More details on Ukrop’s Grace St. store closing
When I received Ukrop’s letter about the Grace St. store closing, I thought it was a perfect reason for me to come out of blogging hibernation with some breaking news. Then River City Rapids beat me to the punch. Well I have details he didn’t report:
Ukrop’s will close at 6 p.m. on May 10th. (Jon forgot to mention the time, which gave me something else to report! Ha ha).
The letter also says they’ve been operating the store “at a significant deficit” for the 5 years it’s been open, and that they’ve been in conversation with “nationally recognized businesses attempting to find an alternative retailer to take over this location.”
Nationally recognized? Does that mean a chain?
In the good news category, they’ve offered positions at other Ukrop’s to all employees affected by this decision.
April 14, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Got me.
April 14, 2008 at 10:42 pm
BTW, welcome back.
April 15, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Five years operating at a deficit… that’s surely going to attract a good retailer. Is it too late for Trader Joes to choose downtown over Short Pump? Anything other than Ukrops would make a better downtown destination worth wading into campus.
April 16, 2008 at 3:25 am
Could make a great student rec center location.
Unfortunately, VCU already tearing up Oregon Hill.
April 16, 2008 at 11:54 am
Makes a better grocery store.
http://monroeward.org/2008/04/14/ukrops-grace-street-to-close/
April 16, 2008 at 1:42 pm
This quadrant has a sorry history regarding grocery stores. Those of us with grey in the temples, remember the grotty Farmer Jack on what became the Lowe’s site — we called it “Farmer Crack” in those days.
The grocery on Grace was at one point a Super Fresh then a Community Pride. But, during the years 1899-1976 that block of Grace-Ryland-Broad-Harrison was St. Luke’s Hospital. Grace Street was a much more dynamic urban section then; something like a smaller Carytown.
But at issue is: with the older folks across the street, and the students nearby–neither group having a substantial discretionary income–what kind of store can go there that will best serve its market, and make enough money to keep the lights on?
My guess is a bare bones chain retailer will move in and, around we’ll go.
The nearby Kroger didn’t help this Ukrop location. Ukrop’s doesn’t sell alcohol that some college students like to buy in great quantities. Kroger doesn’t have that kind of a qualm.
My advice; get a fold- out market cart, and do as Parisians and other urbanites do.
http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=11949&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=294&iSubCat=320&iProductID=11949&searchid=inceptor
April 16, 2008 at 7:38 pm
I think you’ll see something like a CVS and smaller retailers going in…
May 19, 2008 at 2:11 pm
I know Trader Joe’s was considering a downtown location. Now with Ukrops gone, they have a ready made location complete with parking. I am certain that a new store will go in there, but not sure when. A deal to get a major retailer in there is worth waiting forf I have always though downtown would support a gourmet groocer. There needs to be an alternative to Kroger. I am resigned to shopping there out of necessity, but will spend more time shopping in smaller markets like, Nick’s Produce, locally run convenience storeos and the new dollar tree in the old Firestore building. I also commute once a week out to Big Lots and Tan-A Supermarket.