Richmond Area Business Association

Changing the Landscape of Shopping in the Richmond

By: Larry Bohen, www.audiobooksonline.com

It’s hard to miss the new building on the corner of Bridge & Railroad Streets in downtown Richmond. In June this will be the home of the Richmond Market & Beverage, an 11,000 square foot grocery offering area citizens a locally owned, independent source of products usually bought from the big, chain groceries. Mike Comeau, owner of The Richmond Corner Market and owner of the new Richmond Market & Beverage, stopped long enough recently to answer some questions.

Larry: Tell me a bit about yourself. Where were you born, grow up, go to school, previous careers, interests, hobbies, children, etc?

Mike: I was born and raised in the Burlington area. I graduated from Burlington High School in 1990. Started my career at age 16, with the retail grocer Grand Union, working with them for a collective 15 years, starting with bagging groceries and growing into the ranks of management.

On the side, I’ve been involved with rental properties since 1998. Sitting still really isn’t my thing. My hobbies over the years have ranged from mountain biking, skiing, and most recently over the past five years, a semi-pro fishing career.

Larry: What would people be surprised to know about you?

Mike: I have a 12-year old cat named Baxter.

Larry: When do you expect to open the new Richmond Market & Beverage? What will be its size and how will it differ from the Richmond Corner Market?

Mike: Things are moving along great and everyone is working very hard. In a perfect world June 2 is my dream date. We still have much to do and I am hopeful early to mid June will be the latest we open by. The size increase is over 8000 square feet. The current store is total 2,500 sq ft and the new location will be 11,000. This won’t just be a market, it will be a grocery store with all the trimmings and pricing one can expect from other large grocery corporations, only we’ll be local and customized specifically to meet the needs of our customers who have become friends and family over the years.

Larry: What would you like people to know about the new Richmond Market & Beverage?  

Mike: The new store will be a full service grocery store; rather than a small convenience market. With our larger size and from the ground up customizing in structure and new equipment we’ll be able to incorporate high energy efficient appliances and equipment, lower all prices, have specific department managers dedicated to helping customers get what they need and want, and lastly, we’ll have enough register lanes so hopefully no one has to wait, or at least wait long. We love to see our customers, but we love to see them happy more, which means helping them find what they need and sending them along their way in a timely manner.

Larry: What do you find most challenging about establishing the Richmond Market & Beverage and how have you solved those challenges?

Mike: I am sure once the store opens the answer will change, but all the usual challenges apply during construction. We have been very busy and all the contractors have required a great deal of my time. I certainly could not have done it without my current staff; they have kept our current location running while I’ve been so grossly involved with the new location.

Larry: What new products will you offer in the new Richmond Market & Beverage and will there be overlap with similar products offered by smaller merchants in downtown Richmond?

Mike: The larger store will help us offer lots of new products. My focus is on groceries and offering fresh local foods. I want to expand the basic needs. I hope not to compete with anyone in town. I want the store to help Richmond – both customers and other businesses.

Larry: Are you working with other downtown Richmond merchants to offer their products in the new Richmond Market & Beverage? Which merchants are you working with?

Mike: I have been in contact with many local producers. I hope to offer lots of local foods. We currently offer a large local merchant presence at the Corner Market. That is not something we intend on changing. One new member of the Market will be the Richmond Beverage. The liquor store will be moving into the new store.  I have also talked to some local merchants, trying to find ways to incorporate their products into the new location, versus the idea of bringing in external products that might compete with theirs. One such merchant is Christina from Crimson Poppy and selling her flowers in the new store.

Larry: Will you be able to compete with the large chain grocery stores in the area on the breath of products and pricing?

Mike: We will do our best to carry everything our local shoppers need. Our pricing will compare very well. We are currently working on our price checks to make sure we are close.

Larry: What impact do you foresee on commerce in downtown Richmond with the opening of the new Richmond Market & Beverage?

Mike: I hope we will have a positive impact. Not only do I want Richmond to enjoy the new store, I am hoping we will draw people from other towns as well. Hopefully while visiting they will visit other local businesses too.

Larry: How many employees do you expect to have? Do you still have openings? How do people apply?

Mike: People can come to the current market to apply. I hope to have a job fair before we open. Our employment projections are for an estimated 60 combined full and part-time positions. Currently we employ 8, so that is a lot of new jobs we are offering to our fellow Vermonters.

Larry: Where will customers park?

Mike: Starting very soon the exterior portion of the construction will start. Railroad Street will be moving over towards the houses opposite the store. This will make room for about 25-30 new parking spaces along the store’s length. I also hope customers will take advantage of parking on Depot Street.

Larry: What can you tell us about a new tenant for the Richmond Corner Market space? What kind of a tenant are you looking for?

Mike: At present I have a party interested in purchasing the property who will potentially install two retail tenants. We are not at a stage however as of yet to reveal further information on that front.