Retail Watchers

So they are decreasing the count of Marketplace stores? How are they handling this? Are they blocking off part of the sales space and eliminating the non food as they did with the one over in West Phoenix? It appears the Signature Stores carry most, but not all, of the non food of a Marketplace Stor...

I really wanted to like the new Smart and Final Extra that opened in Reno due to the location and lack of decent grocery options nearby (the only other nearby conventional is a terrible Save Mart). But, between the odd product mix, erratic pricing, questionable quality of some First Street items I b...

I noticed this store is up on the auction site www.samauctions.com for late April. I guess it is closing.

The NorCal Stores I know of do not have signs as the AZ ones you describe. This concept looks to be on its last legs. I think the current initiative is to try to increase prices and see if they can keep their customers. Their prices, while very good on the center store items, clearly did not generat...

I find most supermarket pharmacies to have a steady stream of customers in the daytime hours then as evening hits they seem to slow down with as you describe, the staff standing around. It is not uncommon for pharmacies to close for lunch; Target, Rite Aid, CVS, and Wal Mart close their pharmacies s...

What supermarket pharmacies have taken a hit? Kroger quickly matched the program offered by Target and Wal Mart with $4 generics and their pharmacies in my area are very busy; three of them have drive through facilities (not present at any other supermarket in this area). I am also aware of grocers ...

Albertsons was doing this too here. Save Mart even tried it. I observed in the case of one Save Mart pulling this after 8 PM that the supervisor on duty, upon a few visits, (they did not have a cashier) was more interested in standing around reading a magazine and pretending to (but not really) moni...

"Kroger's Michigan division has a policy of not having a regular lane open after 10 or 11pm unless requested by a customer.... If they would get signs that said that we would have less problems with customers getting angry at the U-scans...." This is a terrible policy for a grocery store c...

Safeway's Self Checkouts in NorCal seem to be programmed that they shut off at 10 PM. So after that you get a normal cashier. Kroger as I understand it has a policy in place making self checkout the only checkout option in a number of stores after a certain time (10 PM, Midnight, etc.). However this...

Save Mart also uses self checkouts in some of the Food Maxx Stores that were purchased from Fleming. It is my understanding the new Modesto Save Mart has self checkouts. I think that is probably the first of Save Mart's "own" stores to get them. The customers will get better and better wit...