http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stor...18/daily12.html

Didn't it JUST open? Like, within the year?

I went there once, because I was always intrigued by the Bloom concept (and their bizarro commercials) but I didn't want to try the Food-Lion-conversion-Bloom by Karate Bagels, and this one was the first built-new Bloom near us. I liked it, but as the article says, we are an oversaturated grocery market. I already have to go to Harris Teeter, Giant, and Wegmans to get specific things I want... I'm not going to throw another grocery store into the mix unless it really does differentiate itself somehow. And the scan-as-you-shop concept wasn't enough for me.

And there is another HT being built at intersection of Hay/BRR! No wonder why they closed.

it was only open 15 months! Make it a bowling alley already... enough with the grocery stores!

We went there a few times when we were over at Ledo's and wanted to pick something up. It was nice enough, but not that large and didn't have a ton of selection. The prepared foods section was decent and cheaper than Wegmans. The times we were in it, there was NEVER anybody there--so I'm not at all surprised. In fact, I have no idea what they were thinking in the first place. It isn't like it was a secret that Wegmans was going into Leesburg--that was announced a long time ago--and that new Wegmans is very close to Belmont Greene.

I think even the new Wegmans is underperforming--we now go there almost exclusively because its never crowded. On a Sunday evening we practically have the place to ourselves.

I worry that Harris Teeter has massively overexpanded--think of what their real estate/construction costs must be--and the whole chain is going to go belly up one of these days leaving us screwed. I think ours, Stonebridge and Landsdowne do okay, but that Broadlands South store can't be doing very well, and I can't even fathom who is going to go to the new one.

I hope Ledo's is doing okay up there--they might be hurt by Bloom closing.

Great to know. We still go to the Waxpool one. Thanks for the heads-up.

Well, okay--I guess you can. But not too many others, okay! Let's keep it that way!

I won't tell anyone

I'm going to Re-Tweet this...

It seemed to be doing just fine when we went just after the holidays. There were plenty of full tables.



I still go to the Dulles one. I didn't care for the layout of the Leesburg store. I couldn't find stuff I normally buy at Wegmans. Though do not get me started on Dulles' rearranging the frozen food section.

I think it is true that both stores don't carry the exact same things--which is a little strange. For instance, no prepared salads at Leesburg (for some reason).

But for the most part, my wife has gotten used to the Leesburg layout (which is fairly similar to the Fairfax store btw) and it gradually becomes second nature too. I had the same experience going to the Broadlands HT--which is the reverse of ours--but I'm sure if I went there enough, I'd adjust.

+1
Prefer Dulles store though Leesburg came in handy during the holidays.

Whenever you post that you went to Weg's, I always picture you dashing through the store running, skidding around corners and tossing things into your basket like you're in one of those game shows. I don't know how you do your weekly shopping in 30 minutes. Even if this image is way off base, please don't correct me. It makes me happy.

I made the mistake of going into the Target next to Wegmans on Columbus day. It was around 3. I was traveling west on waxpool and turned right on Pacific. By the time I noticed the traffic attempting to exit Pacific, it was too late. I avoided that complex durring the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years holidays. I never thought it would be like that on Columbus Day. I will think twice next time I want to go to that shopping center.

Been there done that (a couple of times).....that point of no return TURN

I love Supermarket Sweep. I would totally win that show.

I love Supermarket Sweep! Is that show still on?

Thank you so much for giving me a hearty laugh today. It's not too far off. Only kidding. I actually tend to park the cart at the end of the aisle down that horizontal aisle midway through the store and then walk up and down the aisle to get what I need. I do this because at the hour I shop, you have to dodge the guys stocking the shelves and the aisles are usually full of handtrucks stacked with boxes and boxes. It's sad but I now know pretty much all the stockers by sight; they're each assigned a specific aisle. We often say hello to each other. I also see the same cashiers and know which ones to avoid. I'm amazed I can do the shopping in 30 minutes considering I have to read every label of every item of processed food I buy; shopping the produce and meat sections is easier. I think the week before last, I managed to do my shopping in about 25 minutes. I got to Weggies at 11:20 and was at the checkout no later than 11:45. What's also great about shopping at that hour is that I can usually bag my own groceries. I prefer that.

Oh the reason I don't like the Leesburg Weggie's layout is because the flow of the store is broken up by having the seasonal/cleaning products/sundry aisles smack in the middle of the food aisles. It goes prepared foods, produce, organic section and then boom you have suddenly have health and beauty and cleaning supplies, and then you get the frozen cases and then more aisles of food (which are arranged weirdly).

i agree with you about the layout. i won't go back. also the small parking lot is a nightmare with people circling. You have to park in the garage sometimes and i don't like how they designed the parking. Should have made it one big lot like the Dulles Wegmans

I've thought the samething.. way to many Harris Teeters. I have this dream that they will close and Whole Foods will replace them. Wishful thinking.

Someone on the Broadlands board (in their thread on the closing of the store) posted that they had contacted Whole Foods, which replied that the area is saturated with supermarkets so they are not considering an Ashburn location. Another posted wrote that an employee at Trader Joe's said the store is planning a Loudoun location in Ashburn (they thought).

does anyone else find it strange that there's no local (by local I mean LoCo not DC Metro) coverage of the stores being closed, the restaurant row going away? leesburg today has no article, the washingtonpost LoCo page has nothing... just like the Osama thing- noooo one is reporting on the bad things hapening in Ashburn. why???

Bunch of Pollyannas...

Honestly, I don't need a Whole Foods here. It is too pricey and too specialty focused for me. Anything that I would want from there, I can usually pick up in Wegman's Natural Foods Section. Even when I lived in Falls Church, I really only went there b/c the produce anywhere else is miserable.

Now, a Trader Joes, on the other hand, would be AWESOME. They have great products, especially pantry and frozen foods, that I can't get anywhere else and they have great prices.

I do agree, there are too many Harris Teeters out this way, but really, in the scheme of things, Harris Teeter is honestly a delight, especially when compared to the grocery stores in FFX County/Arlington, etc. I mean, Safeway and most Giant Foods are DISMAL. And, Shoppers is downright disgusting.

Because most of this media is controlled by Democrats and all this closing will prove how bad they are doing. The proposed tax rate is about 1.41 and Fauquier is trying to keep theirs at $0.76.5 so we will have the highest tax rate in northern Virginia and you wonder why we can't attract businesses and many are closing by the hour. Loudoun will be closed for business for the third year in a row which means our current board has raised taxes substantially for three years in a row. Loudoun again is closed for business. http://www.tooconservative.com/?p=6236

Our new Global Market has unbelievable fresh quality produce at the far best prices anywhere around here.

The Leesburg Today website had an article about the Bloom.

missed that- thanks! but the bigger story IS that failing rstaurant row... did i miss a story on that too?

that's ridiculous- plenty of bizzes closed when repubs held the reigns.

Just FYI, Fauquier isn't Northern Virginia. Besides, why not cite Giles County which is only $0.52? Obviously if Giles county can be at $0.52, so can Loudoun.

(Giles County info from http://gilescounty.org/treasurer/abouttaxes.html)

The dems came into office because they said they can fix it and Miller and McG have done nothing except to raise taxes, Talk about economic development Miller said at his totally useless budget meeting I attended he knew nothing of the deal between George Mason and Van Metre apparently they don't trust him and that is in Millers own district and neighbor hood. Second he spent a lot of time running for Rust's seat and lost instead of doing his job and BOS further he is going to run for that seat again. Instead he got the kid magnet Fairfield development approved on shellhorn and ashburn village dr. Ans d the proffer was a road to nowhere and two lights that will make traffic even worse. Miller has done nothing for this county except try to fast track his own selfish personal political agenda by carpet bagging into Rusts district to run and LOSE against him a little over a year as BOS. I voted for Miller to do his job on the BOS not further his personal agenda and He plans to run against Rust again. And don't get me started to who I call Millers boss McGimsey. Both need to go in the next election. And McGimsey has yet to explain how she could profit handsomely on the energy policy she passed by railroading thru Loudoun without hardly no public review and comment. She did this with Millers help. Most companies do not need a energy policy most are already doing everything they can going green because it makes them more profitable in the long run. We don't need another government agency telling us how to work and live. It is being done way before the government got involved with Potential for McGimsey and her cronies to profit handsomely form Loudouns new energy policy.

OK fair enough I change it to the dc area which goes into west Virginia.

hmm. and this has WHAT to do with no reporting on the business closures around here again...?

why don't you start an "I hate Miller" thread lee! lol

i can't see the connection between my question and your rant, regardless of any valid points that may be nestled in there...

new emoticon!! i LIKE it!

Simple girl our BOS and planning commissioners don't do their job right it hurts business in general. Raising taxes causes higher rents . Not getting enough class A businesses in here pushed the tax burden on the people that live here. So they can't go out as much. Raising taxes to the highest rate in the DC area will cause businesses elsewhere so less people from those non existent businesses to go to our local businesses to eat and shop. There are plenty of I hate Miller and McGimsey threads out their on the internet. I don't hate Miller just disappointed in him especially his running for another office almost immediately after he took his first office on the BOS instead of doing his job he was elected for. Approving children magnet developments and getting horrible proffers in return. Spending time on things like enrgy etc instead of totally focusing on the budget and getting more business into the county and fixing our roads. Instead we are losing business and the roads are no better or worse since he is in office.

All this relates why we are losing business

Oh to answer your question the local media seems to be pro Dems so they don't want to hurt the Dems while they are in charge like how many businesses are closing under their watch. Actually on the local blogs and twitter there is a lot of discussion on our closing businesses and our deteriorating of quality of life in Loudoun.

I wouldn't mind a Whole Foods because there are still some allergy items that I cannot find at Wegmans and I can't get the unbleached wax paper sandwich bags I like there either. However, most of Whole Foods is not safe for Fanlet. I just loathe dealing with that small Reston store. I like TJs too and there are a few items we can get for Fanlet there.

My parents love Harris Teeter (or Harris Tweeter as my mom calls it). It's much nicer than their supermarkets and the prices are a bit better than CT. I do think it's cleaner than many local stores. However, for some reason, the produce is just not as good as the Harris Teeters I shopped at in Arlington.

Not for nothing, but Fairfax's tax burden on businesses isn't a whole lot less in aggregate than Loudoun - since Fairfax's Business Property Tax (like Personal Property Tax, but for business) is almost 10% higher than Loudoun's ($4.57 in Fairfax vs. $4.20 in Loudoun). Real Estate tax is a little bit lower in Fairfax ($1.15 vs. $1.245), but that doesn't tell the whole story.

Fairfax has been able (because of their huge tax base) to provide a LOT of incentives for businesses to move there. Loudoun just doesn't have the cash to go toe-to-toe with Fairfax.

So while I don't disagree with you that Loudoun has been hurt by missing out on larger businesses, it's not as simple as you're making it out to be - that Loudoun is "closed for business" with it's enormous taxes. In fact, for most businesses, it's likely considerably cheaper to be in Loudoun rather than Fairfax. Rent is WAY,WAY,WAY lower (so you're not directly paying the Property Tax that you keep harping on - even though at least in some part passed along in rent costs) and tangible property tax is non trivially lower.

I would say the combination of poor infrastructure and it's more rural reputation are the bigger reasons for the overall lack of business in Loudoun compared to Fairfax, rather than taxes.

Went to Bloom on Saturday. All sales are final at 30% off. Beer is not on sale. They are still taking coupons. The shelves are starting to look bare but I was able to find $30 worth of groceries.

Maybe they all went out of business also! Now they just rerun articles from last year on the metro and the baseball stadium.