United Supermarkets to Break Ground on First Convenience Store

Regional independent United Supermarkets plans to start construction on its first United Express convenience store and fuel station in its headquarters city of Lubbock, Texas.

The company expects to break ground on the project within the next four to six weeks, according to Tony Crumpton, EVP of facilities, fuel and supply for United Supermarkets, LLC. “We purchased the property in 2008 as a site for potential future development, and we are at a stage where we are ready to begin the development process,” he said. “We hope to break ground on our first full-fledged United Express convenience location by late October.”

The anticipated completion date is March 2011.

The convenience store is the first development phase for the 12.1-acre tract. The company plans to eventually open its 10th United supermarket on the property, with the remaining 36,000-square-feet of space available for additional retail development.

The new store will not replace the company’s nearby store. “We are very much committed to continuing to serve our guests in the area around 4th and Slide and are hopeful a new store down the street will allow us to provide even better service there,” said United CEO Robert Taylor.
The convenience store will be a new concept for United, stemming from lessons learned at its Taste of Market Street stores in select areas. “We’ll try and take what we’ve learned from our Taste of Market Street locations and extend that to more of a convenience store format for our guests in northwest Lubbock. We’ll have limited fresh food offerings, along with the traditional items that guests would expect from a convenience store,” Taylor added.

United operates three Taste of Market Street locations in the Texas cities of Lubbock, Frisco, and Coppell.
Crumpton credited the Lubbock community for making the new development possible.

United Supermarkets operates 50 stores under the banners of United Supermarkets, Market Street, and Amigos United.