OUR VIEW: Customers benefit from grocery store competition

» With Martin’s in town, a battle is brewing to keep market share and enhance public perception.

Well, now, Martin’s has really burst onto the scene, hasn’t it?

The new grocery store is the talk of the town, as shoppers near and far seem to be traveling en masse to the new anchor tenant at Culpeper Colonnade.

Without getting into talk of which local store is the best — we’ll let you debate among yourselves — we will say that Martin’s has been a nice addition in more ways than just giving area residents another place to buy groceries. Its mere presence has forced competitors to keep pace by slashing prices, upgrading physical features or adding other customer-friendly displays and promotions.

For example, did you see the Safeway parking lot Sunday afternoon? Music was blaring, decorative flags waved overhead and a food truck beckoned hungry customers. Safeway and Martin’s, competing with each other to lay claim as Culpeper’s “high-end” grocery store, went to great lengths to direct customers to their advertising inserts in Sunday’s paper. (Shameless plug: Those papers can still be found in the red newspaper racks across town.)

Even nearby Walmart will feel the effects, as its market share will inevitably shrink — to what degree, nobody knows. But this we do know: Competition is a good thing. America’s economy is built on that principle. And it’s evident right here in Culpeper, as folks now have one more choice for where to spend their hard-earned money.