Retail Watchers

This rookie DM smells a bit like F&E....................what could go wrong? No matter the cookie cutter format (very F&E) you need seasoned folks (well versed in the local market) to establish a NEW Brand. F&E did not even want grocery retail experience at first. That changed of course ...

100% agree with both of you on that Liberty store. Every time I have visited there it has been busy. The flow of customers is deceiving and does not clearly show how busy it really is. It depends on which side you are in. If it looks slow where you are you go to the other side and it is busy and vis...

The Vons at Mission Hills in San Diego is a beautiful store and well run. I suspect that store could name change to Pavilions seemlessly. What do you think of the very interesting Vons at Liberty Public Market? Concerned that could land in the hands of C&S. Not sure they could wrap their heads ...

The Vons at Mission Hills in San Diego is a beautiful store and well run.

I suspect that store could name change to Pavilions seemlessly.

The Best stores were only in Seattle with one store in Portland. They may have also had a store in Spokane. The reality is that their store real estate strategy changes after opening stores in the Northwest and California. Their original plan was to go into any mall that could support them. When th...

Many retailers expect them to share earpieces and sanitize between uses. I would not do this and always just ordered my own. But I can't talk and listen to the earpiece at the same time so even as the Store Manager I generally would not wear the headset. I've had interactions with employees in stor...

I am surprised by the lack of PA systems. Even if the PA system is for emergency use only, it should be present. I have concerns about the health effects of some stores where the employees wear headsets all day and talk to each other via these headsets. Radiation and such concerns. I know we all ha...

They have choices: Piggly Wiggly QFC Mariano's Topps? Carrs Sublease to other operators who may have a shot at running the store and insist they use C&S as supplier, see UNFI attempts to sell Shoppers/take back Shoppers stores/close stores/etc etc etc Sell to Whole Foods or some other competent...

I visited that HMart in Mira Mesa.



It confirmed all my biases about markets in this category.

Many of their closures have been small markets in the Pacific NW that probably date back to when they bought Best. I'd imagine these either had cheap long-term leases or were owned by them but never generated much volume. The Best stores were only in Seattle with one store in Portland. They may hav...