(By DCist contributor Amadie Hart)

Forget Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Harris Teeter, and Balduccis. The latest grocery store import to enthrall D.C.-area consumers is Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans. The first Northern Virginia branch opened out by Dulles Airport in February, and the retail giant is set to open a second branch in Fairfax in early 2005.

Connoisseurs of fresh produce, gourmet prepared foods, and fine wines have flocked to the Sterling branch since its grand opening. Traffic on Route 28 backed up for more than a half-mile in each direction on the store's opening day as an estimated 10,000 customers came by to check out the new store.

Some smart growth advocates are wary of the chain's growth plans, as each Wegmans requires about 15 acres - more than twice the land necessary for a Giant or Safeway supermarket - to house the many products and services they offer. Others say that the sheer diversity of the store's offerings, which includes gourmet foods, household goods, and fresh produce, offer one-stop shopping that cuts down on multiple car trips to different stores.

One-stop shopping will become even more of a reality in the near future, as the Sterling Wegmans will soon anchor a new 300-acre shopping center, reports the Post. Across the street from the giant America Online corporate campus, the shopping center will expand eastern Loudon County's retail options with 45 new stores.

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