Libbie Market Ridgefield’s storefront at Ridgefield Parkway and Gleneagles Drive. (Photo by Lena Price)
Barely six months after first stocking its shelves, a West End grocery store is closing its doors.
Libbie Market Ridgefield’s last day in business will be March 30, according to a report from the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Owners Buster Wright and David Taylor launched the original Libbie Market at 400 Libbie Ave. in 2010. They made the leap and opened the much larger Ridgefield market about six months ago. The 32,000-square-foot building at Ridgefield Parkway and Gleneagles Drive formerly housed a Food Lion and is almost three times the size of the Libbie Avenue store.
The store is about four miles away from three other West End competitors: Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Tom Leonard’s Farmer’s Market.
Taylor did not return a call seeking comment.
Libbie Market Ridgefield’s storefront at Ridgefield Parkway and Gleneagles Drive. (Photo by Lena Price)
Barely six months after first stocking its shelves, a West End grocery store is closing its doors.
Libbie Market Ridgefield’s last day in business will be March 30, according to a report from the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Owners Buster Wright and David Taylor launched the original Libbie Market at 400 Libbie Ave. in 2010. They made the leap and opened the much larger Ridgefield market about six months ago. The 32,000-square-foot building at Ridgefield Parkway and Gleneagles Drive formerly housed a Food Lion and is almost three times the size of the Libbie Avenue store.
The store is about four miles away from three other West End competitors: Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Tom Leonard’s Farmer’s Market.
Taylor did not return a call seeking comment.
I will miss LIbbie’s Market in the West End. Everyone there was so friendly. I am so sorry to see them leave; you can’t find small grocery stores anymore. Good Luck to Buster and David.
Sorry that this venture did not work out, but I was skeptical about its ability to be successful from the gitgo. It is “off the beaten track” and you had to make a conscious decision to go there. That being said, I enjoyed their variety of items and the friendliness of the staff. I hope this doesn’t discourage them from trying a different, smaller location.
In today’s retail world it is next to impossible for a so called “mom and pop” supermarket to compete with well established and well financed competition. They just can’t compete on price or advertising, and location is a factor as well.
Libbie Market is a nitch player that has to stick to its original format to be successful.
They have become my favorite store in the neighborhood — I avoid Martins and Kroger in favor of Libbie Market. You can’t compare them to Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or Tom Leonard’s market — they are very different. Their meat is tremendous, the wine selections are wonderful, the prices are competitive, and the staff is extremely friendly and helpful. I have loved shopping there, and will miss them terribly. I guess I will have to make the trek to Libbie and Grove to find the things I love about their store. I am very sad to see them go.
I was very excited to visit the store when I moved to that area of town. However, I was very disappointed from the get-go. I was expecting the decor to be warm and cozy with unusual items and gifts. Almost like a boutique grocer. Instead, I really felt like they just cleared out the Food Lion signs and installed their stuff. Had they put some thought into the atmosphere I think they would have done well. Go to Fresh Market and you will see what I mean. It just has good energy. This store was just stale. So sorry. Wish… Read more »
LIbbie Market at Ridgfield is great once you get to know it. Maybe it takes too long to do that given shoppers busy lives and all the niche competition nearby. I wish they’d hang in a little longer and promote the store more aggressively. Excellent prepared foods, great beer/wine selection, great butcher/fish station, friendly staff. We will miss them.
You really cant expect them to pour the amount of money you are talking about into the store w/out there being some way to see if the store will stick. So they would be out even more money now w/ probably the same results. I found nothing wrong w/ the decor myself. If people need that they were doomed from the start. Its a shame though.. great deli and bakery.. hot food… incredible meats and seafoods. Thats what I want… good food and good deals. If it is neat and clean, who cares about the rest??
I thought it was doomed from the start too. with SO MANY grocery and specialty grocery stores around, i just thought the market couldnt support it. i mean, i usually shop at martins and trader joes and whole foods. i did find they had several specialty gluten-free and dairy-free foods that are hard to find, and i was pleased – but i probably never spent more than $30 there at a time. it wasnt enough to make me change my regular shopping habits for. still, i thought i could send hubby out there for something in the morning, but he… Read more »