Carytown & Museum District News Events in Richmond Virginia, West of the Boulevard

July 18, 2008

7 Comments.

1. Whole Foods sucks.

   Actually, it doesn’t suck, but people should still support Ellwood Thompson’s even when the giant arrives.

   Sam @ July 18th, 2008 at 9:08 am

2. It will be in the hinterlands of short pump anyway, does it not defeat the purpose to drive 20 minutes through traffic to get there as opposed to walking 6 blocks to ET. I do not know that I would go unless other critical errands took me through its parking lot.

   Fiona @ July 18th, 2008 at 10:14 am

3. I’m more worried about the people who drove from Short Pump to ET’s because there were no other options out there. They’ll definitely stop shopping at ETs.

   Sam @ July 18th, 2008 at 11:27 am

4. ET’s is dreadfully overpriced for many items when compared to similar operations in the DC metro area. Not only in that regard but in regard to their “local” produce. Anyone who has gone to the Byrd House or Hanover farmers markets will know that produce offered by a Montpelier based producer is 50-75% higher than at ET’s.

   I fully understand that ET is a business and therefore must mark up prices compared to the producer but markups of that magnitude steers me away from buying much there any longer.

   Bud Tugly @ July 21st, 2008 at 1:23 pm

5. I work at Ellwoods and I can tell you several of the local farms charge us, a retailer, what they charge for retail at their own farm stands. (Not all of the local farmers do this but there are a few.) We buy produce at the price farmers request and then price it for our store in a way that allows us to pay employees and keep the lights on. Not everyone can go to the farmers’ markets, but they still want to buy local produce, so Ellwoods offers it. We are trying to do the right thing by supporting local farmers and our customers. We don’t mark the prices up beyond standard retail guidelines - if we sold it for much less, there would be no Ellwood Thompson’s because we couldn’t stay in business.

   As for other stores in DC charging less, are you serious? Everything in DC is more expensive. Not to be a whiner, but ET does the best that it can as a local independently owned business. We don’t have the buying power of Whole Foods, Ukrops, Kroger or Giant (in DC).

   As the “little guy” we’re always looking for ways to compete on the basis of cost/pricing and still offer the best organic and local items available.

   Ellwood's employee @ July 28th, 2008 at 5:49 pm

6. You know not of what you speak saying “everything is more expensive in DC”. Not true. One can buy far better seafood and in far greater variety at the Maine Ave fish market, at the Eastern Market fish monger and at costs well below those in Richmond. Slavin’s, an NYC Fulton Fish market wholesaler for many years, had a retail outlet just of I395 in Alexandria. It was also a transfer point for fish, shellfish, etc coming from the south and lobsters, etc coming from the north. The northbound trucks drove straight through Richmond on their trip north. The variety of offerings their in the retail outlet puts any fish monger in Richmond to shame.

   As for paying “retail” prices from growers, wh not? Should ET or any other re-seller take all of the markup and profit margin from growers as well?

   Nice try but independent retailers such I the one I dealt with in Alexandria for many things still beat ET all hollow. Perhaps there is more competition in Alexandria but I’ll stick to my guns on food and produce being far more varied and in many cases lower then ET,Ukrop, Kroger or Food Lion.

   Bud Tugly @ July 30th, 2008 at 7:48 am

7. By way of clarification, let me say I am not bashing ET, merely stating my opinion. My wife and I do shop at ET and in its favor, they have an excellent selection of bulk herbs, spices, etc. and their cheese department is absolutely top notch; marvelous selection and great prices as well. The selection of organic products is also terrific.

   I did not mean to single out ET by any means, just to counter the ‘everything is more expensive…” argument posited.

   Bud Tugly @ July 30th, 2008 at 10:12 am

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