Stater Bros opening new store tomorrow.

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Re: Stater Bros opening new store tomorrow.

Post by veteran+ »

"I would agree they are not an IDEA type company but would question how it was they were able to successfully purchase that block of former Albertsons/Lucky Stores they bought and operate them successfully (maintained if not increased volumes) when most other parties who purchased stores from that operator either run with significantly decreased volumes (Save Mart, Associated Utah) or flat out failed every time (Ralphs, Haggen, various other smaller operators)... "

They know their customer, simply put.

I suspect that their R&D department is really on top of it in all areas under their purview.
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Re: Stater Bros opening new store tomorrow.

Post by buckguy »

After all the usual complaining about California chains like Vons, Ralphs, Smart & Final and the Central valley ones I've never seen, etc., it's funny to see people pick on Stater Bros for not being something they aren't. They've managed to avoid vulture capital, they competently run their stores, and they stand out in a couple areas like bakery. They aren't trying to be Gelson's and they have a following whom they seem to know well. Not much to really complain about. Super markets are rarely filled with excitement except in pr director's heads and a good one is a real pleasure to shop.

I remember reading someone--it might have been the consultant/often-quoted Burt Flickinger or some retired retail executive and he said something to the effect that you won't make a lot of money with super markets, but if you follow some simple rules that sound like the Boy Scout creed (e.g., be fair about pricing, treat customers well, run clean stores), you'll stay in business and do well over the long haul. They seem to do this and the still surviving mid-market regionals in other places seem to do likewise.
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Re: Stater Bros opening new store tomorrow.

Post by storewanderer »

buckguy wrote: June 21st, 2020, 11:58 am After all the usual complaining about California chains like Vons, Ralphs, Smart & Final and the Central valley ones I've never seen, etc., it's funny to see people pick on Stater Bros for not being something they aren't. They've managed to avoid vulture capital, they competently run their stores, and they stand out in a couple areas like bakery. They aren't trying to be Gelson's and they have a following whom they seem to know well. Not much to really complain about. Super markets are rarely filled with excitement except in pr director's heads and a good one is a real pleasure to shop.

I remember reading someone--it might have been the consultant/often-quoted Burt Flickinger or some retired retail executive and he said something to the effect that you won't make a lot of money with super markets, but if you follow some simple rules that sound like the Boy Scout creed (e.g., be fair about pricing, treat customers well, run clean stores), you'll stay in business and do well over the long haul. They seem to do this and the still surviving mid-market regionals in other places seem to do likewise.
I also think Stater was "the closest thing" to the old Lucky chain in SoCal so they benefited from that when Albertsons released many Lucky shoppers who did not like the store conversions in 1999, benefiting even more from buying some former Lucky Stores.

Every market Lucky disappeared from in 1999, the "closest thing left" benefited significantly and in those rural parts of SoCal, Stater was very very similar in merchandising and overall marketing approach. Similar to how Smiths picked up significant share in Las Vegas during that mess (though Albertsons fought back there by building quite a few new stores and has maintained its market position there pretty well; similar investments in the late 90's in Bakersfield and San Diego by Albertsons also had pretty good results not completely killing the markets off after disappointing the former Lucky shoppers), and how Safeway picked up even more share in NorCal than they already had.
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Re: Stater Bros opening new store tomorrow.

Post by TW-Upstate NY »

storewanderer wrote: June 19th, 2020, 11:05 pm What about their ability to retain quality efficient staff that operates their stores so well? How do they do that? They seem to do it better than the other operators in SoCal do. Is that a factor of their operating area too?
Some people would marvel at the fact that they're successful in spite of it but I would argue that they are successful BECAUSE of it. If you treat people as nothing more than mere appendages and/or expendable, it's going to show in your turnover rates and honestly nobody's going to want to work there. You'll be an employer of last resort not an employer of choice.
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Re: Stater Bros opening new store tomorrow.

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

storewanderer wrote: June 21st, 2020, 10:21 pm I also think Stater was "the closest thing" to the old Lucky chain in SoCal so they benefited from that when Albertsons released many Lucky shoppers who did not like the store conversions in 1999, benefiting even more from buying some former Lucky Stores.

Every market Lucky disappeared from in 1999, the "closest thing left" benefited significantly and in those rural parts of SoCal, Stater was very very similar in merchandising and overall marketing approach. Similar to how Smiths picked up significant share in Las Vegas during that mess (though Albertsons fought back there by building quite a few new stores and has maintained its market position there pretty well; similar investments in the late 90's in Bakersfield and San Diego by Albertsons also had pretty good results not completely killing the markets off after disappointing the former Lucky shoppers), and how Safeway picked up even more share in NorCal than they already had.
In the 90's, Lucky invested a bit in San Diego, by building 5 Lucky/Sav-on combo stores in the suburbs (Chula Vista, Spring Valley, Rancho San Diego, La Mesa, Oceanside). The Oceanside store was divested to Stater a year after it was built. The other 4 stores still operate today as Albertsons.

Albertsons had only 15 stores in San Diego County at the time of the ASC purchase (late 80's/90's stores in the northern suburbs, and 4 stores that they acquired from local chain Big Bear in 93). They were #4 in the market until the ASC purchase, which made them tied with Vons for #1. in the early-mid 2000's, Albertsons built at least 8 new stores in San Diego County (mostly Grocery Palaces), and remodeled a handful of stores. San Diego was also the 2nd market for the Albertsons.com delivery service.
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Re: Stater Bros opening new store tomorrow.

Post by CalItalian »

Bagels wrote: June 21st, 2020, 1:09 am The reason that many of the Stater Bros. that were acquired during the Albertsons-Lucky merger are now flourishing, is because Ralphs, Albertsons and VONS have closed their locations in close proximity. Had it not been for this, I imagine that many of those Stater Bros. would've ultimately closed. Stater Bros. has about the same number of stores in LA/OC today as they did post-Albertsons/Lucky acquisition. That's telling, as is the fact that Stater Bros. didn't bid on any stores during the Albertsons-VONS merger. Current management seems zealous to grow the chain... rumors have been swirling that Smart & Final is looking to unload some of the ex-Albertsons/VONS -- it'll be interesting to see if Stater Bros. makes a run for these...
True. In my area of Riverside County, for example, a former Albertsons many years ago in Lake Elsinore is doing very well as Stater Bros. and last summer went through a remodel and looks very nice. The former Stater Bros. across the street, a much smaller store, became a Cardenas. Not far from those stores, a Vons in a Walmart shopping center closed (the Walmart in that center adjacent to I-15 is also moving a couple of miles north as they are currently building a larger Super Center slated to open this fall). Another Albertsons in Menifee closed and has been split up between 99 Cents Only! and a True Value Hardware. A Stater Bros. across the street flourishes despite it just being a ho-hum store (but last fall they did get new fake hardwood flooring that Stater Bros. seems to love). In the Temecula area (Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Canyon Lake, Wildomar, Winchester, Murrieta, Temecula - over 500,000 residents), there are just 3 Ralphs (Menifee, Murrieta, Temecula) and 1 Food for Less (Temecula). Menifee & Murrieta do so-so business. Temecula locations not that great. The only Vons or Albertsons locations, and there are a number of them, in the area that really do well are a Vons & Albertsons across the street from each other in Murrieta (how did that pass muster with the feds?) and an Albertsons (former large Lucky that was finally remodeled last fall) in Lake Elsinore that ironically does much more business than a rather sad Stater Bros. that's a block away.

One thing that is working in Stater Bros. favor, that I haven't seen mentioned, is growth. They are in growth areas where new homes are being built (such as mine that was built last year). They've operated in these areas for years in the IE where new home developments are exploding.
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Re: Stater Bros opening new store tomorrow.

Post by CalItalian »

buckguy wrote: June 21st, 2020, 11:58 am After all the usual complaining about California chains like Vons, Ralphs, Smart & Final and the Central valley ones I've never seen, etc., it's funny to see people pick on Stater Bros for not being something they aren't. They've managed to avoid vulture capital, they competently run their stores, and they stand out in a couple areas like bakery. They aren't trying to be Gelson's and they have a following whom they seem to know well. Not much to really complain about. Super markets are rarely filled with excitement except in pr director's heads and a good one is a real pleasure to shop.

I remember reading someone--it might have been the consultant/often-quoted Burt Flickinger or some retired retail executive and he said something to the effect that you won't make a lot of money with super markets, but if you follow some simple rules that sound like the Boy Scout creed (e.g., be fair about pricing, treat customers well, run clean stores), you'll stay in business and do well over the long haul. They seem to do this and the still surviving mid-market regionals in other places seem to do likewise.
The only thing, personally, that Stater Bros. does better than other chain is fried chicken. Their Cleo & Leo fried chicken is much better than Vons/Albertsons or Ralphs. Ralphs, by far, being the worst of the three. I don't think any of those chains stand out in bakery but I'll give Vons/Albertsons a slight nod over Stater Bros. or Ralphs.

I've run into a few older Stater Bros. locations that look nice & clean but their air conditioning system reminds me of some older Marina type Safeway converted to Vons locations with a musty smell inside. That really bothers me. The closest Stater Bros. to me in Menifee is like that.
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Re: Stater Bros opening new store tomorrow.

Post by CalItalian »

storewanderer wrote: June 20th, 2020, 8:31 pm
klkla wrote: June 20th, 2020, 7:41 pm

Stater Bros got a very good deal on those stores. They're also used to operating low volume stores. When they first took over those stores they got off to a rough start. The pharmacies remained closed for a long time and they didn't spend any capital on those stores for years. Gradually sales slowly picked up but to this date most are only average performing stores.
All they ever were, even under Lucky or Albertsons, were average performing stores...

It really seems like their fortunes turned around, after the strike.

I think to this day some still have repainted Lucky or Albertsons interiors (most got new flooring and some refrigeration updates along with the repaint though).

Also aren't they still at zero self checkouts?
No. No self checkouts in any Stater Bros.. Moving from an area where most every store had self-checkout, that really bugs me and is one of the reasons I rarely shop at Stater Bros. I actually go out of my way to travel to a Vons in Temescal Valley and an Albertsons in Lake Elsinore (each 15-20 minutes away) to avoid other closer Vons and Albertsons that don't have self-checkouts.
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Re: Stater Bros opening new store tomorrow.

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

CalItalian wrote: June 22nd, 2020, 6:47 pm
The only Vons or Albertsons locations, and there are a number of them, in the area that really do well are a Vons & Albertsons across the street from each other in Murrieta (how did that pass muster with the feds?) and an Albertsons (former large Lucky that was finally remodeled last fall)
[/quote]
The Albertsons in Lake Elsinore was built as an Albertsons in 1998 or so. It had this decor until the remodel, which dates back to when the store opened: This decor is called "Blue & Green Awnings".
Albertsons is definitely the stronger brand in the LA exurbs.
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