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Re: Albertsons LLC Decor on the way out?

Posted: October 15th, 2017, 9:23 am
by rwsandiego
wnetmacman wrote: October 15th, 2017, 5:26 am
storewanderer wrote: October 14th, 2017, 11:27 pm It also demonstrates a commitment to remain in that market if they are remodeling...
It could also demonstrate desperation to stay in the market. Sometimes operators remodel to try to gain business. I personally don't normally shop there because pricing isn't good and it is too far compared to stores that are more competitive. I know since the LLC remodels, business has gone down here.
The answer might lie in what the remodel looks like when it is done.

Re: Albertsons LLC Decor on the way out?

Posted: October 15th, 2017, 9:25 am
by storewanderer
I'm not sure why the LLC remodels would impact business. From what I've seen of LLC remodels they don't change the store much. It looks different (not really significantly different) but the store itself seems to stay the same. I wouldn't say the remodels do much, they still look almost as dated as the decor they replace. But, for example, when they remodeled the blue-gray Albertsons in Elko, NV into the LLC decor, it addressed a few issues such as a damaged sign out front, random missing departmental wall letters in the blue-gray, some missing or damaged floor tiles, and some really faded looking paint on some walls. Maybe they didn't need a whole remodel to address those things, but there was probably more I didn't see.

What I would expect impacted business down in LA would be moving the stores over to Safeway ad programs, Safeway private label programs, Safeway pricing programs, Safeway loyalty programs, and Safeway perimeter programs. All proven failure strategies that bleed customers over to competitors, notably Kroger and Wal Mart (had Safeway known what it was doing, they wouldn't have sold out to Albertsons in the first place).

Re: Albertsons LLC Decor on the way out?

Posted: October 15th, 2017, 12:05 pm
by architect
storewanderer wrote: October 15th, 2017, 9:25 am What I would expect impacted business down in LA would be moving the stores over to Safeway ad programs, Safeway private label programs, Safeway pricing programs, Safeway loyalty programs, and Safeway perimeter programs. All proven failure strategies that bleed customers over to competitors, notably Kroger and Wal Mart (had Safeway known what it was doing, they wouldn't have sold out to Albertsons in the first place).
In the DFW area, many Albertsons location have been gradually converted to the Safeway ad programs and product mix. As a result, there are essentially two classes of Albertsons stores in the market: those which are essentially a Tom Thumb with an Albertsons sign over the entrance, and those that have maintained their traditional Albertsons feel (dollar zone, expanded hardlines mix, a limited natural/organic selection, etc). The stores in the former category have noticeably struggled as their surrounding neighborhoods don't have the income levels necessary to support a full-blown Tom Thumb, yet the product mix and pricing is still completely out of touch with surrounding residents. My guess is that this same issue is happening in LA, particularly since the stores were being managed by the Randalls office for so long.

Re: Albertsons LLC Decor on the way out?

Posted: October 15th, 2017, 10:30 pm
by arizonaguy
In the Phoenix area, the most recent Albertsons remodels (in Surprise and Peoria) have been to the Colorful Lifestyle decor. The most recent Safeway remodels here also have the Colorful Lifestyle decor. The remodeled Albertsons feel like Safeways with an Albertsons banner (especially the Surprise one that effectively replaced the Safeway across the street). Albertsons still maintains a stronger hardlines (and expanded mix) versus Safeway. However, pricing is virtually identical at both chains now.

Re: Albertsons LLC Decor on the way out?

Posted: October 31st, 2017, 7:25 pm
by SamSpade
The local newspaper chose to highlight the coming Starbucks to the Layfayette locations. Phrasing is "small renovations" of the stores.
Starbucks to open 2 new Lafayette locations

I guess people really do see supermarket and Target Starbucks locations as if they were regular locations.

Re: Albertsons LLC Decor on the way out?

Posted: October 31st, 2017, 7:42 pm
by wnetmacman
SamSpade wrote: October 31st, 2017, 7:25 pm The local newspaper chose to highlight the coming Starbucks to the Layfayette locations. Phrasing is "small renovations" of the stores.
Starbucks to open 2 new Lafayette locations

I guess people really do see supermarket and Target Starbucks locations as if they were regular locations.
Well, it's published on the local newspaper, but they 'steal' it from a site called Developing Lafayette. DL was started by a guy who wasn't from here and never knew what was being built where. So he started the site in the hopes that his nosiness would pay off.

The problem is that his information is wrong about 50% of the time. He posted a floorplan with the ad, and a picture of a different store interior, assuming that the floorplan was the store shown. When I pointed out to him that he wasn't looking at the same store in both pics, he kind of blew me off and said it didn't really matter. He doesn't like being pointed out, and I've done it to him several times in the hopes he does his homework better.

They are currently remodeling 3 of the 4 locations in town. The floorplan he shows is for the Broussard store, and the picture is for the Johnston St. store.

Re: Albertsons LLC Decor on the way out?

Posted: November 10th, 2017, 1:02 pm
by pseudo3d
I noticed that Albertsons has rolled a new decor package in McCall. It's highly derivative of Lifestyle, taking elements from "Color Lifestyle", "Brown Lifestyle", and Lifestyle itself. It's weird, and still uses the original 2005 Lifestyle color palette.

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb ... 8QoioIeDAK

Re: Albertsons LLC Decor on the way out?

Posted: November 10th, 2017, 9:06 pm
by architect
pseudo3d wrote: November 10th, 2017, 1:02 pm I noticed that Albertsons has rolled a new decor package in McCall. It's highly derivative of Lifestyle, taking elements from "Color Lifestyle", "Brown Lifestyle", and Lifestyle itself. It's weird, and still uses the original 2005 Lifestyle color palette.

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb ... 8QoioIeDAK
This is also somewhat similar to recent decor used at Jewel-Osco.

Re: Albertsons LLC Decor on the way out?

Posted: November 10th, 2017, 11:40 pm
by storewanderer
Interesting hybrid decor. Merchandising is not at all Safeway-like though.

Major step up over Paul's.

Re: Albertsons LLC Decor on the way out?

Posted: November 11th, 2017, 6:41 am
by pseudo3d
storewanderer wrote: November 10th, 2017, 11:40 pm Interesting hybrid decor. Merchandising is not at all Safeway-like though.

Major step up over Paul's.
Gotta admit I'm not too familiar with the merchandising differences between Safeway and Albertsons other than fact that Albertsons tends to have a bigger selection with more non-food items. I also see that they have Boar's Head instead of the usual Dietz & Watson/Primo Taglio fare.