The present and future of Randalls

[Knight]

What are the current store count and the organizational structure of Albertson's Houston Division?

[pseudo3d]

What are the current store count and the organizational structure of Albertson's Houston Division?

I'm not sure, I think it's about 60-65 stores, and consists of at least three districts (I think there's a second Houston one, and there probably is a Florida one).

There is currently one Randalls under construction in Leander, Texas (see Google Maps), and the only ones to close since the merger were the stores in Mandeville, La. and Clearwater, Fla.

[Knight]

What are the current store count and the organizational structure of Albertson's Houston Division?

I'm not sure, I think it's about 60-65 stores, and consists of at least three districts (I think there's a second Houston one, and there probably is a Florida one).

There is currently one Randalls under construction in Leander, Texas (see Google Maps), and the only ones to close since the merger were the stores in Mandeville, La. and Clearwater, Fla.

A division with 60 to 65 stores with three districts, each district having approximately 20 stores, is too small to be operational and functional. I think this was discussed in another thread. If I were Albertson's, I would make the Houston Division a region of a larger division, and reorganize districts into five or six operational districts with 10 or 12 stores in each district.

[storewanderer]

Albertsons established that Houston Division (Safeway did not have that little division going; they had Houston and Dallas as one) for whatever reason. I do not understand the division being there for so few stores, either. Nor do I understand the very large capital effort in Florida and distributing to Florida from Houston. Maybe the division is there and doing these odd things to serve as a tax write off for other more profitable operations. I believe Bob Miller ran Texas Albertsons back in the 80's so it is very likely he knows more about the differences of that large market than we do and there are very legitimate reasons why a separate division was established for Houston.

[pseudo3d]

One of the other problematic features of Randalls is their trucks seem to go the wrong way when they go to Austin.

(Pulling up Google Maps might help in this description)...

The Randalls warehouse is off of Highway 290 in northwest Houston. Even though it's on the edge of town, it's not a bad location for a warehouse. The highway connections to Interstate 10 (to Louisiana) are easy, and Austin is due west on 290. The only Randalls stores (or any non-Dallas Albertsons stores in south Texas, really) are in Austin, so trucks head out west.

However, instead of continuing to 290, they exit in Hempstead to College Station on Highway 6 North (I have seen trucks in this segment). There hasn't been a Randalls in C.S. since '97. Upon getting to getting College Station, they exit onto FM 2818 (I have also seen trucks in this segment), a mostly limited-access thoroughfare that can get congested in rush hour (about 8-10 stoplights). Presumably, they exit onto TX-21 West (I can only guess this is where they're going, since if they were continuing to 190 West in Hearne, they would've stayed on the east bypass), or if not that, FM 60 and Highway 47 (which also dumps out onto 21). 21 continues through Caldwell (small town, about five stoplights). Some miles west of Caldwell, the highway becomes a dangerous road with two lanes but no medians and barely any shoulders. About mid-way through this journey, the road goes over 290 again (I haven't seen any Randalls trucks since I'm on this stretch of road on average one or two times a year). If the trucks continue the way I think they do, they continue to Bastrop (three more stoplights), then at least 7 more stoplights until entering Austin proper (not sure on traffic this stretch, though it gets busy in the evenings). The first Randalls is straight ahead off the freeway.

Staying on 290 means you have to go through a cloverleaf, 17 more stoplights before you hit a tollroad (free feeder roads), and some horrific morning rush-hour traffic, but considering both routes have to deal with heavy in-bound/out-bound traffic and small towns, it's a mystery why they choose to go out of their way to get to Austin...

[storewanderer]

Is it possible the trucks are stopping somewhere in the middle for some reason? Also do they go one way there and one way back?

Truck routing has always been somewhat of a mystery to me. From things like you will never see the UPS truck make a left turn to various other odd things...

I remember in about 1997 I was stopped eating after a high school competitive event in Fallon, NV. Sitting there at a Jack in the Box I saw two Lucky trucks pull through Fallon and head down Highway 95 south toward Hawthorne (road eventually goes to Las Vegas). Lucky trucks came from SoCal to Reno (and Elko, NV) to supply Sav-On but there was just no reason why the trucks would be in Fallon unless they were driving back to SoCal via Las Vegas for some reason (but this route makes no sense unless they had Las Vegas stops along the way).

[pseudo3d]

Is it possible the trucks are stopping somewhere in the middle for some reason? Also do they go one way there and one way back?

From what I've seen, the trucks go both ways. I remember seeing a truck pre-merger go westbound, and even after the merger, I saw one on 2818. Additionally, I've seen several go back the other way on Highway 6 too.

From things like you will never see the UPS truck make a left turn to various other odd things...

UPS actually did some studies that their left turns wasted time and gas so they designed their system around loops. Unfortunately, that isn't going to explain the wacky way trucks go from Houston to Austin. And as for stopping, where would they stop that would make sense? There aren't any stores between Houston and Austin at all.

[architect]

One of the other problematic features of Randalls is their trucks seem to go the wrong way when they go to Austin.

(Pulling up Google Maps might help in this description)...

The Randalls warehouse is off of Highway 290 in northwest Houston. Even though it's on the edge of town, it's not a bad location for a warehouse. The highway connections to Interstate 10 (to Louisiana) are easy, and Austin is due west on 290. The only Randalls stores (or any non-Dallas Albertsons stores in south Texas, really) are in Austin, so trucks head out west.

However, instead of continuing to 290, they exit in Hempstead to College Station on Highway 6 North (I have seen trucks in this segment). There hasn't been a Randalls in C.S. since '97. Upon getting to getting College Station, they exit onto FM 2818 (I have also seen trucks in this segment), a mostly limited-access thoroughfare that can get congested in rush hour (about 8-10 stoplights). Presumably, they exit onto TX-21 West (I can only guess this is where they're going, since if they were continuing to 190 West in Hearne, they would've stayed on the east bypass), or if not that, FM 60 and Highway 47 (which also dumps out onto 21). 21 continues through Caldwell (small town, about five stoplights). Some miles west of Caldwell, the highway becomes a dangerous road with two lanes but no medians and barely any shoulders. About mid-way through this journey, the road goes over 290 again (I haven't seen any Randalls trucks since I'm on this stretch of road on average one or two times a year). If the trucks continue the way I think they do, they continue to Bastrop (three more stoplights), then at least 7 more stoplights until entering Austin proper (not sure on traffic this stretch, though it gets busy in the evenings). The first Randalls is straight ahead off the freeway.

Staying on 290 means you have to go through a cloverleaf, 17 more stoplights before you hit a tollroad (free feeder roads), and some horrific morning rush-hour traffic, but considering both routes have to deal with heavy in-bound/out-bound traffic and small towns, it's a mystery why they choose to go out of their way to get to Austin...

I've never understood the Randalls Austin distribution routing either, as I have seen trucks passing through CS numerous times too. My only thought would be the possibility that an occasional truck might head through B/CS, west on 21 to Caldwell, and then cut up to 79 to reach North Austin stores more easily. However, 290 connects directly to the geographic center of Austin, so it seems like it will still be the more versatile route, regardless of traffic. Also, there is only 1 store north of 290/183, in Round Rock. Almost all of the current Randalls locations are in the south, west, or central regions of Austin.

[pseudo3d]

Good news but not great news:

http://www.chron.com/business/real-esta ... 378514.php

It seems that they mostly want to add storage space, but I wouldn't be too surprised if there was an interior renovation too!

[architect]

Good news but not great news:

http://www.chron.com/business/real-esta ... 378514.php

It seems that they mostly want to add storage space, but I wouldn't be too surprised if there was an interior renovation too!

I was just about to post this article, but you beat me to it! I'm hoping that this becomes the first Colorful Lifestyle store in Texas if they decide to refresh the decor (it would be a great location for it due to the amount of natural light in the store). Either this location, or the new Randalls in Leander, will be the first post-buyout stores built/renovated in the state, with the Uptown Tom Thumb in Dallas not far behind.