Lucky Store Closing Pleasant Hill,CA
Lucky Store Closing Pleasant Hill,CA
The Lucky Store located 155 Crescent Plaza in Pleasant Hill,CA is closing on November 8th (2014). This store was slated to open in 1999 as a Lucky/Sav-On Drug combo store but that never happened as the Albertsons takeover was already underway and despite having the red and green Lucky wall decor opened as a Albertsons. This large store was situated in a "modern downtown development" with limited visibilty from Contra Costa Blvd. which is the main drag through Pleasant Hill. There is a Safeway about 3/4 of a mile away (former Fry's Supermarket) which is actually smaller in size than the Lucky. Orchard Supply Hardware is currently making plans to open a new store in the building once Lucky closes. The new Orchard Supply Hardware will replace the aging store on Monument Blvd. which was originally a Safeway SuperS combo.
Re: Lucky Store Closing Pleasant Hill,CA
I live very close to this Lucky store and I have lived in this area for over 3 decades. This Lucky was opened with the Jewel Osco Decor, which it still has to this day. I have documented the decor in many photos. Save Mart slightly repainted the decor on some walls back in 2007, but it is still the Jewel Osco decor that this store had when it opened. The Concord store several miles away was an almost identical twin to this store. The interior decor is almost exactly the same down to the floor tiles. The difference is that the Concord store has a very dark produce department with a warehouse ceiling over the produce. The Hayward Lucky store also has Jewel Osco decor.
These stores were planned by Lucky. They were supposed to open as Lucky stores and even before they opened there were signs posted that said Lucky was coming soon. Albertsons took over Lucky and the two stores opened with Albertsons signage.
These stores were huge and featured Starbucks cafes. Safeway executives saw these stores with their very popular Starbucks cafes and decided a few years later to add Starbucks cafes to all of their Safeway stores. The look and decor of these stores influenced Safeway's Lifestyle decor which premiered several years later. The Albertsons stores featured subdued lighting and spotlights instead of totally harsh fluorescent lighting.
After several years, the subdued lighting and spotlights were removed by Save Mart and more fluorescent lighting was added. The Starbucks cafe was also removed.
I am sad to see this store close, as it had very friendly and helpful employees. The problem with this store was that its parking lot was often crowded with movie theater patrons and that left no parking for grocery shoppers. Most people were forced to shop at the Safeway down the street. I will miss this store and most of all I will miss the cakes from the bakery. Lucky had the best cakes. I've tried cakes from all the major chains including Costco and Lucky is the best.
Concord Store:
These stores were planned by Lucky. They were supposed to open as Lucky stores and even before they opened there were signs posted that said Lucky was coming soon. Albertsons took over Lucky and the two stores opened with Albertsons signage.
These stores were huge and featured Starbucks cafes. Safeway executives saw these stores with their very popular Starbucks cafes and decided a few years later to add Starbucks cafes to all of their Safeway stores. The look and decor of these stores influenced Safeway's Lifestyle decor which premiered several years later. The Albertsons stores featured subdued lighting and spotlights instead of totally harsh fluorescent lighting.
After several years, the subdued lighting and spotlights were removed by Save Mart and more fluorescent lighting was added. The Starbucks cafe was also removed.
I am sad to see this store close, as it had very friendly and helpful employees. The problem with this store was that its parking lot was often crowded with movie theater patrons and that left no parking for grocery shoppers. Most people were forced to shop at the Safeway down the street. I will miss this store and most of all I will miss the cakes from the bakery. Lucky had the best cakes. I've tried cakes from all the major chains including Costco and Lucky is the best.
Concord Store:
Last edited by Alpha8472 on October 13th, 2014, 9:48 pm, edited 5 times in total.
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storewanderer
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Re: Lucky Store Closing Pleasant Hill,CA
I am really sad to hear this store is closing, this was the nicest store in Save Mart's entire network when you factored in the great decor package, the location, and everything.
This is also a high profile location. But parking and visibility are a challenge. I have noticed under Save Mart, the traffic seems lower than when it was Albertsons. But there is more competition now too.
But it did not open with the red and green interior. It opened with the Jewel interior. Basically aside from the hack job Save Mart did to the walls removing some fixtures and splashing purple paint around others, it has the original interior. This store, Concord, and a couple scattered Lucky South Stores with Jewel Interiors opened in 1999-2000 (Costa Mesa was another) were efforts by Lucky to improve its stores.
What a let down. I know the Concord Store is basically a clone but it wasn't as nice.
This is also a high profile location. But parking and visibility are a challenge. I have noticed under Save Mart, the traffic seems lower than when it was Albertsons. But there is more competition now too.
But it did not open with the red and green interior. It opened with the Jewel interior. Basically aside from the hack job Save Mart did to the walls removing some fixtures and splashing purple paint around others, it has the original interior. This store, Concord, and a couple scattered Lucky South Stores with Jewel Interiors opened in 1999-2000 (Costa Mesa was another) were efforts by Lucky to improve its stores.
What a let down. I know the Concord Store is basically a clone but it wasn't as nice.
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storewanderer
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Re: Lucky Store Closing Pleasant Hill,CA
I have posted photos of the Pleasant Hill Store as Albertsons and the Concord Store as Save Mart Lucky.
I have one photo of Pleasant Hill as Save Mart Lucky... I never really thought they'd close that store so I guess I didn't take pictures of it as Lucky...
http://storewanderer.blogspot.com/2014/ ... ll-ca.html
I have one photo of Pleasant Hill as Save Mart Lucky... I never really thought they'd close that store so I guess I didn't take pictures of it as Lucky...
http://storewanderer.blogspot.com/2014/ ... ll-ca.html