The Martin’s in Dumbarton Square will be closing this summer. Photos by Michael Schwartz.
A 40-year-old shopping center in Henrico County is losing its anchor tenant.
Grocery chain Martin’s announced Tuesday that it plans to close its store at 7129 Staples Mill Road in the Dumbarton Square Shopping Center on July 11.
The decision was made after the store, which is one of Martin’s smaller locations at 34,000 square feet, failed to reach its performance goals, spokesman John MacDonald said.
“It’s always a good practice for businesses, especially retail businesses, to continually look at their performances, look at the store base and make sure they’re strong and meet the expectations that we want,” he said. “Because if they don’t, you get yourself into trouble.”
MacDonald declined to share specifics about the performance goals of the Dumbarton location.
Locally based Dumbarton Properties has owned the shopping center since at least 1986, county records indicate. A representative with the company did not return requests for comment by press time.
Several of the storefronts along the retail strip are vacant.
The 90,000-square-foot shopping center sits on nearly 11 acres and was most recently assessed at $7.5 million. It was built in 1973.
The property has about two dozen storefronts, seven of which were vacant as of Tuesday. Its remaining tenants include a Jazzercise studio, 2M Mediterranean Market & Deli, Shoney’s restaurant and a RadioShack that survived the company’s latest round of closures. Pearle Vision also has a standalone building in the shopping center.
Dumbarton Properties also owns the Staples Mill Shopping Center across from Dumbarton Square. The company handles leasing for both properties.
It is unclear if there are any immediate plans for Martin’s 34,000-square-foot space.
“We do work with our real estate partners and our landlords to make sure that things move forward and that there are tenants to go in those spaces,” MacDonald said.
The Staples Mill Martin’s employs 86 full- and part-time workers. MacDonald said the part-time employees will have options to move to nearby stores, and full-time workers will be able to apply for open full-time positions.
The store was part of the company’s 2010 acquisition of the Ukrop’s grocery chain.
Martin’s continues to operate 22 stores in the Richmond area. The chain most recently opened its latest Richmond location in November on Charter Colony Parkway. Its Bermuda Square location in Chester is due to double its size – from 32,000 to 66,000 square feet – in an upgrade that should be finished in 2016.
There are three other Martin’s locations within a few miles of Dumbarton Square, including locations in the Cross Ridge Shopping Center, Village Shopping Center and on Brook Run Road.
Martin’s also has plenty of competition surrounding Dumbarton. Aldi is planning a new store on Staples Mill Road just up the street next to a Food Lion, and work is ongoing at a new Walmart Neighborhood Market at 5221 Brook Road. A new Kroger Marketplace opened its doors last year, as did Southern Season.
“We believe making this decision is all about making sure we’re competitive in the marketplace and that we’re poised for what we want to do in Richmond – which is grow and have success in the long term,” MacDonald said.
Clarification: A previous version of this article listed an incomplete summary of the size and assessed value of the Dumbarton Square Shopping Center. It is comprised of five parcels that total 10.7 acres, approximately 90,000 square feet of retail space and a total assessed value of $7.5 million.
The Martin’s in Dumbarton Square will be closing this summer. Photos by Michael Schwartz.
A 40-year-old shopping center in Henrico County is losing its anchor tenant.
Grocery chain Martin’s announced Tuesday that it plans to close its store at 7129 Staples Mill Road in the Dumbarton Square Shopping Center on July 11.
The decision was made after the store, which is one of Martin’s smaller locations at 34,000 square feet, failed to reach its performance goals, spokesman John MacDonald said.
“It’s always a good practice for businesses, especially retail businesses, to continually look at their performances, look at the store base and make sure they’re strong and meet the expectations that we want,” he said. “Because if they don’t, you get yourself into trouble.”
MacDonald declined to share specifics about the performance goals of the Dumbarton location.
Locally based Dumbarton Properties has owned the shopping center since at least 1986, county records indicate. A representative with the company did not return requests for comment by press time.
Several of the storefronts along the retail strip are vacant.
The 90,000-square-foot shopping center sits on nearly 11 acres and was most recently assessed at $7.5 million. It was built in 1973.
The property has about two dozen storefronts, seven of which were vacant as of Tuesday. Its remaining tenants include a Jazzercise studio, 2M Mediterranean Market & Deli, Shoney’s restaurant and a RadioShack that survived the company’s latest round of closures. Pearle Vision also has a standalone building in the shopping center.
Dumbarton Properties also owns the Staples Mill Shopping Center across from Dumbarton Square. The company handles leasing for both properties.
It is unclear if there are any immediate plans for Martin’s 34,000-square-foot space.
“We do work with our real estate partners and our landlords to make sure that things move forward and that there are tenants to go in those spaces,” MacDonald said.
The Staples Mill Martin’s employs 86 full- and part-time workers. MacDonald said the part-time employees will have options to move to nearby stores, and full-time workers will be able to apply for open full-time positions.
The store was part of the company’s 2010 acquisition of the Ukrop’s grocery chain.
Martin’s continues to operate 22 stores in the Richmond area. The chain most recently opened its latest Richmond location in November on Charter Colony Parkway. Its Bermuda Square location in Chester is due to double its size – from 32,000 to 66,000 square feet – in an upgrade that should be finished in 2016.
There are three other Martin’s locations within a few miles of Dumbarton Square, including locations in the Cross Ridge Shopping Center, Village Shopping Center and on Brook Run Road.
Martin’s also has plenty of competition surrounding Dumbarton. Aldi is planning a new store on Staples Mill Road just up the street next to a Food Lion, and work is ongoing at a new Walmart Neighborhood Market at 5221 Brook Road. A new Kroger Marketplace opened its doors last year, as did Southern Season.
“We believe making this decision is all about making sure we’re competitive in the marketplace and that we’re poised for what we want to do in Richmond – which is grow and have success in the long term,” MacDonald said.
Clarification: A previous version of this article listed an incomplete summary of the size and assessed value of the Dumbarton Square Shopping Center. It is comprised of five parcels that total 10.7 acres, approximately 90,000 square feet of retail space and a total assessed value of $7.5 million.
This is a move that should have been made even when Ukrop’s owned the store. It was small and never all that clean if you ask me. That’s right. You didn’t ask. But that’s my opinion.
The Martin’s at Dumbarton has provided a place to shop for several neighborhoods that are within walking distance. There will NOT be a grocery store within walking distance. Something that statistics forget are the senior citizens and the low income people living in apartments and have no visible means to get to the new, bigger stores. Across the street, there used to be a Safeway. That building has remained empty maybe 20 years or so. We hope the owner of the property will be able to provide some grocery store type shopping area again. It’s a shame that the new… Read more »