Giant Food Inc. announced that two of its stores in the D.C. area will close this spring, but the region is scheduled for an onslaught of new stores, particularly those catering to a more upscale clientele. Giant will close its Riverdale Plaza location in Prince George’s County and its Turnpike Plaza location in Fairfax, along with three Baltimore stores, this April.
The chain is closing the branches because they are small, older stores that weren’t worth the investment to upgrade, Giant spokesman Barry Scher said Tuesday.
The company, however, will open four larger stores in the D.C. area by the end of the year, Scher said, declining to specify their locations.
Grocery store development in D.C. proper can be a challenge for grocers because of a lack of available parking at potential locations, said Craig Muckle, public affairs manager for Safeway’s eastern region.
Safeway, the area’s second-largest chain behind Giant, will open up a new store at Fifth and K streets in Northwest in the next 12 to 14 months, he said. That location will feature underground parking.
“At the end of the day, people in the city need groceries as much as people do in the suburbs, and we’re trying to fill that need,” Muckle said.
Big-box stores in the region, such as Giant and Safeway, have faced competition from ever-expanding gourmet grocery retailers.
Harris Teeter will open a Capitol Hill location in the fall and one in the former Citadel Building in the Kalorama neighborhood this spring, spokeswoman Jennifer Panetta said Tuesday. Harris Teeter also will open two locations in Arlington this year and a third in Herndon.
Wegmans is also expanding further into Maryland and Virginia. The chain plans to move into Prince William and Prince George’s counties, said spokeswoman Jo Natale, with a Woodbridge store opening next year and branches in Landover and Lake Manassas opening at a later date.
Whole Foods also will open a Chevy Chase location soon, according to the retailer’s Web site.
Muckle noted that Safeway has been upgrading the interior of all of its locations and emphasizing produce and healthier food to compete in the crowded market.
