Brookshire Grocery to buy 25 former Walmart Express stores for new format

[wnetmacman]

The new stores will be called Spring Markets, a nod to the chain's original Downtown Tyler, TX location.

Spring Market story

This will be a similar offering to the cousins that run Brookshire Brothers, who has an Express format. Of note, none of the stores BGC is purchasing cross into the BB market area. The store sizes are similar, and the offerings may be as well. No mention if they will offer gas, but I seriously doubt they'd have committed to this without being able to, and these are ready-to-go stores for them.

20 of the stores are in Texas, and 5 are in Louisiana; they represent approximately 25% of the stores Walmart closed.

[architect]

The new stores will be called Spring Markets, a nod to the chain's original Downtown Tyler, TX location.

Spring Market story

This will be a similar offering to the cousins that run Brookshire Brothers, who has an Express format. Of note, none of the stores BGC is purchasing cross into the BB market area. The store sizes are similar, and the offerings may be as well. No mention if they will offer gas, but I seriously doubt they'd have committed to this without being able to, and these are ready-to-go stores for them.

20 of the stores are in Texas, and 5 are in Louisiana; they represent approximately 25% of the stores Walmart closed.

Personally, I am excited to see if this format is successful. Brookshires understands small towns, and likely will be able to tailor their product selection to work well in these locations. I am curious to see what they do decor-wise. Brookshires has a nice new corporate decor package which they have been rolling out over the last several years, but it may be too much of an expense to renovate all of these locations prior to opening.

[wnetmacman]

They certainly do understand small towns. Of the 5 Louisiana stores they bought, none of the towns are more than 3200 in population. Only one is a parish seat (Colfax, population 1659), and none have access to a large regional retailer, though Iowa, Zwolle and Lake Arthur have the SE Texas company Market Basket in their towns. Mamou has an old Piggly Wiggly, and Eunice is 10 miles away. Colfax has almost nothing save for a small local mom and pop; the closest Walmart to them is in Pineville, a 25 mile drive.

Brookshire hasn't had stores smaller than 35000 square feet since the 90's. I will be interested to see how they merchandise these, and whether they have as large of a mix of general merchandise as Walmart did. In the Mamou store, it was about 60/40, but no large GM items, only basics. A typical supercenter is 70/30 at best. It was also very cramped, so I too will be interested to see what decor they're able to use.

[pseudo3d]

The new stores will be called Spring Markets, a nod to the chain's original Downtown Tyler, TX location.

Spring Market story

This will be a similar offering to the cousins that run Brookshire Brothers, who has an Express format. Of note, none of the stores BGC is purchasing cross into the BB market area. The store sizes are similar, and the offerings may be as well. No mention if they will offer gas, but I seriously doubt they'd have committed to this without being able to, and these are ready-to-go stores for them.

20 of the stores are in Texas, and 5 are in Louisiana; they represent approximately 25% of the stores Walmart closed.

It is interesting that they still don't really cross into the BB market area. Contrary to popular belief, they don't have clear-cut lines...David's (or former David's) stores are pretty close to the Dallas area (even in Princeton, TX, northeast of Dallas) and close to Brookshire market areas, while in Waco, WEST of the city (in McGregor) is a Brookshire Brothers, and SOUTH of the city (in Robinson) is a Brookshire's. Go figure.

[wnetmacman]

It is interesting that they still don't really cross into the BB market area. Contrary to popular belief, they don't have clear-cut lines...David's (or former David's) stores are pretty close to the Dallas area (even in Princeton, TX, northeast of Dallas) and close to Brookshire market areas, while in Waco, WEST of the city (in McGregor) is a Brookshire Brothers, and SOUTH of the city (in Robinson) is a Brookshire's. Go figure.

The David's purchase broke a lot of the rules related to the old gentleman's agreement not to cross. David's has a store in Alvarado, as does Brookshire's. Prior to that purchase, the rule was where one was, the other shall not be. For example, in East Texas, there is a Brookshire's in Overton, there was a Brookshire Brothers in Henderson, and there is a B&B Foods (BB Express) in Tatum. There are Brookshire's and Super 1 Foods stores in Kilgore, Longview and Marshall. It isn't a straight line, but a line, none the less.

In my many years of shopping with, and short period of being employed by BGC, the two do not speak of one another much. BB talks more openly about it, based on a college friend who worked for them. The rule was the same then. I kind of felt that David's was a strange purchase, and the opportunity may have been made to both companies. BGC was probably not interested in a store base that needed much work like David's. BB will take those stores on.

The BB Express stores are much like the Spring Market stores will be. Small town, but full service store. When the stores open here, I may go out to Mamou, LA and see what they're about.

[pseudo3d]

They finished converting the acquired stores.

http://supermarketnews.com/store-design ... onversions