Retail Watchers

The newest Sheetz prototype has a large seating area immediately as you enter the main doors. There is a bank of ordering kiosks to the right with the kitchen area visible as you enter. I didn't think about it until buckguy mentioned it, but the layout of the store strongly encourages interacting wi...

At least where I am in the DC area, if the CVS location has historically been a high performing store it will be staffed well and pharmacy operations will be average to above average. If the store is one of the more recent "infill" type stores that CVS opened that ends up being low volume ...

Sheetz seems to be in maximum expansion mode right now. As storewanderer said, they are a top tier operator but they are not alone anymore as they expand further from their Western PA base. They are also experiencing increased competition in their home areas as Wawa moves into areas that were previo...

I didn't really think Walmart had much more room to grow in the U.S. at this point, and odd that they are focusing back on the Neighborhood Market concept after closing so many over the years. (Although they do seem to hold their own in FL with such limited competition.) Perhaps Walmart is thinking...

Too bad. I guess rehabbing the vintage sign would have been too expensive.

That vintage Fred Meyer sign reminds me of the old high level Giant-MD neon road signs. The only one left is in Laurel, MD.

Walmart has Scan and Go but only for Plus members. I'd assume that some or all of what is being used at Walmart came from the Scan and Go tech at Sam's Club. I'd love to see Scan and Go be expanded to all Walmart customers, though I do understand that something is needed to attract people towards si...

Walmart converted several old stores into Supercenters in the San Jose and Milpitas, California areas. They are tiny and cramped. They are too small to support such crowds. The shopping experience is claustrophobic and it is difficult for employees to restock the store. Perhaps a better model would...

KFC as menu-item was by that time a relic of the past. Gino's (Philadelphia) had a burger-and-KFC fast food menu---these were gone by 1985 and KFC acquired the market. Gino's in the DC area was my first exposure to KFC. Marriott ended up purchasing Gino's DC area locations to get more locations for...

One area of great concern recently however are restrooms. I do not believe Albertsons is even touching restrooms during remodels anymore, was in a very bad restroom the other day in a recent "Florida decor" remodel that had received the higher end version of the package. It clearly had se...

In a redevelopment, why wouldn't the developer and/or the city want Safeway to continue as a tenant in the project? If all of these Safeway sites are redeveloped into housing only where do people shop for groceries? I haven't been to San Francisco in 15 years but back then the only major grocer I re...