Melissa Newby is a hunter who’s motivated by the thrill of the chase—even if the quarry is nothing more elusive than a box of Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats. Her weapons are coupons, rebate forms and her own money-saving savvy. Newby, a stay-at-home mom, has a knack for unearthing bargains. When she and her family—husband Scott, son Dylan, 5, and daughter Shanna, 2—moved from Wisconsin to Midlothian about a year ago, she parlayed her practical expertise into a freelance column for http://www.examiner.com called “Frugal Families.“

The sale of family-owned Ukrop’s Super Markets Inc., the dominant grocer in the Richmond market until last year, could alter the area’s already splintered supermarket landscape significantly, analysts said yesterday. As speculation swirled about the fate of the Richmond-based chain of 28 grocery stores, Robert S. Ukrop sent a letter to employees yesterday dismissing the talk as rumor.

The Richmond area’s pantries widened last year as two new grocery chains entered the area, new stores opened and customers ate out less. Ukrop’s Super Markets remained the market leader, Kroger and Food Lion opened stores, and two long-anticipated grocers opened in western Henrico County. Ukrop’sended up with one fewer store than the 29 it started the year with.

Food prices continued to rise at a double-digit annual pace in the Richmond area in November, according to a monthly report by a state agency. The Virginia Milk Commission’s monthly market basket survey of food and beverages sold in the Richmond area rose to $131.30 in November, up 1.7 percent from $129.15 in October. The combined price for the 40 items in the report was up 11.3 percent from $118 in November 2007.