For the second time in five years, Dawson’s Market has announced that it’s going out of business. At the end of June. For real this time. Dawson’s, which opened in 2012 as an original anchor of Rockville Town Square, had a tough time turning a profit and closed its doors in the fall of 2018. A few months later, longtime manager Bart Yablonsky purchased the store and reopened it. Every year since 2019, Dawson’s has received $400,000 in taxpayer-funded grants to keep itself afloat. But the five-year grant program has run its course — and it looks like Dawson’s has too. This will be the fourth closing at Rockville Town Square since December, following the departures of Town Square Jewelers, Èkó House and Knits Etc. Morguard, the Canadian developer that bought the Square from Federal Realty in 2022, says good news is on the horizon but won’t provide details. In the meantime, rumors are flying that Dawson’s might be replaced by Aldi. But who knows? Stay tuned to Store Reporter for the latest.
Lyman Jordan
Dawson’s has been a good store with one exception – it never figured out how to be price competitive, even as a “boutique” grocery. It may have been impossible for it to be competitive given the relatively low-volume traffic it would have enjoyed at any average price points. Small volume wholesale purchasing makes it rough. One thing it could have done, that I never saw evidence of, is promotional pricing. Even without advertising sale prices here and there, just more frequent in-store temporary bargain mark-downs would have gone a long way, IMO.
Lois
I am an Aldi’s shopper and would love the convenience of Aldi moving into Dawson’s space. However if something isn’t done to improve the parking situation I’ll continue to go to the Rockville and Silver Spring stores.
If Aldi’s is to survive parking must change.
Sylvia Jones
There is plenty of parking below Dawson’s so I don’t really think parking will be an issue. There are many grocery stores where parking is below the store.