The Safeway in Cherrydale is getting a facelift this year.
The longtime grocer at 3713 Langston Blvd is preparing for a store remodel, Dana Ward, director of communications and public affairs for Albertsons’ Mid-Atlantic Division, told ARLnow. Contractors are receiving work permits as the store has begun selling off some soon-to-be discontinued products.
“While we’re still finalizing the renovation details and project timeline, our goal is to enhance the shopping experience for our customers,” Ward wrote in an email.
A permit application filed by Safeway in February calls for renovations across 6,601 square feet of the existing 40,000-square-foot store. While official details are still under wraps, Store Director Kyle Young said the supermarket will undergo some rearranging and eventually offer more premium products to become a “super premium store.”
“It just means we’ll have a different selection of products,” Young said. “There’s different categories of Safeways based on, you know, the neighborhood and what the customers are asking for, so we noticed that the customers at this location were asking for more premium products.”
As renovations get underway, Young said the work shouldn’t cause too much disruption for shoppers. The store does not intend to shut down, and work reportedly won’t take place on busy Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays.
“Business is normal,” Young said. “There might be some things that aren’t in the location that customers were always familiar with, but they’re more than welcome to come up to anybody with a name tag … and just ask.”
The grocery chain has been around for decades on Langston Blvd and previously planned a store revamp in 2013 to improve its deli, produce and bakery sections. Elsewhere in Arlington, a different Safeway at 2500 N. Harrison Street underwent renovations in 2020 to install new flooring and fixtures. The project also expanded the shop’s deli and produce departments.
“We’re just really excited about this,” Young said. “It’s a big deal for us. The company has invested a lot of money into this project, and we’re just really excited to see the completion of it.”
