n March 14, parent company Supervalu announced that it sent 60-day WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) notices to more than 3,000 associates, informing them that they would be losing their jobs. On that same day, Supervalu said that 21 of its 38 stores would be sold to Kroger, Harris Teeter and Food Lion for $43 million and that it would explore sales opportunities for the remaining 17 units (a complete list of all 38 stores and their current status can be found on on the next page).
Since the original announcement, Food Lion has opened its three stores (which include pharmacies); Harris Teeter is still remodeling its 10 supermarkets (which include six in-store pharmacies and three fuel centers); and HT’s parent Kroger has opened pharmacies at the eight units it purchased while it continues to remodel the core physical stores. The company has built walls to separate the pharmacies from the construction process of the supermarkets. As part of the deal, Kroger also acquired four fuel centers.
Of the 17 stores that were unsold at the time of the announcement, three have subsequently found buyers. Chris Lee, who currently operates the Grand Mart in Virginia Beach and J&J International Market in Woodbridge, VA, has acquired the Farm Fresh units in the Chimney Hill Shopping Center in Virginia Beach and the store on Chatham Road in Newport News, VA. He is expected to continue to use the Farm Fresh banner. Farm Fresh’s lone store in Richmond on East Main Street (Shockoe Bottom) has been sold to Grocery Holdings LLC, a company comprised of Raphael Strumlauf, Mark Green and Kurt Wassenaar. Strumlauf owns the 3,500 square foot Market Street Market in Charlottesville, VA and the triumvirate collectively own the 20,000 square foot Crozet Market in Crozet, VA. At 37,000 square feet, the Shockoe Bottom location will be the group’s largest store. They, too, will maintain the Farm Fresh name. Unlike with the Food Lion, Harris Teeter and Kroger sales, Supervalu is expected to continue to supply those three stores from its Mechanicsville, VA distribution center.
At presstime, three Farm Fresh stores (460 Wythe Creek Road, Poquoson, VA; 115 Norge Lane, Williamsburg, VA; and 928 Diamond Springs Road, Virginia Beach, VA) remain open as the company looks to deplete its final inventory while also pursuing opportunities to sell those stores to independent buyers. Farm Fresh was founded in 1957 by David Furman.
Status of stores sold to Food Lion (as of May 18):
1615 General Booth Blvd., Virginia Beach, VA………………………………………(opened May 9)
683 Hughes Blvd., Elizabeth City, NC …………………………………………………(opened May 9)
608 E Mercury Blvd., Hampton, VA……………………………………………………(opened May 9)
Status of stores sold to Harris Teeter (as of May 18):
2110 Great Neck SC, Virginia Beach, VA…………………………….(store remodeling underway)
227 Fox Hill Rd., Hampton, VA ………………………………………..(store remodeling underway)
4511 John Tyler Hwy., Williamsburg, VA …………………………..(store remodeling underway)
3675 Bridge Rd., Suffolk, VA ……………………………………………(store remodeling underway)
1400 Kempsville Rd., Chesapeake, VA ……………………………..(store remodeling underway)
179 W Ocean View Ave., Norfolk, VA ………………………………..(store remodeling underway)
521 Laskin Rd., Virginia Beach, VA …………………………………..(store remodeling underway)
1069 Independence Blvd., Virginia Beach, VA …………………..(store remodeling underway)
730 W 21st St., Norfolk, VA …………………………………………….(store remodeling underway)
2129 General Booth Blvd., Virginia Beach, VA …………………..(store remodeling underway)
Status of stores sold to Kroger Mid-Atlantic Division (as of May 18):
1401 N Main St., Suffolk, VA …………………….(store remodeling underway; pharmacy open)
230 E Little Creek Rd., Norfolk, VA……………(store remodeling underway; pharmacy open)
2190 Coliseum Dr., Hampton, VA ……………..(store remodeling underway; pharmacy open)
309 S Battlefield Blvd., Chesapeake, VA……. (store remodeling underway; pharmacy open)
1282 Smithfield Plaza., Smithfield, VA……… (store remodeling underway; pharmacy open)
6500 G Washington Mem. Hwy., Yorktown, VA …(store remodel underway; pharm. open)
1464 Mt. Pleasant Rd., Chesapeake, VA …….(store remodeling underway; pharmacy open)
7254 G Washington Mem. Hwy., Hayes, VA… (store remodel underway; pharmacy open)
Status of stores that were unsold at the time of the announcement on March 14:
799 Chimney Hill SC, Virginia Beach, VA ……………………………………….. (sold to Chris Lee)
353 Chatham Drive, Newport News, VA …………………………………………. (sold to Chris Lee)
2320 E. Main Street, Richmond, VA …………………………….(sold to Grocery Holdings LLC)
4000 Victory Blvd., Portsmouth, VA ……………………………………………………………..(closed)
1620 Cedar Road, Suite 100, Chesapeake, VA ………………………………………………..(closed)
701-A N. Battlefield Blvd., Chesapeake, VA ……………………………………………………(closed)
30 Towne Center Way, Hampton, VA ……………………………………………………………(closed)
4872 Princess Anne Road, Virginia Beach, VA ……………………………………………….(closed)
1385 Fordham Drive, Virginia Beach, VA……………………………………………………… (closed)
4001 Virginia Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach, VA ……………………………………………….(closed)
2058 S. Independence Blvd., Virginia Beach, VA …………………………………………….(closed)
1459 Armory Dr., Franklin, VA ……………………………………………………………………..(closed)
201 E. Berkley Ave., Norfolk, VA …………………………………………………………………..(closed)
1200 Military Hwy, Norfolk, VA ……………………………………………………………………(closed)
460 Wythe Creek Road, Poquoson, VA …………….(still open; sales options being explored)
115 Norge Lane, Williamsburg, VA …………………..(still open; sales options being explored)
928 Diamond Springs Rd., Virginia Beach, VA…..(still open; sales options being explored)