Retail Watchers

I cannot find a news article anywhere about this, but here it is from Smart & Final's subsidiary website:
https://www.smartfoodservice.com/about/ ... odservice/

Keeping the sign companies busy I guess. The sign here already has both names (C&C/Smart Food Service).

Is this what used to be called United Grocers? It looks like they are open to the public, but it seems that at one point they used to be (under United Grocers) very strict about selling wholesale only to businesses.

Their locations tend to be off the beaten path, often in industrial areas.

Yes, these used to be the United Grocers Cash and Carry. I have never had any issues purchasing there as a non-business, though the door says, "wholesale only" or some such language.

I am not clear what sort of ID needed to be shown to prove you are a business since I was never asked for any. I see a lot of folks who are clearly restaurant employees in there buying things. Not sure if a name badge or business card would suffice or they would want a business permit or something. I always wondered, but nothing has ever been asked of me. The local store has great employees. It is like night and day compared to the really poorly run (and overpriced) Smart & Final Extra Store in town.

Here you used to need to present a state issued food handlers permit according to one of my friends but under (new owners?) current ownership they are open to the public.

In Portland I received a promotional mailer pitching the relocated NW Industrial location to the everyday person (Smart & Final, anyone?) for occasions where you might want hot dogs, etc.

Tigard's location is on a major commercial corridor, Beaverton-Aloha's is just off Tualitin Valley Hwy... so they've become a little more visible.

Been shopping there for years. Never been asked for anything to prove that I was a wholesale customer. It's open to the public.

I rarely have reason to shop there (every so often I might buy an item or two out of the restaurant supply department) but I know my mother and some of her sisters have purchased food there on occasion when they needed to "cater" a wedding in the family or something similar.

It's a great place to get food for company barbecues, family picnics, etc... Better prices than Costco. It's sort of like what Costco was when they first started.

Decided to stop in and check the local location out. Meh. I didn't think prices were all that great on a lot of items. Probably won't go back.

Super S wrote: ↑June 21st, 2018, 9:21 am Decided to stop in and check the local location out. Meh. I didn't think prices were all that great on a lot of items. Probably won't go back.

I have noticed (I went to the local store a couple days ago) prices have shot up 20-30% on many items I previously purchased there including some food containers, distilled water gallons, creamer, and some sparkling water cases. I did find some lower than I have seen before sale prices on a few items and picked those up.

The rebranding here consisted of new signs inside and out (even though the old signs said both Cash & Carry and Smart Foodservice).