Largest Albertsons to open in Meridian, ID (former ShopKo)

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Largest Albertsons to open in Meridian, ID (former ShopKo)

Post by pseudo3d »

It looks like Albertsons has submitted plans to Meridian, ID to build a store in a former ShopKo. They have not released any official info yet but what they do note is interesting:

- The store plans (without logo) shows a large store of brick and glass, and one large store (not subleased). It bears some resemblance to the Tom Thumb built in Fort Worth.
- The news media says that Albertsons was in the site plan, however, the linked article (unlike the thumbnail) shows the 100,000+ square foot box as "available".
- Albertsons is also intending to open another store in South Meridian, with the phrase, that Albertsons is "continuously looking to grow and expand within the communities we serve" which says a lot about their expansion plans (not too interested in new markets, apparently)
- The 109k square foot store would make it the largest store in chain, outpacing the 96k heavyweights (G&G and a Jewel-Osco in Orland Park)
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Re: Largest Albertsons to open in Meridian, ID (former ShopKo)

Post by marshd1000 »

I am wondering in a special store like this, if they would LLC decor or do a Safeway decor like Colorful Lifestyle or the Florida decor?
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Re: Largest Albertsons to open in Meridian, ID (former ShopKo)

Post by SamSpade »

This is the recently closed ShopKo that was their Beyond 2000 model?
ShopKo Meridian Idaho
Article on store interest in Meridian:
http://www.mymeridianpress.com/news/doc ... e0878.html

One would assume this would replace the Cherry Creek Plaza store, as of the stores in a 2-4 mile vicinity, it is the oldest and smallest I think. Or maybe they really do feel they can have yet another store within 2 miles of already operating locations.
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Re: Largest Albertsons to open in Meridian, ID (former ShopKo)

Post by Super S »

Interesting that Albertson's would go this big on a store. Especially in Meridian. Makes you wonder if they have a new concept brewing, possibly to compete better with WinCo.

As for the Albertson's in Cherry Plaza, that actually started out as Paul's, and Albertson's took over in the mid 80s.
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Re: Largest Albertsons to open in Meridian, ID (former ShopKo)

Post by pseudo3d »

SamSpade wrote:This is the recently closed ShopKo that was their Beyond 2000 model?
ShopKo Meridian Idaho
Article on store interest in Meridian:
http://www.mymeridianpress.com/news/doc ... e0878.html

One would assume this would replace the Cherry Creek Plaza store, as of the stores in a 2-4 mile vicinity, it is the oldest and smallest I think. Or maybe they really do feel they can have yet another store within 2 miles of already operating locations.
Whoops, I did forget the link. :oops:

Having another store within two miles of an existing location is fine if you rule the market like Publix or H-E-B do in certain areas (or in certain parts of Houston, Kroger). But I doubt they would have that little competition, especially since Albertsons owned stores just don't draw a huge crowd like Kroger or others do.
Super S wrote:Interesting that Albertson's would go this big on a store. Especially in Meridian. Makes you wonder if they have a new concept brewing, possibly to compete better with WinCo.
It depends on what the merchandise mix is, depending if they lean "Wegmans" or lean "Walmart". What I mean by this is leaning toward the Wegmans style of store design, cloned by H-E-B (and possibly others)--one with a huge perishable departments (and a lot of space to handle crowds, resulting in inflated square footage), possibly a beer and wine bar but not so much in merchandise mix (besides an expanded kitchen gear department like H-E-B has). The "Walmart" idea would be leaning to more of Kroger's "Marketplace" layout, which has fairly standard features but a larger selection of general merchandise (possibly in part to replace ShopKo's merchandise mix). The upscale store design certainly suggests the former, maybe they'll even use a new name to differentiate it. Either way, this looks like one to watch.
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Re: Largest Albertsons to open in Meridian, ID (former ShopKo)

Post by kr.abs.swy »

A really interesting decision. A few thoughts.

First, this is said to be the busiest intersection in Idaho (Eagle and Fairview). Thousands of cars will drive by this store every day.
However, it is two miles from the downtown Meridian store and two miles from the Eagle and McMillan store.
Part of the attraction of this site would be capturing car traffic driving home (northward) on Eagle Road. But the Eagle and McMillan store is already positioned to capture at least some of that traffic.
Does Albertsons really want to operate grocery stores directly in the shadow of low-price competitors? This is really close to a Walmart Supercenter. Plans to open a store near the downtown Boise WinCo were shelved last decade, and the Twin Falls store (former Ernst) that opened across from WinCo in the 1990s did not last long.
Eagle Road is one of the busiest highways in Idaho, but between I-84 and State Street there are only three true grocery stores -- the Eagle and McMillan Albertsons, a Rosauers, and the Meridian location of the Boise Co-Op. (The Walmart I mentioned is close but is off Fairview). With all of those cars driving by, another Albertsons location succeeding is not beyond the realm of possibility.
There are a lot of new houses in this area.
The thought that Albertsons is going to be operating a 100,000 square foot box while also operating former Paul's stores that are something like a quarter of the size really makes me wonder ...
The Rosauers up the street is never all that busy. It's a nice store with a good selection of natural / organic products (much better than Albertsons). Hopefully this wouldn't be the last straw for that store.

I wondered who was going to move into that box after ShopKo closed. Albertsons never once crossed my mind. It will be interesting to see how this works. After not opening any Boise-area stores for more than 15 years (excluding the replacement Vista store), it is nice to see them thinking about opening some new stores. They have all the stores they need in Boise proper but are badly underpenetrated in Meridian and Nampa.
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Re: Largest Albertsons to open in Meridian, ID (former ShopKo)

Post by Super S »

pseudo3d wrote:
Having another store within two miles of an existing location is fine if you rule the market like Publix or H-E-B do in certain areas (or in certain parts of Houston, Kroger). But I doubt they would have that little competition, especially since Albertsons owned stores just don't draw a huge crowd like Kroger or others do.
Meridian is more or less a suburb of Boise these days. And in Boise, Albertsons is really the only traditional supermarket left unless you include WinCo. Albertsons has by far the most locations around Boise.

Keep in mind also that Albertsons is back at Lake Hazel, in a building they closed in the 1980s as they took over the Buttrey at Five Mile & Overland.
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Re: Largest Albertsons to open in Meridian, ID (former ShopKo)

Post by pseudo3d »

kr.abs.swy wrote: The thought that Albertsons is going to be operating a 100,000 square foot box while also operating former Paul's stores that are something like a quarter of the size really makes me wonder ...
In my mind this was successful stores do. Publix has size variation, it's what HEB does, and to a lesser extent Kroger too, and both are successful in Houston. (I wrote a post here about that a year ago)

Conversely, the stores with more consistent square footage have all been driven out/do poorly/did poorly (Safeway, Albertsons, Randalls).
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Re: Largest Albertsons to open in Meridian, ID (former ShopKo)

Post by storewanderer »

Do we actually have any proof they will be taking up the whole Shopko space? At least they are building new stores around Boise... the area has grown and likely can use more stores. Plus, they need to make up for lost time as others like WinCo and Rosauers have added stores there. Kroger meanwhile, is not doing anything.
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Re: Largest Albertsons to open in Meridian, ID (former ShopKo)

Post by pseudo3d »

storewanderer wrote:Do we actually have any proof they will be taking up the whole Shopko space?
I thought about that. However, the elevation renderings suggest that, including maintaining the facade to some extent (the Shopko facade wasn't entirely flat, making the right side of the store extrude more). It maintains a consistent facade, including an area that holds a pharmacy drive-through, and no room for other signage (the area to the right of the main signage looks like it may be the café area).
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