Food Lion Group roared to the top again as the chain with the largest grocery market share in the Fredericksburg area--although its hold slipped a bit.In hot pursuit were second- and third-placed Giant Foods and Walmart, both of which have gained ground since last year, according to Food World magazine's 2011 market study of the Mid-Atlantic region.
But the 800-pound gorilla in the marketplace, it found, might just be the combined force of nontraditional supermarkets such as Target, and alternate channel retailers such as CVS and Wawa, which are increasing their food offerings.
Fourth-placed Target, for example, plans to remodel 400 of its conventional stores this year with its P-Fresh concept, which typically expands the grocery section to offer such things as fresh fruit, bagged lettuce, meats, baked goods and dairy.
Target stores in Stafford County and the Dumfries Target store already have the concept, and spokesman Jamie Bastian said he was unable to confirm whether other Targets in this area would be getting it anytime soon.
This is the 33rd year that Food World has published a grocery market share study for the Mid-Atlantic region. The magazine focuses solely on food sales; it does not include gas sales of petroleum products for either convenience or grocery stores. Next year, it hopes to include Dollar Stores.
The retailers that made progress from April 1, 2010, through March 31, 2011, the time period the study tracks, were those who made the right offerings, including quality perishables, club packs and prepared foods, according to the study.
Less important these days is having a convenient location, thanks to the Mid-Atlantic region's overabundance of stores that include groceries in their mix. Younger shoppers, the study found, don't mind shopping at several different ones to find the products they want at the prices, level of freshness or other factors that they're seeking.
Food Lion, which has 24 locations in the region including its Bloom and Bottom Dollar divisions, rang up nearly $261 million in sales, according to the 2011 study. That's down slightly from the roughly $265 million it bagged during the previous time period.