Safeway turned Smith's in Albuquerque

[pseudo3d]

So Groceteria has their Albuquerque list, and I found this interesting specimen while searching for something else. It is a Smith's supermarket that was taken over from Furr's, which in turn bought it from Safeway when the El Paso division was closed (I think that the Safeway here was El Paso division and not Phoenix, otherwise there still might be Safeway stores here). Anyway, the store looks like a Marina Safeway that was doubled in size at some point after 1995 but before 2002. Question is, who did the remodel? Furr's did build a few stores toward the very end (I believe one Albertsons still has it or had it recently, a rather odd look with red ceilings) but was the store done by Furr's shortly before it closed in 2001 and was sold to Smith's, or did Smith's buy it for the location and expand? I'm tempted to say Furr's, as Smith's might've just leveled everything and built anew, but I don't know. Anyone know the story behind this one?

https://www.google.com/maps/search/3701 ... a=!3m1!1e3

[jamcool]

Most of the NM Safeways were in a separate NM division-except Gallup which was in the Phoenix division and the Northern NM stores were operated by Denver division. Furr's bought the NM division in the late 80s, it made them the largest grocer in the state.

[pseudo3d]

Most of the NM Safeways were in a separate NM division-except Gallup which was in the Phoenix division and the Northern NM stores were operated by Denver division. Furr's bought the NM division in the late 80s, it made them the largest grocer in the state.

The "NM division" does appear to be the El Paso division of Safeway (link).

I'm thinking it was Furr's, because Furr's did open stores toward the end...this store opened in late 2000, and Raley's probably didn't remodel it (it doesn't look like a Raley's package). The biggest hint that I have is if it wasn't Furr's hadn't expanded the store, then Smith's would've completely torn down and rebuilt it, and with Furr's they would've had the motive to save the existing former Safeway as they doubled the store. Otherwise the only clue I have is the flooring of the store. Did Furr's use brown tile like that?

[dcpeachy]

It was expanded by Furr's. I've lived here since 1999 and the store was always that large. Since the conversion to Smith's it has been remodeled at least twice--once right after the takeover and once more recently, around the time they closed another Smith's just up the street at Menaul and Carlisle, which is now Savers.

The Constitution and Carlisle store is known as "Fancy Smith's" by many locals as it is rather upscale in terms of offerings (think Buddha hand lemons, star fruit, and other assorted delicacies) that aren't in most other stores in Albuquerque. I have a friend who still calls this Smith's "Safeway."

This location serves the north end of the University of New Mexico Campus, which is where the law school and hospital are located. There is another Smith's on the south end of campus ("Ghetto-Smith's") that serves the student ghetto.