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Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,813 posts, read 34,657,307 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by hertfordshire
I'm not sure the Triad has the population denisty that Wegman's would be looking for.
A well-placed store could bring in enough customers. People travel for Wegmans.
Charlotte is just too far until they pick a 2nd distribution center location. Honestly, Fredericksburg or Raleigh would work, but they need the 2nd distribution center, first.
I'm not sure the Triad has the population denisty that Wegman's would be looking for.
I'm not sure what Wegmans metrics are for new stores to be built, but I grew up in NEPA (Northeastern PA), basically the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton metroplex which as of 2017 has 550,000 people total. And we got two Wegmans one north of Scranton and one in Wilkes-Barre back in 1994, almost 25 years ago, back when the metroplex population was a lot less than 550,000. They might have been the 2nd and 3rd stores outside New York state after Erie, PA got a Wegmans in 1993.
My point being, with 1.4 to 1.6 million in the Triad, unless the stores in NEPA were a fluke back in the 90's, I would hardly say the Triad doesn't have the population density.
Heck, there's a Wegmans in Williamsport, PA, with a whopping 117,000 in their metroplex, that would be equivalent to at least 12 Wegmans in the Triad!
A well-placed store could bring in enough customers. People travel for Wegmans.
Wegmans doesn't want the people who will occasionally travel to shop there. It's not Trader Joes. They want the customers who do their regular every week shopping there. And the Triad just doesn't have the same population as Wake or Mecklenburg.
I'm not sure what Wegmans metrics are for new stores to be built, but I grew up in NEPA (Northeastern PA), basically the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton metroplex which as of 2017 has 550,000 people total. And we got two Wegmans one north of Scranton and one in Wilkes-Barre back in 1994, almost 25 years ago, back when the metroplex population was a lot less than 550,000. They might have been the 2nd and 3rd stores outside New York state after Erie, PA got a Wegmans in 1993.
My point being, with 1.4 to 1.6 million in the Triad, unless the stores in NEPA were a fluke back in the 90's, I would hardly say the Triad doesn't have the population density.
Heck, there's a Wegmans in Williamsport, PA, with a whopping 117,000 in their metroplex, that would be equivalent to at least 12 Wegmans in the Triad!
Yes, but those stores are basically in the back yard of their distribution center. So the expense of transporting all that food isn't as great. They can have those smaller stores in the lower population areas because it costs less.
Yes, but those stores are basically in the back yard of their distribution center. So the expense of transporting all that food isn't as great. They can have those smaller stores in the lower population areas because it costs less.
True, but if the Triangle is getting at least 4 new Wegmans in the near future, I would say that would be equivalent to the Triad getting at least 3 stores, with one in each of the 3 main cities and Mecklenburg County getting at least 4 new Wegmans of their own.
Sure, if they build Distribution Center #2 in southern/mid VA or somewhere in NC, that makes the future possibilities endless in North Carolina. Of course, even if that happens, Wegmans, as many already know, is the slow and steady type with only opening a few new stores each year.
I do my weekly shopping at Trader Joe's - what would be the draw for me to go next door and cheat on Trader Joe's with Wegmans once in a while? (I'm not too familiar with the chain, have gone with my parents but not to do grocery shopping on my own)
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,813 posts, read 34,657,307 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by hertfordshire
Wegmans doesn't want the people who will occasionally travel to shop there. It's not Trader Joes. They want the customers who do their regular every week shopping there. And the Triad just doesn't have the same population as Wake or Mecklenburg.
Did you feel that I was suggesting that they'd build in the middle of nowhere? That's not at all what I was getting at.
It would not seem likely that they're going to Charlotte until they build a 2nd distribution center. After they build in the Triangle, they'll probably build the 2nd distribution center. They could do that & build a store in the Triad, then go to Charlotte & build a 2nd store in the Triad.
If they find enough people for their base, it will be supplemented by people who travel. They're not stupid. They need at least 2 or 3 more stores in the Philadelphia market & they could build more stores in New England. Right now, the distribution center probably wouldn't hold more, but if they open the 2nd distribution center, & shift Virginia stores to it, poof! There's more room for northern stores. As I said, I don't see them opening a lot of stores between North Carolina & Florida, if they decide to go to Florida. But they won't drive right by the Triad & not open stores there.
Right now, the distribution center probably wouldn't hold more, but if they open the 2nd distribution center, & shift Virginia stores to it, poof! There's more room for northern stores. As I said, I don't see them opening a lot of stores between North Carolina & Florida, if they decide to go to Florida. But they won't drive right by the Triad & not open stores there.
It's interesting, I went back to read various articles about them constructing and subsequently expanding their DC in Pottsville. Obviously, their first/main DC was in Rochester where they started, then in 2004 they opened up the 1st phase (100,000 square feet) a produce facility outside Pottsville off of I-81. Next they started shifting stuff to this new DC in Pennsylvania to be used in their ever expanding footprint.
Then in 2007, they opened up the 2nd phase (300,000 square feet) a dry grocery facility next to the produce one, and shifted more stuff from Rochester to Pottsville. Then in 2012 they more than doubled in size with and an additional 500,000 square feet (cost $65 million), which I think they are still at today.
So from 2004 they went from 100,000 square feet to 900,000 square feet in 2012.
I wonder, when and if they build another DC, if they will take a similar approach and start with the produce stuff 1st, the most time sensitive items, then expand from there, or just start with a huge 1,000,000 square foot facility?
If they go big, it will easily cost them over $100 million, I would think and create 500 jobs, for people working there. Something tells me Wegmans with start small, with a smaller investment and keep expanding like they did with Pottsville over 8 years.
I know people hate to talk about corporate welfare, but it will be interesting to see if either Virginia or North Caarolina, throw them some money to build a DC in either state.
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