Lucky brand item at Save Mart Lucky

[storewanderer]

I was in some Save Mart Lucky locations tonight. One of them had a pallet full of Lucky Organic Compost out front. This is the only "Lucky" branded item that Save Mart carries.

Also, this is the only item I have ever seen in a Save Mart brand.

Also, they are now carrying Valu Time (I guess the Maxx Value label that Save Mart developed is gone) and Full Circle Organic (I guess Sunny Select Organic is gone). It appears Save Mart is having financial problems.

[Alpha8472]

Save Mart recently became a Topco member. Raley's is also a Topco Member and I believe that Raley's is the one that influenced Save Mart to join. Topco is high quality stuff. They have a huge line of products from drug store items to organics. Full Circle organic is great. Raley's has lots of Full Circle organic products. Valu time is yet another Topco brand. The product selection at Lucky is becoming much more like Raley's recently.

Here is a selection of the products from Topco:
http://www.findownersearch.com/owner/to ... c/2010723/
http://www.findownersearch.com/owner/to ... c/2010997/

Images of brands:
http://www.topco.com/corporate.htm

If I am not mistaken, Topco also makes products branded with the specific supermarket name.

[storewanderer]

TopCo products are not high quality at all. They are a lower-mid quality private label provider. Their private label product quality is on the lower end; worse than what Kroger and Safeway offer.

I've had the opportunity to buy some of the Raleys branded items (sourced through TopCo) and I won't be buying any more of them unless I am aware of the coding on the package and can make out that it is produced in the same spot that an identical Kroger or Safeway item that has been satisfactory quality. Scolaris sells TopCo's Food Club label and again I have not been impressed in the slightest.

Some of Kroger's items are questionable, but I've rarely had stuff so bad I'll throw it out as I have had with the Raleys stuff. Safeway, back when I used to do most shopping there 5-6 years ago, was virtually always excellent quality on private label items. I doubt that has changed.

I suspect Save Mart's influence to join TopCo is financial problems and an inability to source brands on their own. A 250 store chain should be able to do this on their own.

With that said, I bought some produce items from "Lucky" and the quality was very good. These "Lucky" Stores seem to be operated a lot better than the Reno area Save Marts, especially the appearance of the perimeter departments. The Concord Store did not look too healthy though...