
<PAGE>
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


                    RICHFOOD HOLDINGS, INC. ACQUIRES 96% OF
                 DART GROUP CORPORATION SHARES IN TENDER OFFER


RICHMOND, VA. May 13, 1998....Richfood Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: RFH) today
announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, DGC Acquisition, Inc., completed its
$160.00 per share cash tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of common
stock of Dart Group Corporation.

According to a preliminary count by the depositary for the offer, there were 
tendered and not withdrawn 1,180,503 shares (including 8,843 shares tendered by 
means of guaranteed delivery) as of the expiration of the tender offer, which 
represents approximately 96% of the Dart Group shares currently outstanding. The
offer expired at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, Tuesday, May 12, 1998. DGC 
Acquisition, Inc. accepted for payment all such shares validly tendered 
according to the terms of the tender offer.

The tender offer will be followed by the merger of DGC Acquisition, Inc. into 
Dart Group in which each Dart Group share not acquired in the tender offer, with
the exception of dissenting shares and shares owned, directly or indirectly, by
Dart, Richfood or DGC Acquisition, will be converted into the right to receive 
$160.00 cash.

Dart Group Corporation, headquartered in Landover, Maryland, comprises Shoppers 
Food Warehouse, a 100% owned chain of 37 price-impact supermarkets operating in 
the greater Washington, D.C. market; Trak Auto, a publicly owned retailer of 
auto parts, 67% owned by Dart; Crown Books, a publicly owned retailer of popular
books, 52% owned by Dart; and Total Beverage, a 100% owned discount beverage 
retailer based in Washington, D.C.

Richfood Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, is the largest 
wholesale food distributor in the Mid-Atlantic operating region. The Company 
provides a full range of grocery, dairy, frozen food, produce, meat and non-food
items to chain and independent retailers throughout the region. The Company also
operates the Metro chain of 17 retail grocery stores in the metropolitan 
Baltimore area as well as 45 Farm Fresh retail grocery stores located primarily 
in the Tidewater, Virginia region.
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Page two
Richfood Acquires 96% of Dart Group Corporation
May 13, 1998


Forward-looking statements in this news release, if any, are made under the safe
harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. 
Certain important factors that could cause results to differ materially from 
those anticipated by the forward-looking statements are discussed from time to 
time in reports filed by Richfood Holdings, Inc. with the Securities and 
Exchange Commission.


For additional information, contact:

John C. Belknap
Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
Richfood Holdings, Inc.
(804) 915-6003
