Grocery store momentum continues in Richmond

Two grocery store chains, The Fresh Market Inc., a high-end North Carolina-based specialty grocer, and Aldi, a German discount chain, continue to put more stores in the Richmond market.

Fresh Market expands its presence this month with a new store in Chesterfield County, marking the company’s 14th store in Virginia.       
The newest location will be at 4600 Commonwealth Centre Parkway, in the Commonwealth Center shopping center, off U.S. 360. “We are excited to open our new store in Chesterfield County and to expand our reach in Virginia,” Rick Anicetti, the company’s CEO said in a statement.

Doors will open at 8 a.m. on Oct. 28.  Among the grand opening activities are chef demonstrations, food samplings and drawings for Fresh Market gift cards.
The new 23,000-square-foot store will include a bakery, full-service meat counter, wide selection of ready-to-serve entrées, fresh seafood, more than 200 imported and domestic cheeses and a produce department with a large organic selection.

According to Fresh Market, the new store will bring about 90 new jobs to the area, most of which are being filled locally. The store is partnering with FeedMore by providing regular donations of food.
Based in Greensboro, Fresh Market currently operates 178 stores in 27 states.

Meanwhile, Aldi has purchased about 2.2 acres from Atack WB Investors LLC at Broad Hill Centre on West Broad Street in Henrico County. The property will be adjacent to the future West Broad Marketplace, a 350,000-square-foot mixed-use project under development by NVRetail Inc. Anchor tenants for the project are Wegmans grocery store and Cabela’s, a specialty outdoors retailer.

Bruce Bigger of Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer and Darren Wood of The Providence Group handled the sale negotiations on behalf of Aldi.

Aldi’s push into Richmond includes several locations. It  opened two stores in April in Henrico County and Colonial Heights.  Plus, it recently leased 17,000 square feet of space at Chippenham Forest Square at 7319 Forest Hill Ave. in Richmond.

Aldi also plans locations in the Staples Mill Shopping center in Henrico, in the Hanover Village shopping center in Hanover County, at a site off the Boulevard near West Broad Street in Richmond and at the intersection of Robious Road and Mall Drive in Chesterfield County.

It also has signed a 21,000-square-foot lease for a store in Roanoke.