Price Chopper, Tops to merge

[BillyGr]

I wonder if Shaw's made a bid for the Rutland store?

Rutland is an obvious gap in Shaw's coverage of Vermont. I wonder if they were looking to have a single entity take over all the divested stores instead of a piecemeal approach in order to wrap up the merger as soon as possible. I wouldn't rule out C&S flipping one or more of the acquired stores, although the union situation complicates things.

It seems logical to have one group take over all the locations (particularly since it's a fairly small number to begin with).

Certainly wouldn't be surprising if C&S then did sell off some, just as they did with the "original" Grand Unions after their bankruptcy. In fact, is may be more surprising that Shaw's didn't wind up with that one back then, as many of their stores in VT are ones that they did buy then.

Hard to believe Grand Union is being put onto these stores. I think they are doomed. C&S must be trying to build volume.

Might just be that, since they got that name by buying out the chain when it went bankrupt, it is the only "store" name they have handy to use?

Yes, I did see that the merger was completed with the new name of the combined company...Northeast Grocery Inc., a few days ago. (Hmm...maybe they can merge with SEG to be a East Coast grocery empire...I kid, I kid). Shaw's not making a bid for anything is reminiscent of Albertsons' strategy under Sankaran, investing in "technology" while not expanding or improving the chain. (Well, they did purchase Kings'/Balducci's, but...).

Not sure if there was any bidding involved, given that this is a merger and not a bankruptcy type situation. Those from Tops/PC may have just found someone to take the group as a whole (and then sell off some if they wish).

[rwsandiego]

...Yes, I did see that the merger was completed with the new name of the combined company...Northeast Grocery Inc., a few days ago. (Hmm...maybe they can merge with SEG to be a East Coast grocery empire...I kid, I kid)...

Then the new entity can merge with post-Bashas' Raley's and call it "NorthSouthEastWest Grocers."

OK, OK, enough kidding.

[veteran+]

...Yes, I did see that the merger was completed with the new name of the combined company...Northeast Grocery Inc., a few days ago. (Hmm...maybe they can merge with SEG to be a East Coast grocery empire...I kid, I kid)...

Then the new entity can merge with post-Bashas' Raley's and call it "NorthSouthEastWest Grocers."

OK, OK, enough kidding.

Love it!

[BillyGr]

...Yes, I did see that the merger was completed with the new name of the combined company...Northeast Grocery Inc., a few days ago. (Hmm...maybe they can merge with SEG to be a East Coast grocery empire...I kid, I kid)...

Then the new entity can merge with post-Bashas' Raley's and call it "NorthSouthEastWest Grocers."

OK, OK, enough kidding.

Love it!

Maybe they can find someone in the middle and just go for US Wide Grocers? Or, just take a page out of the C&S Playbook of bringing names back from the dead and go with A&P (after all, that does mean Atlantic and Pacific...).

[rwsandiego]

Then the new entity can merge with post-Bashas' Raley's and call it "NorthSouthEastWest Grocers."

OK, OK, enough kidding.

Love it!

Maybe they can find someone in the middle and just go for US Wide Grocers? Or, just take a page out of the C&S Playbook of bringing names back from the dead and go with A&P (after all, that does mean Atlantic and Pacific...).

LOL

There's always Schnuck's.

We've sort of circled back to:

After Stater Bros and Raley's merge, Bob Mariano will become chairman and the company will acquire Price Chopper/Tops, Big Y, both Market Basket chains, and both Brookshires chains. The company will change all stores to a new format called "Bob's," which will out-Wegman Wegman's. ...

Not sure about the rest of you, but I'd shop at Bob's.

[submariner]

Not sure about the rest of you, but I'd shop at Bob's.

How long before they merge with Bob's Stores and Bob's Discount Furniture to form the Holy Bob Trinity?