Richmond, VA (WTVR) -- New data released Monday by Food World Magazine shows Martin's is gaining on Food Lion in the race for the most popular grocery store in the Central Virginia region.
Food Lion holds about 17% of the market share in our area. Martin's is up about six-tenths of a point to 15.8%.
"I think it's an indication that Martin's has sort of weathered the storm of the initial flux association with taking over Ukrop's. It's starting to establish a presence of its own while still maintaining some of that cache that Ukrop's used to have," says Dr. David Urban with VCU's School of Business.
Customers we spoke with say they're drawn to Martin's well-stocked salad bar, selection, and quality service.
"A lot of things you can get cheaper at Walmart or Food Lion or Kroger. But the service is better, the selection is better. So nine times out of 10, I still come to Martins," says local shopper Fallon Blankenship.
It's interesting to note that Food Lion has almost twice as many stores in our region as Martin's but almost the same market share.
Walmart and Kroger ranked third and fourth in market share by Food World Magazine.
