Helen Suter was at the Safeway at 8 a.m. Tuesday. She wanted to make sure she got some groceries before she got all dirty from gardening. It would normally not be a big deal, except that in this case, Suter was one of the first shoppers to visit the newly renovated Hollin Hall Safeway.
The store re-opened Tuesday morning with a ribbon cutting by Safeway managers, Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerald Hyland and local civic association presidents.
"I've lived here 40 years, I'm a big Safeway fan," said Suter.
In his opening remarks, Hank Cominiello, vice-president of retail operations, remarked how much they appreciated the loyalty of their customers. "You could see the shift from this store to other Safeway stores, dollar for dollar. It was unprecedented," he said.
After being closed for renovation, neighbors were excited to have their old store back. Only their old store now has a new facelift including new flooring, new shelving and new refrigerated cases. The check stands are new and more compact, so that there is now more room in the front of the store.
ALL OF THE specialty departments have been upgraded, including the produce, seafood, meat and floral departments. The deli is now full-service, with more room for fresh sandwiches to be prepared. The wine section has been consolidated and expanded in one long aisle. New cases have been installed for the dairy section, making it easier both for shopping and stocking.
Even the parking lot has been repaved. Store Manager Bill Lowe said that they will be having promotions all week; one lucky winner will win $100 a week for the year. He also apologized for the misspelling on the promotional materials that were mailed out to customers; it was sent from their corporate office.