WASHINGTON, DC–Wegmans is a regional grocery store based in Rochester, NY. It has been slowly expanding outside of its home base into the Mid-Atlantic, first by moving into suburban areas and more recently by targeting urban areas using a new store format that it has created.
As it contemplates each move a sense of excitement in the community builds.
We have, of course, seen this particular movie before. Several years ago when Whole Foods began moving into urban areas with a smaller footprint local residents were similarly thrilled.
But there the comparison ends. Wegmans and Whole Foods, while they do share some common features, each have a different vision for their brand.
For starters, “Whole foods is more targeted, while Wegmans is broader store,” Richard Lake, founding partner of Roadside Development tells GlobeSt.com.
Lake just secured the first Wegmans in Washington DC for a project he and his JV partner North America Sekisui House are developing in Washington, DC. And sure enough, the locals are thrilled. “Sometimes my residents are hesitant to embrace new businesses – but not this time,” Ward 3 DC Councilmember Mary Cheh, says in a prepared statement.
Read related story Wegmans To Open First DC Store At Former Fannie Mae Site
GlobeSt.com spoke with Lake about Wegman's appeal and its new smaller-scale store.
How big of a deal is it to score a Wegmans?
It is a game changer in any project. When you bring them in, you elevate the site — everyone would like to be around them. They don't treat the store as just a grocery store but as a gathering place for the community.
How does their product lineup differ from their competitors?
They have aggressive pricing for basic items while their prepared foods and bakery items — which are out of this world — are higher priced. [Writer's note: Agreed on description of prepared food]. It's a combination of Zabars , Whole Foods and and one of the better quality grocery store chains.
Read Lidl Prepares To Enter US With Below Market Pricing
But there is something else to them too.
Yes, they are very passionate about what they do. And Wegmans focuses on the customer experience from the moment they open the door.
What can you tell me about Wegman's expansion plans?
They don't want to be a nationwide chain — that can be expensive to service. They want to concentrate on growth in the markets in which they can focus. They are moving into urban areas now because they have figured out how to run a smaller store. In fact we are working on a couple of other deals for this footprint.
What is the size of this urban store?
It is in the 75,000 to 85,000 square foot range compared with their typical store size of 135,000 square feet.
I haven't seen their urban concept store yet. How is it different from their traditional layout?
Let's just say they are very creative in their organization.
WASHINGTON, DC–Wegmans is a regional grocery store based in Rochester, NY. It has been slowly expanding outside of its home base into the Mid-Atlantic, first by moving into suburban areas and more recently by targeting urban areas using a new store format that it has created.
As it contemplates each move a sense of excitement in the community builds.
We have, of course, seen this particular movie before. Several years ago when Whole Foods began moving into urban areas with a smaller footprint local residents were similarly thrilled.
But there the comparison ends. Wegmans and Whole Foods, while they do share some common features, each have a different vision for their brand.
For starters, “Whole foods is more targeted, while Wegmans is broader store,” Richard Lake, founding partner of Roadside Development tells GlobeSt.com.
Lake just secured the first Wegmans in Washington DC for a project he and his JV partner North America Sekisui House are developing in Washington, DC. And sure enough, the locals are thrilled. “Sometimes my residents are hesitant to embrace new businesses – but not this time,” Ward 3 DC Councilmember Mary Cheh, says in a prepared statement.
Read related story Wegmans To Open First DC Store At Former
GlobeSt.com spoke with Lake about Wegman's appeal and its new smaller-scale store.
How big of a deal is it to score a Wegmans?
It is a game changer in any project. When you bring them in, you elevate the site — everyone would like to be around them. They don't treat the store as just a grocery store but as a gathering place for the community.
How does their product lineup differ from their competitors?
They have aggressive pricing for basic items while their prepared foods and bakery items — which are out of this world — are higher priced. [Writer's note: Agreed on description of prepared food]. It's a combination of Zabars , Whole Foods and and one of the better quality grocery store chains.
Read Lidl Prepares To Enter US With Below Market Pricing
But there is something else to them too.
Yes, they are very passionate about what they do. And Wegmans focuses on the customer experience from the moment they open the door.
What can you tell me about Wegman's expansion plans?
They don't want to be a nationwide chain — that can be expensive to service. They want to concentrate on growth in the markets in which they can focus. They are moving into urban areas now because they have figured out how to run a smaller store. In fact we are working on a couple of other deals for this footprint.
What is the size of this urban store?
It is in the 75,000 to 85,000 square foot range compared with their typical store size of 135,000 square feet.
I haven't seen their urban concept store yet. How is it different from their traditional layout?
Let's just say they are very creative in their organization.
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Erika Morphy
Erika Morphy has been writing about commercial real estate at GlobeSt.com for more than ten years, covering the capital markets, the Mid-Atlantic region and national topics. She's a nerd so favorite examples of the former include accounting standards, Basel III and what Congress is brewing.
