Store Locations Closed by Hurricane Harvey in Houston Area

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Re: Store Locations Closed by Hurricane Harvey in Houston Area

Post by architect »

pseudo3d wrote: October 8th, 2017, 9:44 pm
architect wrote: October 8th, 2017, 5:50 pm
pseudo3d wrote: October 6th, 2017, 1:21 pm

If they're in "active negotiations" I think that Randalls or JCPenney would fit the bill. Food Town's out, one of the things I heard about that store was how horrible the demographics were, and frankly, it was probably flooded to some extent as well. JCPenney's space may work, it's the last remaining piece of Meyerland Plaza as an outdoor mall (a renovation in the late 1990s converted the outdoor "dumbbell" mall to a strip center) but JCPenney isn't doing too hot and with that store probably out of commission as well due to flooding, they could take the way out. The parking lot isn't very conducive to a supermarket set-up, a department store could have parking on all three sides while grocery stores tend to better with just one. Unless they wanted a weird store with three entrances they would have to dramatically reconfigure the parking lot one way or another.

Randalls would also work, but it's also a small store at 55k square feet, something H-E-B would find unacceptable, so they'd also have to negotiate with the adjacent tenants to kick them out to reach something closer to 70k square feet. Albertsons losing money would tilt the deal in H-E-B's favor though since they actually compete in markets it would be difficult to see that without some sort of counter-offer like giving up leases they hold on former stores in Austin and others, or shaking down H-E-B for more money than what that Randalls store is actually worth.
For the JCPenney space, the stores in Meyerland Plaza were surprisingly not affected by flooding, or very little at most. The adjacent Target reopened almost immediately after the storm. If HEB was to take over the site, they would likely build the store close to the corner of Beechnut/Endicott, with the current JCPenney site used for parking. Or they could build a two level store across the current JCPenney footprint and the parking to the west, with parking on the ground level and the store above. I think that this is definitely a stretch, but still a possibility considering JCP's recovering financials and their need to divest real estate.

As far as the Randalls goes, the only was I could see the deal really working is if HEB was to buy the current Randalls store, the adjacent in-line stores, and possibly the Kohl's next door (Kohl's is in a similar position to JCP and is actively trying to downsize stores/reduce marginal stores). I agree that it would be extremely unlikely for HEB to take over the Randalls store as-is due to square footage and also the store's old age and generally poor condition. This is easily one of the most run-down Randalls locations that I have seen.

Side note: HEB has already announced via a press release to local residents that they will be opening a replacement Meyerland location in 2019, so it sounds like this deal is pretty far along already. In this announcement, HEB also stated that the (currently under construction) Bellaire store will be carrying a substantial Kosher product selection until the new Meyerland location opens, which may feature a Kosher bakery and deli. Apparently the Meyerland area is home to a large Jewish population, which also explains the Kosher deli at the nearby Randalls.
I can't find anything about Meyerland opening a replacement store after some searching. I was going to post this before RetailWatchers went down a few days ago, but "why reopen?" H-E-B's modus operandi is to replace smaller stores with bigger stores whenever possible (even for non-Pantry, two stores were axed in Waco for one Plus not too long ago). With Bellaire already being reconstructed (and not too far away), why is Meyerland even worth saving anymore? If H-E-B is saying that negotiations were underway and it could be ready by 2019, they probably had a replacement in the wings before Harvey, and THAT was probably new build (not replacing other retail). This is assuming that 2019 is not just a "at the earliest" year and there's actually no store in the works.

And yes, Meyerland does have a large Jewish population (even traditionally), you can see evidence of that in some of the strip mall stores near that H-E-B.
According to this thread, a two story HEB at Meyerland Plaza (complete with parking garage) is set to be announced shortly: http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif ... d-heb-rip/
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Re: Store Locations Closed by Hurricane Harvey in Houston Area

Post by architect »

A Google use has posted photos of the interior of the Cypresswood/249 store. It appears that almost all materials have been removed, including flooring, drywall for several feet up, and even ceiling tiles. In the photos, the concrete floors have been polished, likely indicating that they plan to leave it this way. Also, decor has been removed and partially painted over, so my guess if that this store is receiving a decor swap in the process (most likely to the new decor seen in both SoCal and several other Texas stores, including in Houston).

Links to photos:

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.9833675 ... 1920?hl=en

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.9833675 ... 1920?hl=en
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Re: Store Locations Closed by Hurricane Harvey in Houston Area

Post by architect »

Update: The Kingwood Randalls which closed due to Harvey flooding is set to reopen this Wednesday. Hopefully, we will have new decor/store features to see.
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Re: Store Locations Closed by Hurricane Harvey in Houston Area

Post by pseudo3d »

architect wrote: November 12th, 2017, 1:20 pm Update: The Kingwood Randalls which closed due to Harvey flooding is set to reopen this Wednesday. Hopefully, we will have new decor/store features to see.
Likely TX/FL decor (if not, Color Lifestyle), if any new features possibly a pizza station. Wouldn't count on much else.
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Re: Store Locations Closed by Hurricane Harvey in Houston Area

Post by architect »

pseudo3d wrote: November 13th, 2017, 10:00 am
architect wrote: November 12th, 2017, 1:20 pm Update: The Kingwood Randalls which closed due to Harvey flooding is set to reopen this Wednesday. Hopefully, we will have new decor/store features to see.
Likely TX/FL decor (if not, Color Lifestyle), if any new features possibly a pizza station. Wouldn't count on much else.
Actually, outside of the Midtown Randalls, all of the Randalls/Tom Thumb stores which have renovated from Lifestyle decor have transitioned to Colorful Lifestyle, so my money is on that. Outside of the Midtown store, only new build stores and Albertsons/Fresh Market conversions have received Florida decor.
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Re: Store Locations Closed by Hurricane Harvey in Houston Area

Post by pseudo3d »

And the winner is...Color Lifestyle!

ABC13 has a video on their website [http://abc13.com/community-events/kingw ... y/2650914/] showing the new store. The color scheme seems to be a lot brighter than the old Lifestyle, seems they changed the flooring too to more of a cream-colored tile than the brownish tile Lifestyle stores had. It makes the store seem really bright.

Remarks:
- They say the ribbon-cutting was at 7am and "major crowds were expected" but the store crowds don't seem especially big. Still, though, with the H-E-B disabled until sometime in 2018, they will benefit (and this was early morning with few crowds).
- Interestingly, this is about the 17th anniversary of this Randalls, it opened mid-November 2000 (since it was Safeway built it was not built with New Generation's layout).
- The bags are slightly different than what they were in early 2016, with the Randalls logo reflecting what it is on the website now, no longer white text in a blue background but just blue text. (Weirdly, Tom Thumb still has their 1992 logo with the blue background).
- There's no particularly special features advertised, which is a bit disappointing. However, it was the news reporter just advertising that the store has reopened, not a manager running around with a camera and focusing on the deli and fresh cut fruit bowls, so it's still possible it has other niceties.
- With the flood disabling a lot of the smaller stores on either side of the store, Randalls should've bought the leases out to enable an expansion. No doubt the new location of the H-E-B caused a hurt in business (before H-E-B moved, the Randalls was actually slightly larger), but Albertsons just doesn't seem to be interested in really large stores, especially by following Safeway's merchandise mix (and accompanying smaller stores on average), which is a huge shame as Randalls was not only top-tier but had the largest conventional supermarkets, building 60k-80k square feet stores in the early 1990s as Kroger and AppleTree were pushing around stores that didn't top 50k square feet.
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Re: Store Locations Closed by Hurricane Harvey in Houston Area

Post by architect »

pseudo3d wrote: November 15th, 2017, 8:19 am And the winner is...Color Lifestyle!

ABC13 has a video on their website [http://abc13.com/community-events/kingw ... y/2650914/] showing the new store. The color scheme seems to be a lot brighter than the old Lifestyle, seems they changed the flooring too to more of a cream-colored tile than the brownish tile Lifestyle stores had. It makes the store seem really bright.

Remarks:
- They say the ribbon-cutting was at 7am and "major crowds were expected" but the store crowds don't seem especially big. Still, though, with the H-E-B disabled until sometime in 2018, they will benefit (and this was early morning with few crowds).
- Interestingly, this is about the 17th anniversary of this Randalls, it opened mid-November 2000 (since it was Safeway built it was not built with New Generation's layout).
- The bags are slightly different than what they were in early 2016, with the Randalls logo reflecting what it is on the website now, no longer white text in a blue background but just blue text. (Weirdly, Tom Thumb still has their 1992 logo with the blue background).
- There's no particularly special features advertised, which is a bit disappointing. However, it was the news reporter just advertising that the store has reopened, not a manager running around with a camera and focusing on the deli and fresh cut fruit bowls, so it's still possible it has other niceties.
- With the flood disabling a lot of the smaller stores on either side of the store, Randalls should've bought the leases out to enable an expansion. No doubt the new location of the H-E-B caused a hurt in business (before H-E-B moved, the Randalls was actually slightly larger), but Albertsons just doesn't seem to be interested in really large stores, especially by following Safeway's merchandise mix (and accompanying smaller stores on average), which is a huge shame as Randalls was not only top-tier but had the largest conventional supermarkets, building 60k-80k square feet stores in the early 1990s as Kroger and AppleTree were pushing around stores that didn't top 50k square feet.
Overall, I'm pretty impressed. The new decor and flooring really help to bring life back into this store. My worry is that Albertsons is going to skimp on this opportunity to impress while HEB is out of commission. Having the nicest store environment in the area won't matter if your prices are still far too high and staffing is lean.

Also, this store was actually constructed in the early 90's, as this is an early New-Generation prototype. If you look off in the distance in the video, you can actually see the service bakery/deli/produce departments separated from the rest of the store, to the right as you enter. Other stores with variations of this design include stores in The Woodlands, Clear Lake, League City, Dallas and Plano, along with at least one former location in Lufkin; sloped ceilings in these service departments are a dead giveaway. You may be confusing this store with the other Kingwood Randall's, which was built in the late 90's-early 2000's around the time of the Safeway acquisition.
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Re: Store Locations Closed by Hurricane Harvey in Houston Area

Post by pseudo3d »

architect wrote: November 15th, 2017, 9:46 am
pseudo3d wrote: November 15th, 2017, 8:19 am And the winner is...Color Lifestyle!

ABC13 has a video on their website [http://abc13.com/community-events/kingw ... y/2650914/] showing the new store. The color scheme seems to be a lot brighter than the old Lifestyle, seems they changed the flooring too to more of a cream-colored tile than the brownish tile Lifestyle stores had. It makes the store seem really bright.

Remarks:
- They say the ribbon-cutting was at 7am and "major crowds were expected" but the store crowds don't seem especially big. Still, though, with the H-E-B disabled until sometime in 2018, they will benefit (and this was early morning with few crowds).
- Interestingly, this is about the 17th anniversary of this Randalls, it opened mid-November 2000 (since it was Safeway built it was not built with New Generation's layout).
- The bags are slightly different than what they were in early 2016, with the Randalls logo reflecting what it is on the website now, no longer white text in a blue background but just blue text. (Weirdly, Tom Thumb still has their 1992 logo with the blue background).
- There's no particularly special features advertised, which is a bit disappointing. However, it was the news reporter just advertising that the store has reopened, not a manager running around with a camera and focusing on the deli and fresh cut fruit bowls, so it's still possible it has other niceties.
- With the flood disabling a lot of the smaller stores on either side of the store, Randalls should've bought the leases out to enable an expansion. No doubt the new location of the H-E-B caused a hurt in business (before H-E-B moved, the Randalls was actually slightly larger), but Albertsons just doesn't seem to be interested in really large stores, especially by following Safeway's merchandise mix (and accompanying smaller stores on average), which is a huge shame as Randalls was not only top-tier but had the largest conventional supermarkets, building 60k-80k square feet stores in the early 1990s as Kroger and AppleTree were pushing around stores that didn't top 50k square feet.
Overall, I'm pretty impressed. The new decor and flooring really help to bring life back into this store. My worry is that Albertsons is going to skimp on this opportunity to impress while HEB is out of commission. Having the nicest store environment in the area won't matter if your prices are still far too high and staffing is lean.

Also, this store was actually constructed in the early 90's, as this is an early New-Generation prototype. If you look off in the distance in the video, you can actually see the service bakery/deli/produce departments separated from the rest of the store, to the right as you enter. Other stores with variations of this design include stores in The Woodlands, Clear Lake, League City, Dallas and Plano, along with at least one former location in Lufkin; sloped ceilings in these service departments are a dead giveaway. You may be confusing this store with the other Kingwood Randall's, which was built in the late 90's-early 2000's around the time of the Safeway acquisition.
Hmm. It looks like you're right, and the store (Randalls 1057 at 4540 Kingwood) is the same prototype that opened in College Station, and based on the numbering and how they opened stores seems to have opened in 1992 or 1993. I must have been thrown off when reading another article that the Albertsons catty-corner to THIS Randalls opened around the same time the other time the other Randalls opened. I'm not sure about what was there before Albertsons (the original location of the Kingwood H-E-B before it moved across the street) but Google Earth's facade seems to suggest an older Randalls but there's too much evidence to the contrary. It's a mystery, and one that can be researched at a later date (realistically, it's probably another groce. That almost makes Randalls even more disappointing since the original New Generation stores had all sorts of nifty features that vanished from Randalls after Safeway's purchase. Pragmatically, putting "nifty features" in this store would have pushed the opening back, and it's more important to get it opened first, but I still feel like they're missing an opportunity here.

In also looking at maps, if you turn on the map layer on Google Maps, you can see that H-E-B's properties contained two small lakes, which were part of an apartment complex (Kings Crossing Apartments). Given that there was no detention pond developed at the newer H-E-B and its nearby retail stores one wonders if that had anything to do with H-E-B flooding more than the Randalls did.
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Re: Store Locations Closed by Hurricane Harvey in Houston Area

Post by architect »

pseudo3d wrote: November 15th, 2017, 12:16 pm
architect wrote: November 15th, 2017, 9:46 am
pseudo3d wrote: November 15th, 2017, 8:19 am And the winner is...Color Lifestyle!

ABC13 has a video on their website [http://abc13.com/community-events/kingw ... y/2650914/] showing the new store. The color scheme seems to be a lot brighter than the old Lifestyle, seems they changed the flooring too to more of a cream-colored tile than the brownish tile Lifestyle stores had. It makes the store seem really bright.

Remarks:
- They say the ribbon-cutting was at 7am and "major crowds were expected" but the store crowds don't seem especially big. Still, though, with the H-E-B disabled until sometime in 2018, they will benefit (and this was early morning with few crowds).
- Interestingly, this is about the 17th anniversary of this Randalls, it opened mid-November 2000 (since it was Safeway built it was not built with New Generation's layout).
- The bags are slightly different than what they were in early 2016, with the Randalls logo reflecting what it is on the website now, no longer white text in a blue background but just blue text. (Weirdly, Tom Thumb still has their 1992 logo with the blue background).
- There's no particularly special features advertised, which is a bit disappointing. However, it was the news reporter just advertising that the store has reopened, not a manager running around with a camera and focusing on the deli and fresh cut fruit bowls, so it's still possible it has other niceties.
- With the flood disabling a lot of the smaller stores on either side of the store, Randalls should've bought the leases out to enable an expansion. No doubt the new location of the H-E-B caused a hurt in business (before H-E-B moved, the Randalls was actually slightly larger), but Albertsons just doesn't seem to be interested in really large stores, especially by following Safeway's merchandise mix (and accompanying smaller stores on average), which is a huge shame as Randalls was not only top-tier but had the largest conventional supermarkets, building 60k-80k square feet stores in the early 1990s as Kroger and AppleTree were pushing around stores that didn't top 50k square feet.
Overall, I'm pretty impressed. The new decor and flooring really help to bring life back into this store. My worry is that Albertsons is going to skimp on this opportunity to impress while HEB is out of commission. Having the nicest store environment in the area won't matter if your prices are still far too high and staffing is lean.

Also, this store was actually constructed in the early 90's, as this is an early New-Generation prototype. If you look off in the distance in the video, you can actually see the service bakery/deli/produce departments separated from the rest of the store, to the right as you enter. Other stores with variations of this design include stores in The Woodlands, Clear Lake, League City, Dallas and Plano, along with at least one former location in Lufkin; sloped ceilings in these service departments are a dead giveaway. You may be confusing this store with the other Kingwood Randall's, which was built in the late 90's-early 2000's around the time of the Safeway acquisition.
Hmm. It looks like you're right, and the store (Randalls 1057 at 4540 Kingwood) is the same prototype that opened in College Station, and based on the numbering and how they opened stores seems to have opened in 1992 or 1993. I must have been thrown off when reading another article that the Albertsons catty-corner to THIS Randalls opened around the same time the other time the other Randalls opened. I'm not sure about what was there before Albertsons (the original location of the Kingwood H-E-B before it moved across the street) but Google Earth's facade seems to suggest an older Randalls but there's too much evidence to the contrary. It's a mystery, and one that can be researched at a later date (realistically, it's probably another groce. That almost makes Randalls even more disappointing since the original New Generation stores had all sorts of nifty features that vanished from Randalls after Safeway's purchase. Pragmatically, putting "nifty features" in this store would have pushed the opening back, and it's more important to get it opened first, but I still feel like they're missing an opportunity here.

In also looking at maps, if you turn on the map layer on Google Maps, you can see that H-E-B's properties contained two small lakes, which were part of an apartment complex (Kings Crossing Apartments). Given that there was no detention pond developed at the newer H-E-B and its nearby retail stores one wonders if that had anything to do with H-E-B flooding more than the Randalls did.
The original HEB (former Albertsons) across the street was clearly built in the late 90's-early 2000's, as its store design with distinct entrance/exit doors along with lease spaces in front was a common floor plan during the era. Another grocer might have operated at the location previously, but if so, the building was clearly torn down and rebuilt as an Albertsons.

As far as the new HEB's flooding goes, there are likely underground detention tanks which serve the same purpose. These are just as effective, but just generally avoided due to cost.

Also, a few other things that I missed in the video earlier:
- The store received some new lighting during the rebuild. From what I can tell, the 2x2 lay-in fixtures over the registers were replaced with fluorescent strips (the much nicer ones used in the DC region with reflectors). In addition, the tacky Kmart-style strips used in DFW were also used for the areas by the entrance with low ceilings (the deli/bakery/produce areas had already received these same fixtures during a previous revamp). Although I wish that these fixtures were nicer, at least they really help to brighten up the space.
- The checkstands are actually a mix of multiple stiles, with some being black while others are maroon. The maroon ones appear to be leftovers from a closed Albertsons, as they feature Albertsons' once common circular bagging carousel.
- Specialty features at this store were likely not highlighted simply due to the fact that they were in existence prior to the store's forced closure via Harvey. These early New Generation stores tended to have every amenity available within the company at the time, as the design was reserved exclusively for the best locations. As far New Generation stores were built, the format was somewhat watered down.
- Low perceived crowds are likely simply due to the fact that many local residents are currently unable to return to their houses, reducing the local population in the area. Traffic should pick up in the coming months.
- The bags you noticed have actually been used at Randalls ever since their 50th anniversary celebration last year, which instituted a new blue-on-white logo design. Although the bags no longer have the anniversary infomation, they kept a similar logo.
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Re: Store Locations Closed by Hurricane Harvey in Houston Area

Post by pseudo3d »

architect wrote: November 15th, 2017, 8:45 pm
pseudo3d wrote: November 15th, 2017, 12:16 pm
architect wrote: November 15th, 2017, 9:46 am

Overall, I'm pretty impressed. The new decor and flooring really help to bring life back into this store. My worry is that Albertsons is going to skimp on this opportunity to impress while HEB is out of commission. Having the nicest store environment in the area won't matter if your prices are still far too high and staffing is lean.

Also, this store was actually constructed in the early 90's, as this is an early New-Generation prototype. If you look off in the distance in the video, you can actually see the service bakery/deli/produce departments separated from the rest of the store, to the right as you enter. Other stores with variations of this design include stores in The Woodlands, Clear Lake, League City, Dallas and Plano, along with at least one former location in Lufkin; sloped ceilings in these service departments are a dead giveaway. You may be confusing this store with the other Kingwood Randall's, which was built in the late 90's-early 2000's around the time of the Safeway acquisition.
Hmm. It looks like you're right, and the store (Randalls 1057 at 4540 Kingwood) is the same prototype that opened in College Station, and based on the numbering and how they opened stores seems to have opened in 1992 or 1993. I must have been thrown off when reading another article that the Albertsons catty-corner to THIS Randalls opened around the same time the other time the other Randalls opened. I'm not sure about what was there before Albertsons (the original location of the Kingwood H-E-B before it moved across the street) but Google Earth's facade seems to suggest an older Randalls but there's too much evidence to the contrary. It's a mystery, and one that can be researched at a later date (realistically, it's probably another groce. That almost makes Randalls even more disappointing since the original New Generation stores had all sorts of nifty features that vanished from Randalls after Safeway's purchase. Pragmatically, putting "nifty features" in this store would have pushed the opening back, and it's more important to get it opened first, but I still feel like they're missing an opportunity here.

In also looking at maps, if you turn on the map layer on Google Maps, you can see that H-E-B's properties contained two small lakes, which were part of an apartment complex (Kings Crossing Apartments). Given that there was no detention pond developed at the newer H-E-B and its nearby retail stores one wonders if that had anything to do with H-E-B flooding more than the Randalls did.
The original HEB (former Albertsons) across the street was clearly built in the late 90's-early 2000's, as its store design with distinct entrance/exit doors along with lease spaces in front was a common floor plan during the era. Another grocer might have operated at the location previously, but if so, the building was clearly torn down and rebuilt as an Albertsons.

As far as the new HEB's flooding goes, there are likely underground detention tanks which serve the same purpose. These are just as effective, but just generally avoided due to cost.

Also, a few other things that I missed in the video earlier:
- The store received some new lighting during the rebuild. From what I can tell, the 2x2 lay-in fixtures over the registers were replaced with fluorescent strips (the much nicer ones used in the DC region with reflectors). In addition, the tacky Kmart-style strips used in DFW were also used for the areas by the entrance with low ceilings (the deli/bakery/produce areas had already received these same fixtures during a previous revamp). Although I wish that these fixtures were nicer, at least they really help to brighten up the space.
- The checkstands are actually a mix of multiple stiles, with some being black while others are maroon. The maroon ones appear to be leftovers from a closed Albertsons, as they feature Albertsons' once common circular bagging carousel.
- Specialty features at this store were likely not highlighted simply due to the fact that they were in existence prior to the store's forced closure via Harvey. These early New Generation stores tended to have every amenity available within the company at the time, as the design was reserved exclusively for the best locations. As far New Generation stores were built, the format was somewhat watered down.
- Low perceived crowds are likely simply due to the fact that many local residents are currently unable to return to their houses, reducing the local population in the area. Traffic should pick up in the coming months.
- The bags you noticed have actually been used at Randalls ever since their 50th anniversary celebration last year, which instituted a new blue-on-white logo design. Although the bags no longer have the anniversary infomation, they kept a similar logo.
I noticed the lighting too, but not the checkstands. Good catch! I think I saw a shortened video on ABC13, earlier in the morning, because I didn't see the circular checkstands nor other stuff. They must have shipped them from across somewhere else, possibly Louisiana, because in terms of traditional Albertsons stores, those all closed years ago. A few successor stores from the Houston Division (that is, the original Houston Division) like Food Town use the Albertsons checkstands, but those have possibly shipped from across state lines.

I also notice that everyone is using black uniforms instead of the Lifestyle uniforms used in early 2016.

They didn't have the bags at Randalls when they started the 50th Anniversary sometime around May of last year, none of the bags I have are of that design, even though receipts were different. Also, Safeway removed a lot of the Randalls features as a whole, never to be seen again except in very rare cases (like Midtown offering hamburgers again). Such features included in-store smokehouses, more extensive hot food offerings (most everything is pre-packaged and/or deep-fried), and many others (the Flagships had even more interesting offerings, like full-service restaurants).

I am disappointed that they didn't look at the perishables. Boar's Head has been slowly but surely popping up throughout Albertsons Cos. stores, and the loss of Boar's Head from Randalls (again, one of the things Safeway altered) has often been cited as what caused the downfall of the chain. Obviously at this point the damage has been done but I still wish I had an answer to that...

EDIT: As for the Albertsons catty-corner, the original building built in the mid-1980s was torn down and rebuilt as an Albertsons, which opened in February 2001 and closed in April the next year. It was new-build like Albertsons stores usually are.
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