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Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Posted: January 28th, 2018, 9:19 am
by architect
pseudo3d wrote: January 27th, 2018, 9:43 pm The list has been updated with the closures and openings here. The Market Street opening didn't seem to gain significant press anywhere but the Facebook page, I guess it wasn't a "big" supermarket opening. Due to the fact that it was gutted by Walmart, it looks nothing like an Albertsons anymore. It also has a beer and wine bar on the premises. I wonder if it has the Whataburger condiments (previously an H-E-B exclusive), which were announced at around the same time at "select locations", whether this means "just the nicer locations" or "the markets that didn't have H-E-B in them".
Honestly, DFW has so much business growth going on at this point that the opening of a single supermarket rarely makes the news. The only exceptions tend to be locations which are significant due to location (such as the West 7th Tom Thumb in Fort Worth). Market Street as a whole also doesn't tend to get much media publicity around DFW, since most of the news media is concentrated in the city while their stores are exclusively in the suburbs at this point. Obviously, this would change if they ever decide to open stores in the urban parts of Dallas or Fort Worth.

I will try to make a visit to this store soon to get the scoop.

Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Posted: February 6th, 2018, 10:02 pm
by pseudo3d
An interesting exchange was found on Acme Style Blog.

Ps & Qs: [...]I find it interesting that Andrew Silverstein said Acme didn't open their stores well. It's not like they closed 20 stores in a year. Look at Stop & Shop, Key Food, and ShopRite. Their stores come and go.
Acme Style: Might want to give it a couple more weeks before [you're] so sure about that.
Anthony Lawrence: That comment worries me. Do we have reason to believe some more closures are coming up? I guess it's around the time of year they usually announce them.
Acme Style: I've received a few emails recently about some bad news is coming soon. Nothing is confirmed but the sources are very reliable.
Pseudo3D: It is about the time of year when store closures are announced. Already Vons, Safeway, Star Market, etc. have already announced closures, and I imagine it's no exception with ACME.
chris p: Bad as in catastrophic?
Ps and Qs: Acme Style... can you give a little bit of detail? I'd love to hear some of it.
Acme Style: I've already said too much. All we can do is wait for the official news to be released.

Obviously the North Jersey stores have not done well, but how catastrophic is the damage, I wonder? Would they really pull the plug on the whole North Jersey market? (Possibly, but that will look bad and contrary to internal reports of improving operations)

Personal prediction is that the Safeway Eastern/ACME divisions will officially merge with each other. As part of this, about 9-12 stores will close. Part of these are poor performers in Eastern, but by and large it will be ACME focused, and all of these are North Jersey.

Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Posted: February 6th, 2018, 10:20 pm
by storewanderer
I get the impression Safeway Eastern Division is run really poorly. I am not sure merging Acme with that would be a very good idea... I think Acme may actually be stronger operationally (they certainly run much cleaner and better organized looking stores...).

Also I do not think the DC Market and Acme's markets have much in common... geography is close but that is about the only constant; it is like a Chicago vs. Milwaukee; they are close, but you need different, very different, merchandising.

Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Posted: February 11th, 2018, 6:57 pm
by mbz321
pseudo3d wrote: February 6th, 2018, 10:02 pm

Obviously the North Jersey stores have not done well, but how catastrophic is the damage, I wonder? Would they really pull the plug on the whole North Jersey market? (Possibly, but that will look bad and contrary to internal reports of improving operations)

Personal prediction is that the Safeway Eastern/ACME divisions will officially merge with each other. As part of this, about 9-12 stores will close. Part of these are poor performers in Eastern, but by and large it will be ACME focused, and all of these are North Jersey.


I think there are a few older Acme locations (not A&P Converts) that may be in danger as well..either stores just off the beaten path, and/or stores that haven't been updated in a very long time. Acme seems to do well in Philadelphia itself due to limited competition, but save for some locations in more well off areas where people have more money than sense, they are just getting killed in the Philly suburbs...they are the most expensive chain near me and offer absolutely nothing unique. Wegmans on the higher end (even though Wegmans is arguably the cheapest grocer in the area) and some new Walmart Supercenters thrown in the mix hasn't been too good for them. That leaves Acme as nothing more as a giant convenience store to most people.

Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Posted: March 8th, 2018, 6:10 pm
by SamSpade
Latest discovered closure:
An Albertsons in Everett, Wash. I'm not sure if this was one of the stores cast off to Haggen in the initial merger.
https://myeverettnews.com/2018/03/06/al ... april-7th/

Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Posted: March 8th, 2018, 7:12 pm
by storewanderer
That store was not divested to Haggen.

Tired store.

Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Posted: March 9th, 2018, 6:52 pm
by storewanderer
Pueblo, CO Albertsons closing (former Grocery Warehouse with hispanic themed interior, probably was a Skaggs Albertsons in its day but the whole thing is occupied by Albertsons now). There is an old dumpy Safeway across the road (cardboard Lifestyle interior). I'm surprised they are keeping the dumpy Safeway and not doing a better remodel to the Albertsons which is much larger.

The one remaining Pueblo Albertsons is supposedly being remodeled. I wonder if that also means rebranding to Safeway.

That is 2 Safeways closed in Pueblo and 1 Albertsons closed. Albertsons was doing fine in Pueblo under the Southwest Division... I guess doing things the Safeway way as Denver Division has been doing, failed. No surprise.

Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Posted: March 11th, 2018, 8:44 am
by pseudo3d
storewanderer wrote: March 9th, 2018, 6:52 pm Pueblo, CO Albertsons closing (former Grocery Warehouse with hispanic themed interior, probably was a Skaggs Albertsons in its day but the whole thing is occupied by Albertsons now). There is an old dumpy Safeway across the road (cardboard Lifestyle interior). I'm surprised they are keeping the dumpy Safeway and not doing a better remodel to the Albertsons which is much larger.

The one remaining Pueblo Albertsons is supposedly being remodeled. I wonder if that also means rebranding to Safeway.

That is 2 Safeways closed in Pueblo and 1 Albertsons closed. Albertsons was doing fine in Pueblo under the Southwest Division... I guess doing things the Safeway way as Denver Division has been doing, failed. No surprise.
According to an article I read that store was originally built as a Gibson's discount store, then County Market, then became Grocery Warehouse around 2000 when Albertsons bought it. Still, it shows the inflexibility of Safeway by not properly marketing the store. With store closures starting up again, I'll probably update the list now.

Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Posted: March 13th, 2018, 3:05 pm
by High Plains Traveler
pseudo3d wrote: March 11th, 2018, 8:44 am
storewanderer wrote: March 9th, 2018, 6:52 pm Pueblo, CO Albertsons closing (former Grocery Warehouse with hispanic themed interior, probably was a Skaggs Albertsons in its day but the whole thing is occupied by Albertsons now). There is an old dumpy Safeway across the road (cardboard Lifestyle interior). I'm surprised they are keeping the dumpy Safeway and not doing a better remodel to the Albertsons which is much larger.

The one remaining Pueblo Albertsons is supposedly being remodeled. I wonder if that also means rebranding to Safeway.

That is 2 Safeways closed in Pueblo and 1 Albertsons closed. Albertsons was doing fine in Pueblo under the Southwest Division... I guess doing things the Safeway way as Denver Division has been doing, failed. No surprise.
According to an article I read that store was originally built as a Gibson's discount store, then County Market, then became Grocery Warehouse around 2000 when Albertsons bought it. Still, it shows the inflexibility of Safeway by not properly marketing the store. With store closures starting up again, I'll probably update the list now.
With the conversion of northern Colorado Albertsons to Safeway, my suspicion has been all along that the Pueblo Albertsons stores would either close or convert to Safeway. So, learning that the Albertsons on Highway 50 will be undergoing a remodeling, I'd be shocked if it isn't rebranded. As it is, the Albertsons weekly ad for the Pueblo Chieftain only covers the two stores in Pueblo. Are there even any other Albertsons stores left in Colorado east of the mountains?

Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Posted: March 19th, 2018, 10:00 pm
by storewanderer
There is still an Albertsons in Durango that is part of Denver division. It was just remodeled... with an Albertsons interior.

I don't get it either.

Though Denver Division is supporting a number of Albertsons-banner stores up in Wyoming.