Albertsons/Safeway 2018 & 2019: Openings and Closings

This is the place for general and miscellaneous posts on topics which might extend past the boundaries of any specific region. No non-grocery posts.
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Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Post by architect »

Yet another Randalls casualty in Houston, this time the store on Barker-Cypress:

https://communityimpact.com/local-news/ ... late-june/

Honestly, this closure is somewhat surprising. Even though this store was located directly across the street from an HEB and just down 290 from a Kroger which has expanded sometime in the last several years, it is still a high profile location which logically should be able to hold its own considering the residential growth in the area. At this rate, I would be surprised if we do not see a complete Houston pullout over the next year or so. Most of Randalls' remaining store base is concentrated west of downtown close to the 610 and Beltway 8 corridors (an area which HEB is increasingly invading), along with a few scattered stores in the Sugar Land/Fort Bend, the Woodlands, Kingwood and Clear Lake/League City areas (all areas where both HEB and Kroger are strong).
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Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Post by rwsandiego »

architect wrote: May 19th, 2018, 2:27 pm Yet another Randalls casualty in Houston, this time the store on Barker-Cypress:

https://communityimpact.com/local-news/ ... late-june/

Honestly, this closure is somewhat surprising. Even though this store was located directly across the street from an HEB and just down 290 from a Kroger which has expanded sometime in the last several years, it is still a high profile location which logically should be able to hold its own considering the residential growth in the area. At this rate, I would be surprised if we do not see a complete Houston pullout over the next year or so. Most of Randalls' remaining store base is concentrated west of downtown close to the 610 and Beltway 8 corridors (an area which HEB is increasingly invading), along with a few scattered stores in the Sugar Land/Fort Bend, the Woodlands, Kingwood and Clear Lake/League City areas (all areas where both HEB and Kroger are strong).
Something is amiss with the pics posted to Google Maps. They show a mix of Lifestyle 2.0 and pre-Lifestyle, all of which were posted in late 2017. Which decor package does the store actually have?
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Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Post by architect »

rwsandiego wrote: May 19th, 2018, 7:36 pm
architect wrote: May 19th, 2018, 2:27 pm Yet another Randalls casualty in Houston, this time the store on Barker-Cypress:

https://communityimpact.com/local-news/ ... late-june/

Honestly, this closure is somewhat surprising. Even though this store was located directly across the street from an HEB and just down 290 from a Kroger which has expanded sometime in the last several years, it is still a high profile location which logically should be able to hold its own considering the residential growth in the area. At this rate, I would be surprised if we do not see a complete Houston pullout over the next year or so. Most of Randalls' remaining store base is concentrated west of downtown close to the 610 and Beltway 8 corridors (an area which HEB is increasingly invading), along with a few scattered stores in the Sugar Land/Fort Bend, the Woodlands, Kingwood and Clear Lake/League City areas (all areas where both HEB and Kroger are strong).
Something is amiss with the pics posted to Google Maps. They show a mix of Lifestyle 2.0 and pre-Lifestyle, all of which were posted in late 2017. Which decor package does the store actually have?
This store definitely has Lifestyle 2.0, and even received new perimeter lighting under Albertsons, indicating that it had to be performing at least somewhat well under Safeway's leadership that Albertsons elected to invest capital in it. My guess is that Albertsons' changes ran off shoppers which had formerly been loyal to the store. The pre-Lifestyle photos on the Google listingare either old photos or potentially photos of The Woodlands Randalls on College Park, which has the same floor plan as the Barker Cypress store and still features pre-Lifestyle decor. Almost all Texas stores received Lifestyle remodels, there are only five Tom Thumb/Randalls stores open today which did not (obviously excluding stores since opened under Albertsons).
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Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Post by pseudo3d »

That's definitely a shame (first Randalls I tried visiting) and ousts Randalls from the Northwest Freeway corridor entirely, but I find it interesting that they considered relocating. Not that they've tried building any new stores in Houston, but....

(Also, what is the lease status for this store? It opened in 2001 but I don't know the lease terms. And what will happen to the gas station?)
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Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Post by Jeff »

Add another Albertsons: West Covina. Didn’t even know this store was closing. A former Luckys store that was remodeled a few years back. Been a supermarket since the early 1960s even maybe lAte 50s.

https://www.sgvtribune.com/2018/06/13/w ... se-friday/
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Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Post by a42887 »

Jeff wrote: June 16th, 2018, 6:39 pm Add another Albertsons: West Covina. Didn’t even know this store was closing. A former Luckys store that was remodeled a few years back. Been a supermarket since the early 1960s even maybe lAte 50s.

https://www.sgvtribune.com/2018/06/13/w ... se-friday/
It shares a parking lot with a Walmart that has a grocery section. Seems like the likely outcome, honestly.
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Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Post by storewanderer »

a42887 wrote: June 17th, 2018, 1:55 am
Jeff wrote: June 16th, 2018, 6:39 pm Add another Albertsons: West Covina. Didn’t even know this store was closing. A former Luckys store that was remodeled a few years back. Been a supermarket since the early 1960s even maybe lAte 50s.

https://www.sgvtribune.com/2018/06/13/w ... se-friday/
It shares a parking lot with a Walmart that has a grocery section. Seems like the likely outcome, honestly.
How long has the Wal Mart Supercenter been there? Did it start as a regular Wal Mart and more recently convert to a Supercenter? Store appears to have had the Lucky interior in 2007 then remodeled (pretty good remodel too) by Supervalu.
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Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Post by a42887 »

storewanderer wrote: June 17th, 2018, 12:53 pm
a42887 wrote: June 17th, 2018, 1:55 am
Jeff wrote: June 16th, 2018, 6:39 pm Add another Albertsons: West Covina. Didn’t even know this store was closing. A former Luckys store that was remodeled a few years back. Been a supermarket since the early 1960s even maybe lAte 50s.

https://www.sgvtribune.com/2018/06/13/w ... se-friday/
It shares a parking lot with a Walmart that has a grocery section. Seems like the likely outcome, honestly.
How long has the Wal Mart Supercenter been there? Did it start as a regular Wal Mart and more recently convert to a Supercenter? Store appears to have had the Lucky interior in 2007 then remodeled (pretty good remodel too) by Supervalu.
From Google Maps, looks like less than 10 years, maybe less than 5. Building was maybe a Best Buy before Walmart moved in?
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Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Post by SamSpade »

Find my reply in the "California" section that is specifically discussing the West Covina store.
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Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Post by klkla »

The Vons on State Street in Santa Barbara will close on September 14th. Vons has operated the store for 51 years. The article referenced below says that Bristol Farms will move into the space.

I'm surprised by this one. They are the last conventional grocer on upper State Street, which is a pretty wealthy part of Santa Barbara. A Ralphs that was a former Alpha Beta closed last year.

In that area you will have in addition to the Bristol Farms:
- Smart & Final (built as a Lucky, then became Albertson's which was divested to Haggen, and then Smart Final. Interestingly after the merger they opted to keep the Vons that is now closing instead of this store. They are across the street from each other).
- Whole Foods (former Circuit City)
- Gelson's (former A&P, Fazio's and Albertson's - which was divested when they merged with Lucky)
- Grocery Outlet (in the former Alpha Beta/Ralphs space)
- Trader Joe's

https://www.edhat.com/news/bristol-farm ... mbre-plaza
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