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Re: NW Grocers and Winter 2021 Storm(s)
Posted: August 4th, 2021, 8:45 pm
by Super S
SamSpade wrote: ↑February 15th, 2021, 1:34 pm
I haven't seen stock issues in the Portland area, but I've mainly been on the westside suburbs where there was more freezing rain and a faster warm up than in town or near the Columbia River Gorge.
Speaking of the Columbia River Gorge, Albertsons Co's is in a pickle - their Troutdale, Ore. Safeway store's roof collapsed... and in the front portion of the store.
Multnomah County Sheriff's Office: Safeway
Apparently Safeway has decided not to reopen the Troutdale store:
https://pamplinmedia.com/go/42-news/515 ... not-reopen
Re: NW Grocers and Winter 2021 Storm(s)
Posted: August 4th, 2021, 10:31 pm
by storewanderer
This happened in Sparks, NV 12 ish years ago. There was an older Safeway which was on the small side and still had an early 80's interior. Safeway owned the building and had wanted to expand for years but could never work anything out with the surrounding tenants so the store just sort of sat outdated despite being a busy store. It had gotten some updated fixtures shortly before the roof issue (new checkstands and some newer produce fixtures) so I wondered if they were angling toward a Lifestyle remodel to the small store. Wrong neighborhood for that anyway.
One winter the roof collapsed and Safeway almost immediately announced they would not reopen. However they stabilized the roof and did a fixture sale. I went to the fixture sale and I don't even remember anything blocked off in there, but maybe it was something in the back room. Of course the building still got repaired and ultimately Safeway let the shopping center owner have the building and it was subdivided- initially it was supposed to be half Office Depot and half Dollar Tree with Fresh & Easy moving into what was the existing Dollar Tree space (which was right next to the Safeway building) after a substantial renovation to that space.
A Longs across the road which I don't think was even a great performer had the same issue at the same time/storm but Longs actually did a full remodel and reopened the store. It looked pretty good after the remodel. CVS closed that store and that was one of the only stores up in Reno area that Longs ever remodeled.
So I guess I find it funny- the building will still have to be repaired for another tenant to move in. So why not just keep it as Safeway? It seems like this is a way out of locations they don't want anymore.
Re: NW Grocers and Winter 2021 Storm(s)
Posted: August 5th, 2021, 8:25 am
by Super S
storewanderer wrote: ↑August 4th, 2021, 10:31 pm
This happened in Sparks, NV 12 ish years ago. There was an older Safeway which was on the small side and still had an early 80's interior. Safeway owned the building and had wanted to expand for years but could never work anything out with the surrounding tenants so the store just sort of sat outdated despite being a busy store. It had gotten some updated fixtures shortly before the roof issue (new checkstands and some newer produce fixtures) so I wondered if they were angling toward a Lifestyle remodel to the small store. Wrong neighborhood for that anyway.
One winter the roof collapsed and Safeway almost immediately announced they would not reopen. However they stabilized the roof and did a fixture sale. I went to the fixture sale and I don't even remember anything blocked off in there, but maybe it was something in the back room. Of course the building still got repaired and ultimately Safeway let the shopping center owner have the building and it was subdivided- initially it was supposed to be half Office Depot and half Dollar Tree with Fresh & Easy moving into what was the existing Dollar Tree space (which was right next to the Safeway building) after a substantial renovation to that space.
A Longs across the road which I don't think was even a great performer had the same issue at the same time/storm but Longs actually did a full remodel and reopened the store. It looked pretty good after the remodel. CVS closed that store and that was one of the only stores up in Reno area that Longs ever remodeled.
So I guess I find it funny- the building will still have to be repaired for another tenant to move in. So why not just keep it as Safeway? It seems like this is a way out of locations they don't want anymore.
The Troutdale store was built in the 1990s, and I am a bit surprised by this. Abandoning a store due to major damage sounds like something Kmart would do. This is actually a very visible location with a lot of growth potential.
Safeway and Albertsons, as separate companies, went on building sprees during the late 1990s and early 2000s in the Portland area, but in recent years seem to only be closing stores in the area.
Re: NW Grocers and Winter 2021 Storm(s)
Posted: August 5th, 2021, 10:04 am
by SamSpade
I wonder what this will mean for the Safeway fuel station at that location?!? They have so few around the Portland area already.
Nearby, there are a well-established Safeway in Gresham (1.9 miles / 7 minutes by car / 28 minutes by bus), an Albertsons in NE Portland (3.4 miles/9 minutes by car / 40 minutes by bus), and one in Troutdale (1.5 miles / 6 minutes by car / 20 minutes by bus).
Car accessible competition nearby include:
Walmart supercenter in Wood Village
Target with pFresh in Fairvew
Full-service Fred Meyer in Wood Village, Gresham
WinCo Foods in Gresham
Walmart Neighborhood Market in Gresham
Shortly after the Albertsons and Safeway merger, an aging Safeway closed near these locations, which is now subdivided into a
hydroponic nursery store and gym.
Re: NW Grocers and Winter 2021 Storm(s)
Posted: August 5th, 2021, 10:43 pm
by storewanderer
I wonder if next the Troutdale Albertsons gets rebranded to Safeway. Nice Albertsons there.
Re: NW Grocers and Winter 2021 Storm(s)
Posted: August 6th, 2021, 9:19 am
by babs
The issue.in that area is that the demographics aren't great. With the Safeway and Albertsons merger and the demise of the midmarket independent grocer, there aren't a lot of options for a replacement. We see that with other vacant Safe-bertsons such as in Milwaukee. High end stores that are still expanding like Trader Joe's and New Seasons aren't interested in areas like this. That leaves Grocery Outlet and WinCo who already have stores nearby. An Ethnic market might be the best bet. You can thank industry mergers and the fragmentation of the grocery business.
Re: NW Grocers and Winter 2021 Storm(s)
Posted: August 6th, 2021, 1:30 pm
by BillyGr
babs wrote: ↑August 6th, 2021, 9:19 am
The issue.in that area is that the demographics aren't great. With the Safeway and Albertsons merger and the demise of the midmarket independent grocer, there aren't a lot of options for a replacement. We see that with other vacant Safe-bertsons such as in Milwaukee. High end stores that are still expanding like Trader Joe's and New Seasons aren't interested in areas like this. That leaves Grocery Outlet and WinCo who already have stores nearby. An Ethnic market might be the best bet. You can thank industry mergers and the fragmentation of the grocery business.
Perhaps they need a cooperative group in that area. Look at areas in NY/NJ where A&P was until the chain's end - many of those stores have been reopened by people independently but as part of one of several groups that supply (Key Foods is a big one - they also bought several of the former A&P store names that these newly reopening stores can choose to use).
Re: NW Grocers and Winter 2021 Storm(s)
Posted: August 6th, 2021, 3:39 pm
by Super S
BillyGr wrote: ↑August 6th, 2021, 1:30 pm
babs wrote: ↑August 6th, 2021, 9:19 am
The issue.in that area is that the demographics aren't great. With the Safeway and Albertsons merger and the demise of the midmarket independent grocer, there aren't a lot of options for a replacement. We see that with other vacant Safe-bertsons such as in Milwaukee. High end stores that are still expanding like Trader Joe's and New Seasons aren't interested in areas like this. That leaves Grocery Outlet and WinCo who already have stores nearby. An Ethnic market might be the best bet. You can thank industry mergers and the fragmentation of the grocery business.
Perhaps they need a cooperative group in that area. Look at areas in NY/NJ where A&P was until the chain's end - many of those stores have been reopened by people independently but as part of one of several groups that supply (Key Foods is a big one - they also bought several of the former A&P store names that these newly reopening stores can choose to use).
I wonder though if we could see Rosauer's pick up a few locations, when you consider that they opened in Ridgefield, WA and have a store in Hood River. They seem to be an independent looking to grow, but there might be lease restrictions keeping out some of the competition even though the various shopping centers are now without a grocer.
Re: NW Grocers and Winter 2021 Storm(s)
Posted: October 27th, 2021, 6:24 pm
by Super S
I was in Gresham and Troutdale today and drove by a couple of the affected stores.
Old Navy's building was still closed, is boarded up, and all signs have been taken down. However, they do have a smaller, temporary location next to Best Buy nearby. The sign there is a temporary banner. It is unclear if the old store is going to be rebuilt but the signs on the building direct people to the new location. There is some kind of construction going on across the parking lot.
Safeway's building is still there, and closed. However, the Safeway gas station is still open, which I find odd.
I also drove by the Columbia Gorge Outlets. Lots of vacancies there.
Kmart's old Gresham store is still sitting vacant except for a furniture store, which was there long before Kmart closed.
Going back to Safeway, I have to wonder if they are keeping the gas station open at the site to prevent another grocer from moving in to that building, or if they are riding out a lease or something. Technically they still are a grocer...
Re: NW Grocers and Winter 2021 Storm(s)
Posted: October 27th, 2021, 10:31 pm
by babs
Old Navy has been downsizing some of their older, larger stores. This is their new location. They did the same thing in Beaverton where the closed a large, older store at Cedar Hills Crossing and reopened a new, smaller store at Cascade Plaza. There is also a Pet Supplies Plus, the first in Oregon, coming to Gresham Station.