely surprised.
They definitely have the best employees, fantastic customer service and I will remain loyal until the doors close.
Roanoke is famous for wanting out of the box retail and equally as famous for not supporting it. I’m a Roanoke native and I’ve watched it happen all my life.
Back to freezing the White House rolls I guess…
Let’s just do the math; by giving up Sunday hours Ukrops lost about 15% of it’s available sales time in any given week. Sales time given over to the Krogers, the Food Lions and, yes, the WalMarts. I actually respect the principle of not opening on Sunday but by giving up these hours your management team needs to be hard pressed in finding ways of attracting this business during the remaining 85% of the week. Likewise, again with the math, Ukrops had but one location in the market while Kroger and Food Lion have many; by not offering the customer several locations for what is, to many people, simply “general items” (milk, eggs, bread, etc.) Ukrops again placed the management team in a bad position of attempting to fill the sales volume under very difficult circumstances. Finally; I keep hearing that the store did not live up to sales expectations of the company. So who, exactly, provided management with these sales expectations? Where was the research before entering the market? Who assured that the sales expectations were realistic for the market given that there is so much talk about Sunday hours and beer and wine sales?
I lived in Richmond for seven years and my Carytown shopping district offered Ukrop’s, Safeway and several local grocers/bakers/butchers. While Ukrop’s was ‘interesting’ because it was a local venture, the fact that they were closed on Sunday, didn’t sell beer and where rather ‘conservative’ in their views simply said that this was not a BRAND that spoke to me. I think, ultimately, that’s the case with Ukrop’s Roanoke. Add to that, their offering is no different than the others and between Ukrop’s and Kroger’s; well, Kroger’s has it ALL in one spot.
What would draw me – in a heartbeat – would be something we don’t have, and something that is truly unique, especially in the Roanoke/Blacksburg Region – Whole Foods!!! The nearest is in Charlottesville, and that store has been a mainstay of mine during stints in New York, DC, and Charlottesville. IT’s a wonderful retailer with wonderful ‘values’ behind it and a serious effort to provide healthier food, with big brand names and a serious diversity of offerings.
Laurie, Ukrop’s has failed at nothing. They are the business model for the perfect grocery store. They have been considering selling the chain for several years now, not because they screwed up, but because the younger members of the Ukrop family want to pursue other things.
Roanoke is what needs to change, NOT Ukrop’s.
Lucky…Carilion a big feather in Roanoke’s cap??? How about a hugely expensive taxpayer funded nightmare filled with substandard doctors (not even all board certified) while the CEO gets $3 million plus a year in this “not for profit” hospital. Get real!
JENNY, DO NOT delele ANY more of my posts. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME? Any further infractions will be reported to third parties.
Any, Roanoke is the failure, not Ukrop’s. Everyone knows that. People in Roanoke do not want to adapt to anything outside of their comfort zone. Look around. Roanoke is dead.
Once again, this post will NOT be deleted.
I knew it! Jenny, you deleted my post!!! You allow Lauren to slander the Ukrop family, and her post remains, while I speak the truth, and you delete my post. That is CENSORSHIP!!! That’s just plain wrong, and you know. What are you running here, your own little Bully Pulpit?
start e-mailing Trader Joe’s to ask for a Roanoke location! This space would be too big, but maybe they could split it up? Trader Joe’s is the best grocery store ever. They have GREAT prices and an awesome in-store brand. Not to mention that they offer lots of organic and fair trade products for cheap! None of their milk and cheese products contain the hormone rBST. Check out their website: http://www.traderjoes.com/
You write:
“IMD can find a new retailer to fill the Ukrop’s building under the agreement, but that store cannot already have a city location. This would discourage IMD from landing established area grocery chains, such as Kroger or Food Lion, at the Ukrop’s site.”
Would Bloom count as a “new retailer” or not since it’s a “brand” of Food Lion?
How many years has it been since all retail was closed on Sundays? Forever….not everyone has time to shop on the weekdays and Saturday.
and don’t forget…
“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
I hope it doesn’t sit empty like the Winn-dixie off Hershburger and the Rite Ade in Vinton. I wonder how long Sportsman’s warehouse will sit empty. That was another store I liked better than the competition. But all this is minor compared to the people loosing their jobs.
JOJack,
I’m not sure what posts that you say have been deleted. I’ve approved all of your posts, to my knowledge. Many posts have been coming in at one time so all have not been approved immediately, due to time constraints.
KevinL,
That’s a good question about whether Bloom would count. It is very likely that it would count as a possibility for the Ukrop’s space, because its concept is unlike the traditional Food Lion model.
Customer service in a grocery store? What for? I don’t get that angle. I never speak to an employee at a grocery store except to say hi. I use the self checkout. I don’t buy pre-made food so that doesn’t matter. Never understood that one either. Are we too lazy to cook? This is the oddest thread of comments I’ve seen. All of this over a grocery store closing. Good grief.
Published: June 17, 2009
For the first time in more than 20 years, Ukrop’s Super Market is not the No. 1 grocery shopping destination for Richmond-area shoppers.
The family-owned chain lost it place to North Carolina-based Food Lion LLC, which took over the top spot, according to a market study conducted by Food World, a trade publication that follows the grocery industry in the mid-Atlantic.
Food Lion commanded a 19.34 percent of the total amount of money spent on groceries in the Richmond area, while Ukrop’s had a 17.58 percent market share, the study shows.
Ukrop’s has been losing market share in recent years as Food Lion, Wal-Mart, Kroger and other nontraditional grocery operators including Wal-Mart, CVS, 7-Eleven and Walgreens nibbled away at its grocery sales.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/GROCERYGAT_20090617-172601/274355/
The best part of this story is watching people like Jojack devolve into sputtering incoherence over a stupid GROCERY STORE. It’s like someone died or something…pretty funny.
Anyhow…clearly Ukrops isn’t the business model for the “perfect” anything…since I and almost everyone I know (people with jobs) shops on Sundays.
Either Whole Foods or Trader Joes would be a far superior alternative to Ukrops and might actually pose real competition to Fresh Market,which weathered the Ukrops storm admirably. I asked a girl at checkout at Trader Joes in Williamsburg about expanding west..she said they have a store planned to open this spring in Charlottesville but nothing in the pipeline yet for Roanoke. (Lucky Charlottesville already has a Whole Foods!)
I have no idea if this post will be deleted or not…the suspense is killing me!
Catherine, I believe Holdren’s was down the street, not on the corner. I could be wrong and thinking of the distribution center, but I think that was behind the actual store. Holdren’s then moved to Valley View, was taken over by Crenshaw’s and quickly closed. Now Haverty’s occupies the space. I hope that proves my native credibility.
I get that you’re unhappy with Roanoke and you think we’re a joke. However, you clearly moved back here 9 years ago for a reason. I’m curious as to why you would either move somewhere you think is a joke or would choose to stay.
I do agree with you that losing Ukrop’s hurts. It’s a great store and I’ll miss it a lot.
I’m not surprised to see it close. It was too close to the other two stores and really offered nothing different. It’s a shame for the city to have been so invested.
Not being able to buy beer there on any day meant a second trip somewhere else for many. That’s not going to happen and so it made it a no go for them. Not being open on many people’s only day off didn’t help either. I found the prices to be higher on average as well. It was not laid out in a way that I got used to as I only went there a few times so it took longer to shop when I did go. All of that added up to not enough incentive to go back to learn the arrangement. The parking deck was a neat idea but was typically full. If they couldn’t pay for it with the amount of traffic that they had there, I don’t think anyplace will. It just cost too much to build.
Since the city is so heavily invested in it, perhaps they can buy it using their investment as a down payment. It could be turned into a civic center of sorts or a city market with many vendors, perhaps a museum, etc. It does not need to be a store. A multi-use venue might make it attractive for a lot of other uses. Even as a mall, it will suffer from competition all around it. It is just in a tough spot and is too grand of a place for a grocery store. Retail isn’t what it used to be and grocery shopping isn’t exactly a luxury.
I thought Walgreens would never move in. No matter, I’ll never go in there anyway as CVS is right around the corner. The whole concept was just odd IMO. Who wants to bet that Carilion will end up with it cheap?…
-Bill
I have always shopped at Ukrops and liked the customer service. I do like Trader Joe’s, but, the empty Ukrops space is too big. Nonetheless, a Trader Joe’s would be good in Roanoke. I do not like any of the Krogers, Food Lion, or Walmart food stores. The quality is sorely lacking at these stores. I will have to do my shopping for meats and produce at Fresh Market, bread at BreadCraft and use Krogers for canned goods.
Perfect solution!
Just give it to Carilion for free like everything else they get! And they’ll build another”world class” patient center. The city of Roanoke deserves this ! Hahaha
Jenny,
Thanks. I think a “moderately upscale” store like Bloom could succeed in some locations in the Roanoke area.
Can’t we all just get along?
I would like to see “Happy’s” move to the Ukrops building. Vendor’s tables, chicken wired cages of merchandise along the walls. It would be awesome!
It was never a place to load up on a week or two of groceries. Walmart, Kroger, etc is for that. When those don’t suffice, you ALWAYS go to Fresh Market who always had (and still have) better meat, seafood, desserts, breads, etc.
“start e-mailing Trader Joe’s to ask for a Roanoke location!”
It really doesn’t work that way. You can’t just send a company an email and tell them to open a store in your location. Demographics like population and per capita income/household income must be met. I live in Richmond, and Trader Joe’s is in the West Broad Village. The place is amazing! Check out the website and see what I mean. West Broad Village also houses Whole Foods, Home Goods, Kona Grill, Mimi’s Cafe, Pizza Fusion, Ledo Pizza, Petco, Omaha Steaks, Dave and Busters (the only one in Virginia), and many other ammenities, with many more on the way. Also condos, townhomes, lofts and luxury apartments.
These types are locations are what Trader Joe’s is looking for. Upscale with lots of disposable income around. Trader Joe’s customers are typically single, professional, higher income, busy people who enjoy a wide selection of prepared foods from all over the world, and wine. Roanokers are typically family oriented, and buy food in larger quantities, in order to feed more people.
I doubt anyone will ever see a Trader Joe’s or a Whole Foods in Roanoke. Or a Total Wine, for that matter. The demographics and the lifestyle are simply not there.
Trader Joe’s isn’t a fit in the Ukrops Building.. It’s a bit to big and from what I have seen on other forums, trader joes liks “used” strip malls. something like Oak Ridge off 419 Where Ichaban and Food Lion is.. out at Towne Square. I think its a good sign they are in C’Ville. Even one in B’Burg would make me happy.
Since my post yesterday, several people claim knowledge of Ukrops market share. If you would take the time to google “Ukrops market share” you would find loads of articles listed from such sources as local papers, trade magazines and even Dun and Bradstreet all reporting the SAME THING. Ukrops has been consistently losing market share since they peaked in 2001. Start taking the time to check facts before you make your “cast in stone” irrefutable observations.
I enjoy shopping at Ukrops. Their not selling alcohol and not being open on Sundays does not bother me a bit. BUT I am not the only person in the world. What makes a store succeed in business is by meeting or exceeding their customer demands. Evidently Ukrops fails to do that as clearly demonstrated by their CONSISTENT loss of market share. I will miss Ukrops and I feel bad for their employees. The blame still rests solely on their management team for their failure. Stop being so ridiculous as to say Roanoke has to adjust, blah blah blah. If everyone in the world had to adjust to every business out there, what a mess that would be. Business succeeds by meeting OR exceeding THEIR customer demands. Google that phrase and learn about Deming and his work and how it has affected businesses world wide.
As for JoJack’s comments. 1. I am NOT a woman. Lauren is a name derived from Lawrence. Just because it is popular in this country for women it is not the same the world over. 2. I also suggest that you read, slowly and carefully, my previous post. I never slandered the Ukrops family. I stated a fact, not an opinion. You really need to learn to READ and COMPREHEND a statement before you go off and make accusations. And to Jenny’s defense, JoJack, the posts are not automatically approved and “disappear” to your view when you refresh your browser window after you post them while they WAIT to be approved. You might also want to consider learning more about computers, programming and web apps before you threaten Jenny or anyone else.
All this DRAMA because of a grocery store! Go figure!
And finally, I have to put my 2 cents in about Whole Foods. The CEO made a statement about Health Care Reform in the Wall Street Journal that has sparked a huge national boycott of his stores. Maybe people should learn more about them before they lobby to have them open here? You may be surprised at the things you unknowingly support when you deal with certain businesses.
Yesss I agree Roanoke is a Joke…lived there once and that was enough for me not only on how they handle their situations in the term of businesses and taxes but the people too…they think they ARE VA. and no one else lives in this state but them… sooo conceited everywhere there…
Wow a conservative company couldn’t make it in the bible thumpin conservative side of town. HA HA go figure. Waves of change, people are waking up and buying only what they need. Not some fufu products. Kroger does me just fine.
JOJACK, Im with you all the way. Roanoke is a ghost town.
Lori, Why I moved here is none of your business! This is about a wonderful store leaving this community. And if you have access to virtual earth the old Holdrens building is visible very close to the Ukrops site.
Agreed – it is a wonderful store.
Disagree – it’s all Roanoke’s fault. The blame can surely be spread around here. The company did not advertise so how would potential customers know what was on sale?
Lauren, great comments! You too Dawn Brown? How about a discourse without insults?
Jenny, can you tell us more about Bloom? I know they are affiliated with Food Lion (a subsidiary?). Although I am not sure that Roanoke needs another grocery store.
“As for JoJack’s comments. 1. I am NOT a woman. Lauren is a name derived from Lawrence. Just because it is popular in this country for women it is not the same the world over”
You are correct. I thought your name was Laurie. My bad. You also correct about the posts being removed and then put back. I was unaware of the process, and should not have been so disrespectful to Jenny.
Sorry Jenny and Lawrence!
I am very sad to hear about UKROP closing. I admire Bobby Ukrop for standing up for his convictions. I wish I had shopped there more, but I do plan to shop there as much as possible. I hope it might make a difference.
Thanks
I visited Ukrops at 4pm on July 3rd. They were (naturally) planning on being closed on the 4th, and by the time I got there all the corn on the cob was gone (completely unacceptable) and the meats and other grill items as well as watermelon etc were depleted and messy with obviously no intention of being restocked ( as they were, naturally, closing for the holiday).
On the 4th I visted the West Lake Kroger and spent well over $200 on items I would have been happy to get from Ukrops had they had the retail accumen to be OPEN FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS WHEN THEIR CUSTOMERS WANT TO SPEND MONEY. The Kroger was jammed. It’s not the job of the consumer to adapt to the store. Take that approach and a store will go under every time. I don’t need someone who will (yippee) carry my groceries to the car at 2:30 on Tuesday afternoon if I don’t do my shopping then.
The Ukrops building is too big for a Trader Joes, but it’s really too big for most things. Surely it could be partitioned off into 2 or more smaller enterprises, which would better fulfill the concept of a real shopping destination better than just a grocery store and Walgreens would have.
Lori,
Bloom is considered an upscale grocery store, with many of the features that you’d find at a specialty grocer. Food Lion rolled out the concept several years ago. Bloom stores average between 30,000 to 40,000 square feet in size. There are 64 in North and South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland.
So, how long will it take Roanoke City Council to re-write the agreement that would allow an already local merchant (read: KROGER) move in to the Ukrop site? After hemming and hawing about it for a couple of years while the site sits empty, how much tax base will they have lost? If Kroger were allowed to move in, and if they vacated the Towers site, that’s when the Towers site could be sub-divided and then it would make a great location for Trader Joe’s! TJ’s would be a natural fit there in many ways!
Kristen sorry to hear that you had a bad experience. I hear of bad experiences but I personally have never had one and I have been there many, many times. The following comment is not directed at you so do not take it personally. Your statement tells me one thing. People too often put things off to the last minute. The fact that any grocery store was packed tells me so. Just look at Walmart on Christmas eve. Packed with people that had all year to get there shopping done. But in the case of July 4th I understand that you can not buy your food but so early. But why wait until the day of to get off you duff and get the things you need? Get it done ahead of time and relax with a cold beer and a great steak. You won’t be as stressed out and you blood pressure will thank you.
First of all, Roanoke is not that big of a city as to Richmond or Fredericksburg to thrive like the stores elsewhere. Second, Its not a city on the come up..meaning Roanoke has limited entertainment and is mostly a family town enviroment as to other places where there is a Ukrops and its mostly a younger generation that shop there. If you want to keep businesses in Roanoke, make sure it is going to stay before you get something that is targeted for the people who is not in it for the long run because they like where they shop. So instead of putting something there without looking at the big picture, do the research because not everyone will change the shopping habits that they have become use to. Also people is used to the normal everyday shopping that they have done for 20 + years due to the lack of variety that is in Roanoke. Is it any wonder why businesses close up after a few years?! I was born and raised in the STAR CITY and I love my hometown but Roanoke just cant compete with other growing citys or some that is beginning to sprout, which is why most people, like myself, leave and dont return because Roanoke it seems, is still stuck in time.
FYI, Ukrop’s has a sign on the door about new hours. I believe it starts next week but they will begin closing at 7PM until the end.
Thanks, Alan. I also saw this sign. I’ll plan to post something about the hour change.
Rumors has it that Kohl’s is coming to that site.
Good post Charles. You perspective is right on track. There seems to be a “kid in a candy store” mindset in Roanoke. People want everything they see. I isn’t reality. I moved to Richmond two years ago, and the difference between Richmond and Roanoke is stunning. Look at VCU. They have a Starbucks, a Barnes and Noble and even a Chili’s ON campus! Roanoke doesn’t even have a Chili’s. Greater Richmond has over one million people, but even Ikea won’t locate here, because the population is too small. It is extremely difficult to attract some businesses, even when the desire for then is there. I live near Short Pump, which is booming out of control! It has everything. Short Pump Town Center is an “open-air” mall, just like the one at Myrtle Beach. The entire area is growing like wildfire, with MUCH more growth on the way. It takes a million people to support all that stuff. Greater Richmond has 13 Targets, 7 BestBuys, etc, compared to Roanoke’s 1. People have to take into consideration the scope and scale of different areas. Roanoke really isn’t “growing” by most people’s standards. It is still small and isolated from the mainstream, so newer, more upscale businesses with a large youth market are going to avoid Roanoke. As you mentioned, older shoppers aren’t going to break tradition easily. I remember when computers and the internet really hit. Most Roanokers didn’t have them. Same with cellphones and dvds.
Just something to think about.
BIG shout out to Jill, EB, Jabong, Jojack, charles i reynolds and Franklin co. Ukrops shopper!!!! you people hit the nail on the head. a poster says Kroger has it all in one place? you’re right. even dining room furniture and room dividers! i was so appaulded to go into the vinton store. it is sooooooo freakin’ big—-way larger than Ukrops.hmmm? as for trucking the food in from richmond? what’s wrong with that? Krogers has their food coming from Cincinati, Ohio. Ukrops had lower 2500 prices and still people didn’t shop there. they are crazy not to. went ot walmart to get post cereal…$2.92, and FL wa $4.05. amazing! last but not least. i do believe that roa will become a retirement community. younger people are moving out and not coming back..NUTTIN’ here for them well, except for bars. i have children that have moved away and have no desire to move back. maybe Ukrops should of moved to salem. they support just about everything that moves there. ONE more thing—-maybe someone should build ANOTHER victory stadium and put it up on SLADE HILL? whatcha’ think? FINITO!
Some of you all are talking about Kroger taking over the site…..According to the Contract with the developer, no business already in the city can take it over….Plus, I don’t think ANY other grocery store could make it at that location, given two major stores at Towers and other local markets.
I appreciate a good rant as much as the next person, but could you folks proof read your comments before you hit submit? Some of you have good points but they are lost with the incoherent babble you end up posting.
From what I understand, any store would be able to move into the location, but the “kickback” to the developer would only occur if the tenant was from outside the Roanoke area.
Jill, I think you’re right. Anyone living in Roanoke who expects to have the same range of shopping options as Richmond – or the DC area – is being unrealistic. Ideally it would be nice to see Roanoke start up and build its own, local, businesses and not spend a lot of time and taxpayer money attracting out of town chains.
Roanoke may not have the variety of strip malls other places have, but it has a lot of charm, affordable housing, and a easy quality of life completely absent from those places. It’s a tradeoff, like everything, and Richmond isn’t too far of a drive once in a while to enjoy those stores we lack here.
I saw the info on the shorter operating hours, and that pretty much eliminates any ability I would have for shopping there before they close, unless I took time off from work to do so, which I can’t. I really wonder who is making the decisions there, that seems completely counter-productive and like it will cost Ukrop’s even more money. Oy.
#78..lol..”Krogers has their food coming from Cincinati, Ohio.”
No. Not even close.
They have a very state of the art distribution center over in Salem. The milk/dairy comes from Lynchburg, and the BigK soda comes from Bluefield. Bread is from Bowling Green Kentucky…I believe. But nice try.
Something else from what I read of the comments. Businesses need to cater to the customers, not the reverse. The customer holds all of the cards: they are the one with the money. If a business does not do what the customer wants or expects, the customer will go somewhere else to get what they want. Ukrop’s had 2 major items as part of their business model that upset a lot of potential customers in the area not used to the Ukrop’s philosophy in being closed on Sundays and many holidays, and not selling alcohol. Ukrop’s was not about to change that since it’s core to the company, so perhaps they should have further or more extensively researched the market to see if they could generate sufficient business given that those stances would handicap them. But in the end, Roanokers should not have to change who they are for a new business that comes in. The business that comes in should look at the market and determine what it takes to be successful, and if they can meet the demands of the customer base, then they will likely be successful. If they can’t, then perhaps they ought not locate here or figure out a way they can adapt to the local environment. Ukrop’s stayed with their model, and they were not well embraced. I applaud their standing up for their philosophy, but it’s a big part of what ultimately helped to drive them out. A business that fails to adapt and change over time will fail in time, every time. Ukrop’s has modernized and added some nice things to their stores, but at the same time they have failed to adapt to the modern needs of a continuously moving society with their restricted hours and other practices. Take a look at Wal-Mart. They are a great example of adapting, shifting, and morphing to satisfy the customers. Their first stores I did not care for, I stuck with K-Mart because I like what they had better and felt that Wal-Mart was too cheap and dingy. Then Wal-Mart began upgrading their stores, carrying better quality merchandise, and improving their prices. I started shopping there because that’s what I expected. Then Wal-Mart started adding groceries and other services to help make it more convenient for people to shop there by combining several stores into one. Customers loved it. Now, they’re retrofitting almost all of their stores to make them even higher end in appearance and quality with even better qualitiy merchandise, cleaner and neater stores, more friendly layouts, and softer colors. They’ve also fully adopted a lot of green and sustainable practices with their goods and stores. K-Mart has largely not done a thing, and they’re on the brink of closure because they did not keep pace, adapt, or change. Target also does a good job of adapting, hence why they are also doing well. Same goes for Ukrop’s versus other grocers. Ukrop’s has largely stayed the same with a few minor tweaks here and there, while companies like Kroger, Wal-mart, and Food Lion have done a lot more work to update their stores, images, and other things. It’s very interesting when you delve into tidbits like that…or at least it is to me. The moment that a store stops kleeping up, they will lose market share and eventually close or be bought out. No one is immune either, that could happen to Wal-Mart too if they stop trying to innovate and shift as the times change.
“Target also does a good job of adapting, hence why they are also doing well. ”
I have traveled quite a bit, and find that the Target store in Roanoke is YEARS behind other Target stores in other locations. All “new” Targets have large red (concrete) balls lining the outside entrance. You enter from the right, and the customer service area is the first thing you see when you walk in. The stores are larger than the Roanoke store, and most of them have a Starbucks inside the store. You also see a lot of red in the newer Targets, as well a groceries, and a better electronics section. The Valley View Target looks like Kmart (to me, at least).
brownn eyes, Ukrop’s did not advertise weekly like the other stores do, so how were people who didn’t regularly shop there supposed to know about their bargains. They advertised for a few months earlier this year and that was it. Too litle, too late.
JOJACK, I noticed that when I’ve been to Target stores in Northern VA and the Richmond area. I’m basing my thoughts on the NRV stores, and Target is several stes ahead of our lone remaining K-Mart. They used to be ahead of Wal-Mart too, but then both the Fairlawn and C’burg stores got facelifts and I would just about put them at the top of the discount store heap, and ahead of many department stores too.
Well no wonder people have issues with Roanoke…we never get the big red concrete balls when everyone else does.
The only way for Ukrops to succeed in Roanoke would have been to attract a critical mass of shoppers that can afford to shop at an upscale grocery store with items not carried at Food Lion, Kroger, etc…. No point in competing in an already crowded pond.
If Charlottesville can support a Whole Foods, why couldn’t Roanoke support a Ukrops? After all, US Census data shows that Roanoke City alone has 6000 households with incomes of over $50,000 and that doesn’t include the county. I did more digging with 2007 data and found the answer – education levels.
Whole Foods
Median Household Income: $63,554
Median Ag: 36.2
Owner Occupied Homes: 62.40%
Bachelor?s Degree or Higher: 54.97%
Let’s compare bachelor’s degrees of cities for households age 35 to 44:
Roanoke – 18% (out of 13,500 individuals)
Cave Spring – 45% (out of 3,500 individuals)
Richmond – 35% (out of 28,000 individuals)
Charlottesville – 43% (out of 5000 individuals)
Granted, Ukrops is not Whole Foods. But I’d say that to succeed, Ukrops needed to capture a big chunk of the Roanoke households that care about what they eat along with disposable income to spend at Ukrops.
Great case study for a business school class.
Interesting study Vanilla. It really sad that we South Roanokers( Best neighborhood in Roanoke as far as high incomes!! can’t support Ukrops. Whats wrong with you South Roanoke people!!! Don’t you want anything better then the sleezy Krogers at Towers and trashy Walmart!!Come on people!!!
Who wants a Whole Foods. The owner’s “values” are repugnant. Yuk!
http://wholeboycott.com/
I was in Ukrops Tuesday and it looks as if they have already gone out of business the produce section looks horrible and everything was either empty of rotten. Good lord why not just close the doors now????
Boycott Wholefoods? Because of “values”? I don’t understand that. When George W’s War in Iraq began, France wanted no part of it. I heard many people say “don’t shop at Target”, because Target is, of course, a French company. That makes NO sense. So, you shouldn’t eat at McDonald’s because PETA pitched a fit about their chickens not having luxury accomodations? Like I said, it makes no sense. Go ahead, support whatever organization you choose, based on your perception of their “values”. You will be left with nothing to choose from. Ukrop’s was a good, Christian company, and Roanoke didn’t support them!
Uh, Target is based out of Minneapolis.
Yeah Target is definatly NOT a french company. That is funny just because they use terms such as “Guests” and “Team members” does not make a company french owned lol. It is based out of Minneapolis and is definatly an American Company. JoJack your one funny guy!
If you read Dan Casey’s posting about the snob who wrote the letter about the guy grilling in South Roanoke, I think that you would understand why businesses cannot rely on South Roanokers. It is possible that the snobs only want to shop where snobs shop and not go to the places that do not fit their clicks. If you feel like that you don’t belong in a certain place because you don’t fit the mold, then you have less people wanting to shop than anticipated. Why feel like you have to go impress people at Ukrop’s when you can go down the road and not have to worry about what people look like at WalMart (at least until you find your picture on peopleofwalmart.com)?
Target was started in 1902 in Minneapolis, Minnesota as the Dayton Dry Goods Company. The first Target store was opened in 1962 in Roseville, Minnesota. This information is easily found on the Target website under the “About Target” link on the main Target page. You can also find the info on Wikipedia.
I think some people get confused about Target because it’s common to play with the name and pronounce it “Tar-zhay”, to imply some French flair to the merchandise. I’ve heard JC Penny’s referred to as Jacques Penne’ along the same lines.
John, from what I know about South Roanoke, they’re not going to shop anywhere that doesn’t have a decent selection of wine.
enough said…give it a rest! start on someone else…