Safeway limiting produce offerings?

[Super S]

I stopped in to my local Longview, WA Safeway tonight (which I maybe do every 1-2 years) to see if they had something that Fred Meyer was out of, and wandered through the produce department. I will say that this was one of the most limited produce departments I have seen in a long time. The displays were few, with wide open spaces between, the variety just wasn't there, and the "lighting disaster" enhancements didn't help the appearance. The Fred Meyer across the street has a MUCH better, and far more extensive looking produce department. I'll even go far enough to say that WinCo's produce department, where it can be hit or miss, looked better. Heck, even Walmart seems to have a better selection.

I will also add that every item had a higher "non member price" in small print just below the "club" price. And the store was nearly deserted with only one checker open.

Safeway used to have a pretty decent looking (but expensive) produce department. I got the impression that sales volume has fallen enough that they are stocking just bare essentials so not as much produce just rots away.

The Fred Meyer across the street just began a big remodel. Makes me wonder if this location might be on borrowed time.

[klkla]

I noticed that they reduced their selection about a year ago here in L.A. I'm pretty sure it's related to a shrink reduction program.

[architect]

I noticed that they reduced their selection about a year ago here in L.A. I'm pretty sure it's related to a shrink reduction program.

I've noticed the same thing too in certain Texas stores. It is particularly noticeable at certain lower-volume Randalls locations in both Houston and Austin, where the produce selection pales in comparison to HEB (which is often very strong in produce, much of which is sourced regionally). The same thing has also happened in DFW, though primarily in lower-end areas with competitors offering far lower pricing. Regardless, it often pushes me to shop elsewhere, as local Kroger stores and other competitors almost never have this problem except at small locations.

[submariner]

I'm gonna move this to the non-region specific section for better visibility.

[rwsandiego]

Interesting observations, as both of my local urban Phoenix Safeways have great produce selections, as did the dinky VONS I used to shop at in San Diego. That said, a friend in Albuquerque mentioned her local Smith's ad Trader Joe's stores had out-of-stock issues. Maybe it is a product availability thing or, possibly in the Safeway examples, they pulled produce that doesn't sell.

[Super S]

I'm gonna move this to the non-region specific section for better visibility.

Fair enough...I haven't been to other areas and just was commenting about one of my local stores. I honestly wasn't aware the issue was widespread.

[storewanderer]

Interesting observations, as both of my local urban Phoenix Safeways have great produce selections, as did the dinky VONS I used to shop at in San Diego. That said, a friend in Albuquerque mentioned her local Smith's ad Trader Joe's stores had out-of-stock issues. Maybe it is a product availability thing or, possibly in the Safeway examples, they pulled produce that doesn't sell.

So far the NorCal Safeway produce departments look as they have for the past 5 or so years since right after Steve Burd retired and the stores were told to "stock departments better." They have a wide mix, iffy freshness unless it is an extremely high volume store, and the highest produce prices in the market. There are a few items I can only get at Safeway or Whole Foods in this market and half of the time I try to purchase at Safeway in multiple locations, the stuff is sitting in the refrigerator rotten. I give them a high five for effort in trying to have a wide mix but frankly it isn't working out with their pricing. They tend to keep items on the displays too long and freshness is impacted by them putting too much product out or putting new product on top of old in the vegetable area. Except in the case of the very high volume stores where things turnover quickly in which case they are excellent in quality. I think Safeway runs with high quality produce but then it gets messed up by stores that have too little labor to properly maintain the department and too high of prices to properly rotate product through strong sales. It seems the buying side is doing a good job, the labor allocation department is being stingy as always, and the pricing department is sending the fatal blow with highest in market prices that destroys the whole thing. However I do think Safeway has better produce in the NorCal market than either Save Mart (literal garbage) or Raleys (not great). Sprouts is probably the best produce option in NorCal.

I found the Arizona Safeways to have lousy produce departments. I was in a couple stores toward the east part of Mesa (which seemed to be low volume operations) as well as a couple rural locations outside Phoenix earlier this year and the produce departments had a limited mix, what was there was not particularly great looking, and not fresh. The biggest difference I saw in all those AZ Stores was typical Safeway has refrigeration on each "side" of produce for various vegetables and these stores were only using the refrigeration against the wall for the vegetables, the refrigeration on the side that goes into the rest of the store had long shelf life fillers like juice(and I'm not talking Naked or Odwalla) and bagged peanuts were also very prominently displayed in huge supply. Actually these reminded me more of an Albertsons produce department with their limited mix, not especially fresh looking product, and high prices. Fry's produce departments looked radically better on price, freshness, and mix, even in a couple of rather junky Fry's locations I went into.

I also found the OR/WA Safeways I went into last year to seem to have smaller produce departments and less product out than I was used to for Safeway. Again it reminded me more like an Albertsons produce department.

[Super S]

I will say that I haven't visited an Albertsons produce department since the merger with Safeway. But in past years, they were pretty good, although prices were often high, at least what they had was fresh.

I think the stores are becoming more inconsistent now though. Safeway (and to some extent Albertsons) seems to be surviving on name recognition only with gradual declines in the whole experience. More so at Albertsons, but this is carrying over to Safeway now. Safeway has often been arrogant in the way they operate, and lack of produce selection is yet another reason why they can't justify their high prices. Sometimes I wonder how they can keep so many locations open.

[rwsandiego]

...I found the Arizona Safeways to have lousy produce departments. I was in a couple stores toward the east part of Mesa (which seemed to be low volume operations) as well as a couple rural locations outside Phoenix earlier this year and the produce departments had a limited mix, what was there was not particularly great looking, and not fresh...

I've not shopped the East Valley Safeways other than the Tempe store, which has a good produce department, but your comments do not surprise me. The few times I stopped in a rural Safeway (Wickenburg stands out) the produce was terrible.

...The biggest difference I saw in all those AZ Stores was typical Safeway has refrigeration on each "side" of produce for various vegetables and these stores were only using the refrigeration against the wall for the vegetables, the refrigeration on the side that goes into the rest of the store had long shelf life fillers like juice(and I'm not talking Naked or Odwalla) and bagged peanuts were also very prominently displayed in huge supply...

One word: "Eeeew." That's the complete opposite of the stores I was referring to, McDowell at 7th Street and Osborn and 7th Ave. Both stores have very nice produce, but they are located in areas where the typical shopper buys more from the perimeter than from center store. The Camelback and 32nd St Safeway is the same. My little VONS (Adams Ave San Diego) has very fresh produce (meat and bakery, too) because the store was small, it served a desely-populated area, and the shoppers bought lots of produce.

... Actually these reminded me more of an Albertsons produce department with their limited mix, not especially fresh looking product, and high prices....

Oh, Albertsons produce! Where to start?

[storewanderer]

I think between Sprouts and Frys, they have done a pretty good job killing Safeway's produce volume in a lot of places around Phoenix. You have Sprouts with a huge mix and a lot of really hot prices. You have Frys with a decent mix and enough really hot prices to drive traffic (but not as many as Sprouts). Then you have Safeway with its outrageous prices. Why buy produce there?

I think about 4 years ago Kroger made the decision to cut its produce pricing (I think it was a direct response to Sprouts) and run hot ads on multiple produce items each week. They still have the very high Safeway-style prices prices on "specialty" type produce items (things like ginger root, more interesting apples, dragonfruit and that sort of thing) but on the basic onions, lettuce, peppers, boring apple types, tomatoes, they have cut everyday prices to be in line with Sprouts. Sprouts still often beats them on sale pricing, but then they will also beat Sprouts on some of their sale prices as well, to even that out. I am so glad Albertsons was not able to buy Sprouts out and screw up that format and its pricing into their debt ridden mess.

It is like here in Nevada. Safeway wants 1.99-2.49 for a simple leaf lettuce or head lettuce depending on the week. I can always get that at .99-1.29 at Sprouts or Smiths. Safeway wants 2.99/lb for cluster tomatoes which I can get at .77-1.69/lb at Sprouts or Smiths. Safeway has a 2.49 regular retail on a 1 pound bag of Signature Mini Carrots; those are .99 everyday over at both Sprouts (some packer brand) and Smiths (Kroger brand). It just goes on and on; the differences are huge and on numerous items. Even bananas Safeway wants .79/lb and those are .55/lb-.59/lb at Sprouts or Smiths. Sprouts just opened out in Sparks (nearest competitors are Raleys, Smiths, and Safeway) and Smiths ran produce ads with lower ad prices over there, Raleys ran ads with more produce items on sale, and Safeway did- nothing at all on produce. Same old outrageous prices. Except Safeway added some Boar's Head items to their deli at prices $2/lb higher than either Sprouts or Smiths who also have Boar's Head... Safeway's produce program is, frankly, a total joke due to its pricing. And most of its prices are so far off from the competition, they need to run 50% price cuts almost across the board to even be competitive. And you just can't cut prices 50% when you have $11 billion in debt to worry about.