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Ukrop's to close Spotsylvania store Date published: 12/18/2009
RICHMOND --The Giant grocery store chain is buying Richmond-based Ukrop's, the two companies announced yesterday.But the Spotsylvania County store is one of two not included in the sale and will close early next year, according to Bobby Ukrop, the chain's CEO. The other store not included is Joe's Supermarket in Richmond. Ukrop said the Fredericksburg-area Ukrop's is surrounded by four Giant stores, and "it didn't make sense" for Giant to buy another one. The local store has been open about 12 years. He expects the store to close in early 2010 and said Ukrop's will work with store associates to find jobs either in Richmond-area Ukrop's stores or at other grocery retailers in the Fredericksburg area. The news, announced at a press conference in Richmond, ends months of speculation about a possible sale of Ukrop's, a locally owned company that over 72 years had grown from one small store to a chain of more than 20, mostly in the Richmond area. Jim Ukrop, one of the brothers who took over the Ukrop's chain from their parents, said competition had increased over the years, with big-box stores, club stores and discount stores selling many of the same products. Ukrop's size made it difficult to compete with larger companies that had greater buying power, he said. "Our size limits our ability to succeed in today's increasingly competitive market," Jim Ukrop said. He added that while the Ukrop's stores were urged to open their stores on Sundays or sell wine and beer, he doesn't believe that would have made much of a difference. "It was not a long-term solution for a retailer of our size," he said. Bobby Ukrop said the decision to sell was hard. "Leaving the grocery retail business was a difficult decision for our family," Ukrop said. "We concluded that now was the right time." But he said it was made easier by Giant's focus on local vendors, employees and on contributing to the community. "They are a lot like us--similar values, similar culture," he said. Nearly all of the Ukrop's stores that Giant is buying include branches of First Market Bank, which is being merged into Union Bank & Trust in a roughly $105 million deal expected to close early next year.
We discovered Ukrops 5 years ago. I love the organic section of your store and especially the employees and their kindness, and how they treat mothers with children; their selfless acts of kindess to carry your products to the car is truly the mindset of Christ. It is no wonder that Ukrops has done so well over the years honoring Godly principles in business; keeping the sabath Holy, honesty, kindness. Thank you for your rare but much appreciated service. Hope other co. will apply these Godly principles
of the employees - everyone was always so nice! We will miss the white house rolls and the excellent chicken salad! Wegman's is just a fancy grocery store - who do you think is paying for all the "hoopla" there - the customers! Also, the location is not convenient, especially for quick stops like bread, milk, etc. Ukrop's, we thank for your great service over the past serveral years - you'll be missed!
truly miss ukrops and their employees who have always been so pleasant and helpful. I will the baked goods and the pharmacy and everything that made it such a hometown store. For me, the store was just the right size unlike Wegmans which I find too big.
White House rolls. I will miss them. And the pharmacy. I like the idea of "reagent" furniture. A reagent is: A substance used in a chemical reaction to detect, measure, examine, or produce other substances. I think it was Regency Furniture that was going in there.
is the answer.
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