How is Martin’s doing so far?
We’d like to hear from BizSense Nation on how you think Martin’s is faring.
It seems to us that Martin’s is never quite as crowded as Ukrop’s was and that the employees don’t seem as, well, Ukropian, although they still bring your groceries out.
Share your insights in the comments section below.
I was a very loyal Ukrop’s customer (Carytown) and Martin’s (in spite of the fact we share last names) is a huge let down! The first time I went there, shortly after the changeover, I started to reach for the large cart and my wife stopped me and told me to believe her that I was only going to need the small cart. She was right. The produce was not up to the same quality – the whole place reminded me of a Food Lion.
Ukrop’s was a one stop, everything I need, store. Unfortunately, my wife and I end up at multiple stores in order to get what we need. I commute to Yorktown everyday and even go by the local Farm Fresh to get things that Ukrop’s used to carry that no one in Richmond seems to.
I predict that they will be closed within 2 years.
By the way – we turned in our customer cards – I won’t be back!
I shopped at a very old, small store, and all the faces were familiar. Now most of the staff seems to be gone. Did they quit? The replacements are young kids just fooling around, not serious about their jobs, and they don’t even know the basic fundamentals of bagging groceries. Also, the clientele were older people. Now the store is full of sketchy looking characters. Where did they come from? How come they never shopped here before, and now they’re here? The selection of deli meats is less, too.
I don’t do my regular shopping at Martin’s, used to at Ukrops. It seems they are always offering some coupon or discount in their 30 page flyer with all sorts of fine print that is sitting in my mailbox when I get home. I’d rather *GASP* just go to Walmart where I can just pay the price on the shelf (not on one of a thousand tags) and not feel like I paid too much because of some missed coupon.
By the way, an employee told me Ukrops selected the shirts before the sale. I like them. They are bright and clean looking.
Also, the “we reseve the right to search your bags” is a nice welcome from Martins. Right on the front door.
I am not saying that Ukrops was perfect. The customer service had been slacking the last 5 years or so but at least the cashiers/baggers didn’t look like gang members with neck tattoos and baggy pants.
I think their prices are too high. Their prices are higher than what Ukrop’s was. When it was Ukrop’s, I only went in there for the hot food and salad bar – couldn’t afford anything else in there; and that’s pretty much what I’m doing now that it is Martin’s – just shop there for the hot food and salad bar. One thing that really bothers me is that they never have single kaiser rolls available. Now, I have to buy them by the pack when I only want one to go with some tuna or chicken salad from the salad bar. Ukrop’s sometimes was like that as well. but the bakery would individually wrap one for me – they won’t do that at Martin’s (at least not the one on Forest Hill Avenue). I also notice that the staff is not as friendly and the cash registers nearby the hot food and salad bar are always close and I have to walk to the other side of the store just to pay for a salad. That is an inconvenience – especially if I’m planning on eating there (and this again happens at the Forest Hill Avenue store). If they are still serving hot food and the salad bar is still open during store hours, then the cash registers nearby should be open as well – at least one of them. The only thing I can say I do like is the longer hours and being opened on Sundays. That’s about it. I miss seeing a Ukrop standing at the door and greeting you as you come in or going out.
We are 26 year Ukrop shoppers. Martin’s Customer service is poor. Deli wait is long. Produce expensive. Sale items mismarked. Cashier girls have the green shirts hanging out. Where’s Bobby Urop when we need him. Love going to Fresh Market! Classic music, great meat section, great coffee while we shop.
There are only two things I like about Martin’s.
1. They sell beer and wine.
2. They are open on Sunday’s.
The customer service at Martin’s definitely isn’t up to par like the U’Krops employees. Whoever trained the U’Krops employees should get hired to come train the Martin’s staff to make sure the customer experience is an A+. Also, get rid of those hideous green shirts!
Also, the lines don’t seem to move as fast as they did at U’Krops.
Martin’s has complicated my life.
the Ukrops at Stony Point was the only grocery store close by, so I was used to getting most of my basic groceries there, at an irksome high price, and picking up natural foods At Elwoods or Whole Foods.
Now that Martin’s has moved in, they are cheaper on some things, but they don’t have a lot of items I used to get so I have to go searching elsewhere. Their chicken is hideous. I am a frequent griller, and we eat a lot of chicken. First time I put one of theirs on the grill, we could hardly eat it, and won’t again.
Bottom line: we do a lot more shopping at Whole Foods now. It’s fun to go to, the selection of everything is great, and you know the food is fresh and free of toxins. That’s worth the increased cost and the drive.
For staples, we shop wherever it’s convenient, or wherever we know the store has an item we need — that’s the complication.
Sundays – welcome to the 21st century. I also hated needing stuff on Sunday and having to drive afar to find it. Booze – I don’t drink it, but someone else said it really well here that the local grocery store shouldn’t be in the business of making that decision for me.
Their produce department is horrible.
There are big, corporate grocery stores elsewhere in the country that do a lot better. Albertson’s comes to mind. Too bad they don’t operate over here.
I think they are a far cry from Ukrops and thats the Ukrops that had let go and was not in my opinion the Ukrops of glory days….I had stopped shoping at Ukrops gave Martins a try and won’t even go there for an over priced salad from the undermanned salad bar….Its Kroger for me
Don’t like Martin’s. Short and simple. Too many sale tags, hideous green shirts, employees not the same and rude/disinterested, and worst of all, they don’t sell Honeycomb cereal!!
As mentioned above (by a few posters), traffic is definitely lighter at Martin’s than Ukrops. I was NOT a loyal Ukropian (in fact we do most of our grocery shopping at Wal-Mart). But, you could always count on Ukrops to be fresh, consistent, clean and run like a tight ship. I think those are important considerations for many people. Martins? Not so. As mentioned, the green sale tags on everything arejust ridiculous. You never know if you are getting a bargain or getting screwed. Here’s a little peeve – you have to manually sign your credit card receipt instead of being able to do it on the screen (or not have to sign at all like Kroger). As far as taking groceries out to the car, I could care less (actually would prefer just the opposite) but I don’t understand how they can have less traffic than Ukrops yet it takes longer to get through the line?
I probably shop at Kroger 90% of the time, specifically for the 5% Senior Discount on Tuesdays.
However, I patronize Martins when I stock up on certain store-brand staples — Giant bread products, frozen fruits, and soy milk considerably underprice Kroger’s. Also, the free antibiotics at Martin’s pharmacy are great!
I agree that “Martins green” is a horrible color, but it won’t keep me out of the store if there are bargains to be had.
Martin’s definitely seems to be losing customers. I usually shop at Gayton Crossing and the Martin’s parking lot is always empty while the Kroger next door always has a good crowd in it. At least at the Westpark and Gayton Crossing stores, the atmosphere appears lifeless.I shop mainly at Kroger and they have really seemed to have a larger focus on customer service and prepared foods over the last year or so and I suspect it is helping sales. Martin’s still seems more expensive than Kroger for many of my family’s staples.
I think there are several factors that have negatively impacted Martin’s. Prior to their sale, Ukrops was already losing customers to Kroger, Food Lion and Wal-Mart on the lower end and Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Fresh Market, Tom Leonards on the higher end, not to mention Costco, Sam’s and BJ’s. Further, Food Lion and Kroger have spent A LOT of money improving their stores, attracting new customers in the process. Kroger has also constructed a few new stores from the ground up that have a bit of a “wow” factor and their gas program is a big draw.
As someone alluded to earlier, the closing of the stores for the conversion of the stores to Martin’s allowed more loyal customers to see what other options were out there and I suspect some customers determined there are better options.
Lastly (congrats if you have stuck with me this long) I think Martin’s was hamstrung somewhat in converting the existing stores. Several of the existing Ukrops are smaller and older than what Martin’s probably wants (Carytown, Sycamore Square, Gayton) and other stores just didn’t have the floorplan to satisfy Martin’s needs, most notably they have had to squeeze in the beer/wine and self-service scans and they had to work around the very large area Ukrops reserved for their prepared foods. I imagine Martin’s has not worked out all of their kinks but based on reading these comments and my expereince, they better hurry up and figure out how to make it work.
For Richmond sake, I was glad to see someone in these store rather than see them empty. But, that’s not likely to last long. The “Giant” brand (bid purchased food?) is everywhere present. Ukrop’s had its brand, but we had trust, and it wasn’t shoved at you so hard. Had to look all over to find Sara Lee hot dogs buns. Not on bread isle. Giant! Giant! Giant! as far as the eye can see! Sarah Lee on kiosk in deli aisle. Kroger has its brand (I wouldn’t buy), but plenty of name brand choices to pick instead. Produce was getting terrible at Ukrop’s and cost cutting in service, variety and store moral was blatant, but no better at Martins. 5 cent per item fuel perks will be missed. Saved a lot on gas. Have to side with comments above, Kroger is here, and is here to take it all. Shopped Ukrop’s like a cult follower, but let’s be real, Kroger has our attention and will win out in the end. Thanks, Bobby and James for extending the down home shopping experience established by Joe for so long. We will miss you all. PS, the green shirts have to go! LOL
Wow – I would hate to be the company that has to make this group happy! I like Martin’s. I’ve found a number of things very positive:
1. they kept the Ukrop’s kitchen items, so I still feel like I’m shopping at a store I know.
2. their prices are less expensive than Ukrop’s – I’ve found this on bags of salad, soup, spaghetti sauce, orange juice and a number of other items.
3. seafood – they have some crab and salmon cakes in the seafood section that are terrific and very affordable
4. they have a bigger selection of items
5. they are open on Sunday, which is a convenience much appreciated
6. they seem to have a number of promotions with their vendors, which means lower prices
I also think they tried to be very discreet about the beer and wine, by putting it towards the back of the store.
Sure, it’s not Ukrop’s, but let’s give them a chance.
By the way, this was not really a fair “survey” when the question also included negative comments about the store not being as crowded & the employees not being so Ukropian. Try to be fair- let your readers offer their comments and don’t prejudice them ahead of time.
I am very disappointed with Martin’s. They had a fantastic opportunity to immediately capture a strong customer base yet they have on multiple occasions failed to deliver. I have asked on 2 separate visits about a particular item, I used to purchase, and was promised a call from the person in charge of ordering to see if it would be possible to get. I was prepared to switch brands as I realize Martin’s has different relationships, but to not receive a call was disturbing. The real kicker came the second time when the on duty manager apologized for the missed call and assured me a call this time……Still Waiting!!
I do miss the smiling faces of the employees. There seems to be a definite shift in enthusiasm. The strange thing is some of the employees are former Ukrops employees. It is a shame that the green shirt they wear is the brightest thing I see.
Good Luck to Martin’s, but I have taken my business elsewhere.
From all the hype we received on how great Martin’s would be and how it would go from where Ukrop’s left off, I have been very disappointed. I always shopped at Ukrop’s even though Kroger was closer. Now I will not go out of my way to go to Martin’s and generally go to Kroger.
The attitude of the staff is not what it was at Ukrop’s.
By the way, I could care less about what color the shirts are.
Well this article proves a good point: You give Richmonders a forum to bitch and whine, and they will take you up on it in spades. Surely many of you remember all the horrible comments in the Richmond Times Dispatch’s online forums when it was announced the chain had been sold. Everybody was complaining about the lack of alcohol, the lack of Sunday hours, the quality of the meat….Oh the horrors!!
After reading all these comments, you folks really need to take a deep look at yourselves. “It has complicated my life”…..”I have to physically sign my credit card receipt”……”I don’t like the green shirts” ….. Oh, the horrors again!!
Really, people? I hope no one from outside of town is reading this, as these responses are an embarrassment to our fine City.
For all you folks that have SUCH a problem with Martins, please don’t shop there. Besides, you’re probably the same ones holding me up at the checkout line when you write a paper check. 1982 called and they want their currency back! Let capitalism work its magic, and let the market forces sort out the winners from the losers. I guess Bizsense opened up the can of worms by asking for your feedback. It’s about time you heard from a voice of reason though.
I do see some positives for Martin which include, lower prices, better meats than Ukrops, open on Sunday, Ukrops bakery and deli items, and sell beer and wine. The negatives are: less selection of products, poor selection of produce (and poor quality), aggravating price saving tags on everything (could do without that), and poor service. I did, just recently, go to Food Lion for my week’s shopping — the total was higher for much less. Food Lion has even less selection than Martins. Martins is the better choice.
I do my grocery shopping on Sundays and now that Martin’s is open on Sunday, I actually do go into the store. Years ago, I also would have only shopped in a store if it I could also pick up a six-pack, and that also contributed to my lack patronage at Ukrops. I like Martin’s. There are few items that I enjoy that Ukrop’s did not carry that Martin’s does and since they are open on the day that I shop, I can price check between Martin’s and Kroger circulars and take advantage of both chains’ loss leaders. When Martin’s came to town, my grocery store of choice moved to Carytown because I can now go to both a well-kept Kroger and a nicely arranged Martin’s in one trip.
We were faithful Ukrops clientele. We rarely go to Martins. We miss the managers at the front who were friendly problem solvers. We miss the freshly made peanut butter. We miss the local foods which Ukrops supplied. Now we try to get our produce from the farmers markets and the Farm to Family store on Mechanicsville so the change has not been all bad.
The salad bar at the Staples Mill/Glenn Side location has old veggies and fruit. Their eggs in the breakfast area were not cooked properly 2 mornings in a row. I bought salad dressing from the produce section on a Thursday, when I got home, I realized it expired the very next day. Long lines.
John Rolfe Ukrop’s. HORRID!!!! Ran in there the other day in a rush and needed a roast beef (any cut) to put in for a crock pot meal.. THEY HAD ZERO ROAST BEEF OF ANY CUT… CAN YOU BELIEVE A GROCERY STORE WOULD NOT HAVE ROAST BEEF. I ASKED THE ‘MEAT PERSON’ WHO I HAD TO ASK A DELI PERSON TO GO BEHIND CLOSED DOORS TO GET HIM BECAUSE I HAD NO RESPONSE WITH RINGING THE BELL. HE FINALLY CAME SLOUCHING OUT AND I WAS INFORMED THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY ROAST BEEF AND PERHAPS HE COULD GET ME ONE ANOTHER DAY. I NEEDED IT FOR THE NEXT MORNING TO PUT IN THE CROCK POT. HELLO WHAT GROCERY STORE DOES NOT HAVE ANY CUT OF ROAST BEEF. THEN WHEN I CALLED THE MANAGER REGARDING THE NEXT DAY, THE MEAT PERSON LIED AND STATED THAT I ASKED FOR A SPECIFIC CUT TO COVER HIS REAR END. PREFERRED FOODS DEPARTMENT FOLKS WILL NOT WEAR GLOVES OR HAIR NETS, WAS TOLD BY THE PRODUCE PERSON WHEN I ASKED FOR FRESH CORN ON THE COB IN PEAK SEASON TO GO GET IT OFF OF THE DISPLAY… THE DISPLAYED CORN WAS ALMOST GONE AND WHAT WAS LEFT WAS BROWN. I RECEIVED ATTITUDE WHEN I TOLD THE GIRL THAT I WANTED FRESH CORN AND WOULD NOT PURCHASE THEIR DISGUSTING PRODUCE. I TURNED AND WALKED AWAY. I WILL NOT … I REPEAT I WILL NOT SHOP AT A MARTIN’S STORE ANY WHERE AT ANY TIME.. CUSTOMER SERVICE “HOTLINE” PATHETIC….. CANNOT GET AROUND THE AUTOMATED PHONE SYSTEM. AND NO I DO NOT WANT TO PUSH 1 TO SPEAK ENGLISH…. WHERE IS THE LOCAL VIRGINA PRODUCE… SUPPORTING VIRGINIA FARMERS??????????????????????????????????? WHERE ARE THE VIRGINA HAMS???????????????? SUPPORTING LOCAL VIRGINIA.
OH AND BY THE WAY RICHMONDERS DO NOT LIKE ATTITUDES AND SPINNING HEADS….WE LIKE A LITTLE SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY
Martins… has the same look, feel, sound, and “associates”, as Beg a Bargain Walmart!
Go away Martins…. Welcome Wagmens and Harris Teeter.
Martins, Can you hear us Richmond Folks Now??????
Don’t I feel like the odd man out. I like Martins much better than when Ukrops ran the stores and shop the Carytown store more often than when it was run by Ukrops…I prefer the Kroger store in Carytown. I think Ukrops waited to long to sell. Maybe they got what they wanted, but think they would have done better five years ago. Like I said, I prefer Krogers, but shopped both stores, and in the past was an exclusive Ukrops shopper. It just seemed than they got stale over their last years of operation.
What a mess !!! Clearly, not the same store and as someone else suggested, they are now more like the other “chains” than we Ukrop’s brought to our community. It is clear with the lack of customers in the store (at any time) that others feel the same way. Filling the shoes of Ukrop’s was a tall order and possibly a REAL BAD MOVE !!!
One positive note: Martin’s Giant (house brand) pastrami is better than more expensive brands.
People like Catherine are why I do my grocery shopping at off-peak hours.
Some of us “people” do not have the luxury of shopping at off-peak hours do to work schedules. Martin’s should understand that and have quality products readily available and time of the day on any given day that they are open……and come on… what grocery store would not have a roast of any cut in the entire store… … even during peak hours… get real
Catherine, I do my shopping off peak not because of product availability, I do it because I want to avoid the obviously crazed people who I see yelling at grocery clerks because they are out of a product. It is a fact of like that sometimes stores run out of things, just relax and move on. At some point in my life UKrops, Martin’s, Food Lion and Kroger have all been out of something I needed. I remained calm and went to another store to pick up my items. Grocery stores do not stock unlimited amounts of products. Maybe a caterer had to run in at the last minute and bought them out of their roasts? Any number of things could have happened, there’s no need to completely flip out.
I am disappointed with Martins Super Market. The meat isn’t of the quality that Ukrops formerly sold, I have had to take back meat a couple of times because it was brown or gray underneath where it wasn’t visible on purchase. The store where I shop also seems to have developed a bad odor, which is not a good sign for any food outlet. I always shopped at Ukrops in the past, and was keeping an open mind about Martin’s, but I think it’s time to maybe take my business over to Kroger.
Great feedback! I was a loyal Kroger shopper for years, going back to the Hannaford days at the Carytown store. I switched to the Ukrops right across the street because Kroger stopped carrying one item that I bought quite a bit of week after week. I always found the service and product selection at the Carytown Ukrops to be very good, and the price differences were not that great. Overall I found the shopping experience to be more pleasant. Honestly I’ve grown more and more frustrated with Kroger as it grew larger……when I go into a store for groceries I don’t want to have to fight my way through aisles of patio furniture, grills, small kitchen appliances and other seasonal items to get my groceries! That said, my opinion of Martins so far is lackluster also. The Carytown store was revamped just enough to make me feel like I was in a newer store but not completely lost. I also agree that the staff attitude has become very much like the other grocers in the area. I do track their weekly specials closer and their pricing on those is very, very good. My biggest complaint is that the tend to be out of “core” items very often, not the sale items. I’ve got considerable retail experience and the golden rule is you’re never out of your core items! I attributed it at first to supply, logistics problems as they were ramping up, but it still continues. Like others have said, I’ll be curious to see how this all plays out for them.
the only reason I still shop at Martins is the smaller store, I’ve been shopping at Sycamore Square since they openend. I like a small store, but agree with most everything being said. The produce is awful, many products are different and even the birthday cakes (pound) are not as tall as before. I do not see as many former employees and the new ones do not seem to be up to par with the Ukrops employees. I enjoyed going to a store that the employees took pride in the way they looked and served their customers. If I want to see tatoos and piercings I’ll go to walmart. What a shame. I would rather have a more upscale grocery store. I might mention the Martin snoops that walk around are not even friendly. This is Richmond,va….southern hospitality, please.
Another big issues with me is why did they have to move EVERYTHING to a different location in the store? I see more Giant brand than national brands and that is a big turnoff not to mention that we are not supporting another country with our money. The Netherlands, yep that’s where the home company for Giant is. Isn’t that nice?
Martin’s won’t last. I don’t know one person whom is impressed with store after giving them the benefit of the doubt. Wow! My first impression was gee wiz are these people on dope? My second impression was not good as it appears they don’t seem to carry all products they advertise like a name brand sale item,but they will give you a limited time rain check on the item they don’t shelve.
That was my last visit. My daughter enjoyed the convenience at first as they are “none too busy” but then “none too helpful”. After her last purchase finding 3 expired items including SMELLY expired meat,she is never shopping there again.Hey,could you make the isle a little smaller….maybe this is why they can’t carry too many name brand products on their shelves…..generic is one thing but …
Green light,green light,green light……as I pass by the registers…..green use to be my favorite color.At least you can always find an employee in GREEN, not that many can talk out of circles. Confused on one of our visits by the contradiction and garble of one cashier….we walked out saying what the heck was she talking about….thanks for nothing,LOL!
It appears Martins has put so much pressure on their employees, that they are stressed out and no longer treat their customers with courtesy, and respect. martins needs to realize that this is the South, not Pennysylvania, and address this market differently.
I have to agree with the majority of the respondents: Martin’s grade for the first semester: F!
As many loyal Ukrop’s shoppers did, I tried to give Martin’s a fair chance to live up to their predecessor; however, Martin’s came up short in every category. The meat department and produce sections lack fresh, quality items, not to mention knowledgeable personnel. On a recent trip to the Stony Point store, there was no stew meat. The “butcher” didn’t know what stew beef was, but reluctantly agreed to cut up some tenderloin beef, even though he doesn’t eat beef stew himself. The produce department forgets to wash the dirt and mud off the vegetables or to remove the spoiled and wilted items from the display. The deli runs out of the rotisserie chicken often; something that never happened at Ukrop’s. On a Saturday morning, there were more employees than customers; a fact that speaks volumes about the dissatisfaction with Martin’s overall. There were several “suits” from corporate headquarters that day who openly discussed personnel issues in front of customers. On another visit, I picked up a gift certificate from the display for a friend’s birthday present. When I asked the cashier to load the money onto the card, it turned out that the card wasn’t recognized by Martin’s, because it had been part of Ukrop’s inventory. Inexcusable! And finally, there are the surly “courtesy” clerks, who lack personality and people skills, who dress sloppily and don’t seem to care about their appearance, especially their hair. The only positive aspect about Martin’s is that they still sell the Ukrop’s Kitchen foods. Unless Martin’s second semester grade improves, that franchise will fail for the year and have to make way for a REAL upscale store, such as Harris Teeter, which has been successful in other areas of Virginia for years. Until then, I’ll shop at the Midlothian Kroger, The Fresh Market, Trader Joe’s, Good Foods Grocery, or Ellwood Thompson, where I can rely on fresh meats and produce and real customer service.
Nancy, you hit the nail on the head! Now for my 2 cents. On two separate occasions, I went to the store at Sycamore Square, looking for specific items. When, on both occasions, I couldn’t find what I wanted, I went to customer service. After a hollaring match, between two employees at opposite ends at the front of the store, one saying to ask “Joe”; the other hollaring back ” ‘Joe’ isn’t here. He left the store.”, the conclusion was that the items in question were not carried by Martins. These items were mascara and pantyhose. Pardon me??? And with no CVS or similar store in this shopping center, one would think items like this would be stocked. On another occasion, I went to the store on Midlo Trpk, across from Chesterfield Town Ctr, looking for limes. None to be found. Asked an employee who was stocking produce. “Uhhh, we’re out.” I left my cart and walked out. I can go on and on about other issues. Bottomline, I emailed the corporate office 3 times regarding this and the other incidents — rudiness, incompetancy, etc. I received one response addressing the employee issues. The only reason I will set foot in another Martins is to buy White House rolls and other Ukrops brand items. Fresh Market, Trader Joes and Whole Foods are top on my list. I just wish Trader Joes and Whole Foods would open stores south of the river, but I’m not complaining. At least Richmond now has them. Only if Harris Teeter would come to Richmond …..