Retail Watchers

Walmart is getting rid of the tile because concrete does not need wax or expensive chemicals. Tile floors need to be stripped and waxed. It is a cost and labor savings measure. Well, they are putting wax, chemicals, or something on the floor to make it shiny. Concrete doesn't look shiny by itself. ...

Went into the West Longview Walmart this morning. They decided to remove the tile floor and switch to polished concrete flooring, as they had shelving removed in areas of the store, with other areas already done back to their previous layout. (they are going from the center of the store and moving o...

I accidentally posted in the wrong place. Sorry.

In the Pacific Northwest, there will almost certainly be an elimination of at least one or two banners if this moves forward. It's going to be hard to justify having Fred Meyer, QFC, Haggen, Albertsons, and Safeway all remaining in the areas where all of those brands are presently in use.

A lot of the problem with higher prices has to do with higher minimum wages, and the pandemic restrictions, unfortunately, have served as a convenient excuse to provide subpar service and limit the hours of operation. I am somewhat surprised by how long some restaurants have kept restrictions in pla...

Another closure has been announced in Austintown, Ohio:

https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/jc ... he-valley/

So far this year, it seems like the small markets are the ones JCPenney is closing.

Some of these things could be addressed in a Sam's Club format, which restricts entry to begin with. Do they actually do that? I may have been in one once or twice, but not recently. BJ's that we have here did that when they first started, but now only check people leaving, no one checks for a card...

Those non-food stores in Utah were likely Grand Central stores in the beginning. Fred Meyer acquired and renamed these stores in the 1980s. There were some locations in Idaho as well...this is actually how Fred Meyer entered the Boise Market. There were two former Grand Central locations in Boise wh...

These Walmart stores ate closing due to rampant shoplifting. If you were in charge, how would you solve the problem and keep these stores open? I don't think there is much you can do based on the way these cities with the high theft are and based on Wal Mart being Wal Mart. I would prohibit reusabl...

I am a little surprised that Target hasn't attempted this format around Portland. Especially with Portland's general attitude toward Target versus Walmart. While Fred Meyer is probably better overall in grocery, their shelf prices are rising and have been since they implemented the standard Kroger l...