Gelsons opening first of former Haggen locations January 14

[storewanderer]

I think Gelson's is a small step up from the original Haggens on service levels, pricing, overall product mix, and service, but the original Haggens have a very in depth private label program, scratch bakery program, nursery program, and larger prepared food (including Asian) program so in those regards the original Haggens may be a little more advanced.

But you are right they are similar and this is an interesting observation... execution is everything.

Rancho Mirage store sounds like a lot of fun. No wonder Safeway/Vons did not have much of a presence around there. Interesting Ralphs has such a presence, perhaps they better know how to manage locations like that.

[pseudo3d]

Was the Del Mar store an LLC remodel? My last trip to an Albertsons in Louisiana had a salad bar, and that was an LLC remodel.

The Del Mar store did receive a half-ass LLC remodel. It also was remodeled by Supervalu. And it was enlarged and remodeled by the original Albertson's, as well, after they bought it from Big Bear Markets. A number of the stores bought by Haggen were originally Big Bears (Del Mar, Carlsbad, Tierrasanta, San Ysidro, Pacific Beach and Coronado come to mind off the top of my head). I worked at their corporate offices when I was in College. Del Mar was Big Bear's #1 store and San Ysidro was #2 in sales volume at the time.

I thought Big Bear (California) was bought by Lucky, not Albertsons. A 1993 article mentions they were bought by Fleming and "a supermarket chain whose identity will be made public" at a later date. So...was Del Mar ever a Lucky?

[klkla]

I thought Big Bear (California) was bought by Lucky, not Albertsons. A 1993 article mentions they were bought by Fleming and "a supermarket chain whose identity will be made public" at a later date. So...was Del Mar ever a Lucky?

I had forgot the Fleming connection. I did a little research and it was hard to find details but it appears Albertson's bought at least four of the stores but not the entire chain as I had remembered. Albertson's was that 'supermarket chain whose identity will be made public at a later date'. Del Mar was not a Lucky.

The San Diego Union-Tribune archives showed a little how things unfolded but I didn't want to buy a subscription to see the entire article.

Big Bear union workers reject offer Author: MICHAEL KINSMAN Staff Writer
Date: October 5, 1993
Union employees of Big Bear Supermarkets have overwhelmingly rejected a proposal by company management to boost workers' pay in exchange for suspending benefit and pension contributions until the supermarkets are sold within the next two months."This apparently was offered in place of severance by the company," said Norm Bell, president of Local 135 of the Food and Commercial Workers union. "Obviously, that was totally unacceptable to our members."

Big Bear is still shopping for buyers
Little progress in selling all 24 stores by end of month Author: MICHAEL KINSMAN Staff Writer
Date: November 23, 1993
Through seven weeks of negotiations, operators of the Big Bear Supermarket chain have made little progress in selling its 24 grocery stores by its Dec. 1 target date. Only one transaction to sell four stores is near completion. Boise-based Albertson's is expected to purchase four Big Bear stores from the chain by mid-December. Meanwhile, Fleming Cos., an Oklahoma-based grocery wholesaler hired to arrange sales and financing of individual Big Bear stores, has not yet announced...

Wikipedia only has this regarding Big Bear (and they're not always reliable):
"From the 1950s, until its merger with Albertsons, shortly after a sale to Fleming Foods in the mid-1990s, supermarkets with the Big Bear name operated in San Diego County, California. Coincidentally, its demise occurred around the same time as that of the Ohio company (also called Big Bear)

[pseudo3d]

I thought Big Bear (California) was bought by Lucky, not Albertsons. A 1993 article mentions they were bought by Fleming and "a supermarket chain whose identity will be made public" at a later date. So...was Del Mar ever a Lucky?

I had forgot the Fleming connection. I did a little research and it was hard to find details but it appears Albertson's bought at least four of the stores but not the entire chain as I had remembered. Albertson's was that 'supermarket chain whose identity will be made public at a later date'. Del Mar was not a Lucky.

The San Diego Union-Tribune archives showed a little how things unfolded but I didn't want to buy a subscription to see the entire article.

Big Bear union workers reject offer Author: MICHAEL KINSMAN Staff Writer
Date: October 5, 1993
Union employees of Big Bear Supermarkets have overwhelmingly rejected a proposal by company management to boost workers' pay in exchange for suspending benefit and pension contributions until the supermarkets are sold within the next two months."This apparently was offered in place of severance by the company," said Norm Bell, president of Local 135 of the Food and Commercial Workers union. "Obviously, that was totally unacceptable to our members."

Big Bear is still shopping for buyers
Little progress in selling all 24 stores by end of month Author: MICHAEL KINSMAN Staff Writer
Date: November 23, 1993
Through seven weeks of negotiations, operators of the Big Bear Supermarket chain have made little progress in selling its 24 grocery stores by its Dec. 1 target date. Only one transaction to sell four stores is near completion. Boise-based Albertson's is expected to purchase four Big Bear stores from the chain by mid-December. Meanwhile, Fleming Cos., an Oklahoma-based grocery wholesaler hired to arrange sales and financing of individual Big Bear stores, has not yet announced...

Wikipedia only has this regarding Big Bear (and they're not always reliable):
"From the 1950s, until its merger with Albertsons, shortly after a sale to Fleming Foods in the mid-1990s, supermarkets with the Big Bear name operated in San Diego County, California. Coincidentally, its demise occurred around the same time as that of the Ohio company (also called Big Bear)

Thanks. I thought I had read Lucky had bought Big Bear (Lucky had bought several other smaller CA chains, I believe I read).

[klkla]

There's a little bit of video here for the second Haggen store that's opening tomorrow in Rancho Mirage. Looks like they're using the vinyl banners for temporary signage in this store, too. The biggest change from when it was a Pavilions/Haggen is that they have added a lot of lighting to the store.

http://www.kesq.com/news/First-Coachell ... g/37669072

[klkla]

I would think they will do very well in Rancho Mirage with the demanding customer. Hopefully they can cobble back together a good staff of employees as that will be the key to their success.

I wonder if they are keeping in-store Panda Express. I think that store had one, or maybe no?

Yes, the Panda Express is still there

I was just reading the first Yelp review for Rancho Mirage and the guy says "Well, first impression: It seems a lot more "open" than before. Maybe it's the fresh coat of paint, I don't know. There's no more Panda Express. No more Starbucks. Peet's Coffie will be filling that slot in the future. A few other things are in the works. The deli section is much larger now."

I wonder why the booted out Panda and Starbucks.

[pseudo3d]

I would think they will do very well in Rancho Mirage with the demanding customer. Hopefully they can cobble back together a good staff of employees as that will be the key to their success.

I wonder if they are keeping in-store Panda Express. I think that store had one, or maybe no?

Yes, the Panda Express is still there

I was just reading the first Yelp review for Rancho Mirage and the guy says "Well, first impression: It seems a lot more "open" than before. Maybe it's the fresh coat of paint, I don't know. There's no more Panda Express. No more Starbucks. Peet's Coffie will be filling that slot in the future. A few other things are in the works. The deli section is much larger now."

I wonder why the booted out Panda and Starbucks.

Panda Express I would imagine is not "upscale" enough. Why settle for average Chinese takeout when you can the space for gourmet prepared food concepts?
Starbucks tends to avoid chains not big enough, which is one of the things they talked about when stores were sold to Minyard Sun Fresh Market. Haggen got a pass because they were the first chain to actually have in-store Starbucks Coffee.

[storewanderer]

Starbucks kept its licensed kiosk inside "Missoula Fresh Market" in Missoula, MT a 3-store independent who bought two Safeway Stores in the merger.

Starbucks picks and selects what grocers they want to do business with.

Starbucks also has a licensed kiosk in a single store independent down in San Mateo, CA called Piazza's Fine Foods.

My guess is Gelson's wanted to bring a different coffee brand in who wasn't already so well represented down in SoCal. A point of differentiation.

The original Haggen Starbucks were not licensed; Starbucks operated as a tenant in the stores and had Starbucks employees, Starbucks cash registers, used the same supply chain as other Starbucks, etc. The Haggen Starbucks in Albertsons/Safeway locations were licensed operations (using Haggen employees, Haggen cash registers, Haggen supply chain, etc.).

[marshd1000]

There is also a licensed concept Starbucks at Ralph's Thristway in Okympia, WA. It is the only case where I have seen a Starbucks in a Thriftway in Washington State. But this particular store, even though there is a entrance inside the store, looks and feels like a corporate store, with the exception of the registers.

[veteran+]

I would think they will do very well in Rancho Mirage with the demanding customer. Hopefully they can cobble back together a good staff of employees as that will be the key to their success.

I wonder if they are keeping in-store Panda Express. I think that store had one, or maybe no?

Yes, the Panda Express is still there

I was just reading the first Yelp review for Rancho Mirage and the guy says "Well, first impression: It seems a lot more "open" than before. Maybe it's the fresh coat of paint, I don't know. There's no more Panda Express. No more Starbucks. Peet's Coffie will be filling that slot in the future. A few other things are in the works. The deli section is much larger now."

I wonder why the booted out Panda and Starbucks.

Oh wow! Just a couple of weeks ago before opening, it was still there.

Perhaps there was a negotiating issue with Panda (BTW, they did a pretty good business there but not high volume like some of their better located Pandas).

Side note: When I was there, Safeway was negotiating with Jamba Juice before the last remodel but negotiations fell apart.