A southwest Virginia supermarket that served its community for nearly 25 years set October 10 as its last day after its owners said utility bills had averaged more than $25,000 a month. While grocery store closures have been reshaping the industry, the shutdown of Grants Supermarket in Richlands is a particularly local story about rising expenses and an expiring lease.
The store on Clinch Street served Richlands, nearby Doran and surrounding communities in Tazewell County. Grants announced in early October that it would not renew the lease, ending a run that had lasted almost a quarter-century. The company thanked both its employees and the customers who had supported the location.
Why Grants decided to leave
In its closure announcement, the company said operating costs had become increasingly difficult to manage. Over the previous two years, the utility bill for the Richlands location alone had averaged more than $25,000 per month, according to Grants. With its lease nearing expiration, the company said those expenses made renewal impractical.
That number is the store’s reported average, not a figure independently established through its private utility bills. The owners identified mounting costs alongside the lease decision; they did not announce that every Grants Supermarket was closing.
The local power situation provides important context. Richlands operates its own municipal electric utility, and the town raised electric rates during the summer. In reporting on the store’s final week, Cardinal News reviewed town rate schedules and found that energy rates for large businesses had doubled compared with 2024.
The publication also examined a town generator project whose costs and schedule have drawn questions from a council member. But those broader debates should not be confused with proof that any single project caused the supermarket to close. Grants cited the combined financial pressure of its ongoing expenses and its lease coming due.
A smaller grocery choice for local shoppers
For a town of roughly 5,000 people, the loss is significant. Cardinal News reported that Grants was one of only two grocery stores in Richlands. A town council member identified Food Lion as the remaining grocery option and raised concerns about what reduced competition could mean for shoppers.
One longtime customer told the local publication that she had visited Grants weekly since it opened, particularly appreciating its meat selection and prices. Her experience helps explain why losing a supermarket can be about more than a missing storefront: it also changes familiar routines and where residents can shop for everyday groceries.
The store’s statement expressed gratitude to current and former workers, but a confirmed count of jobs eliminated was not available in the reporting reviewed. There was also no verified announcement of a replacement supermarket for that address.
For Richlands, the immediate change is straightforward: a grocery business that served generations of local shopping trips reached its announced closing date, while the larger questions surrounding utility costs and the town’s remaining food-shopping options continue.
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