Wegmans to Build 2 Richmond, Va.-area Stores

Wegmans Food Markets Inc. will build two stores in the suburbs of Richmond, Va. The stores will be similar in size and design to the Rochester, N.Y.-based grocer's current stores in the state, which range from 120,000 to 140,000 square feet.

Noting "countless requests" from consumers to open a store in the area, Wegmans' SVP of Real Estate Ralph Uttaro promised "incredible customer service, the best ingredients, restaurant-quality prepared foods and consistent low prices" at the new locations, in keeping with the company's standards.

One of the grocer's future Richmond-area locations will be in Midlothian, Va. (Chesterfield County), where Wegmans will anchor the planned Stonehenge Village Shopping Center. Marchetti Properties will be the developer for the project. The other store will be in Short Pump, Va. (Henrico County), where NV Retail will seek approval to build a food market in West Broad Marketplace, a large retail development that will be anchored by Wegmans and Cabela's. Each store is expected to employ 550 to 600 people in full- and part-time positions.

Old Dominion Growth

According to Wegmans, construction timelines and projected opening dates for the stores won’t be determined until all necessary approvals have been obtained. The two sites are about 11 miles apart.

The company, which currently operates six stores in Virginia, also plans to open a store in Charlottesville in 2015, according to published reports.

Family-owned Wegmans operates 83 stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland and Massachusetts.