Retail Watchers

The NorCal Stores I know of do not have signs as the AZ ones you describe. This concept looks to be on its last legs. I think the current initiative is to try to increase prices and see if they can keep their customers. Their prices, while very good on the center store items, clearly did not generat...

I find most supermarket pharmacies to have a steady stream of customers in the daytime hours then as evening hits they seem to slow down with as you describe, the staff standing around. It is not uncommon for pharmacies to close for lunch; Target, Rite Aid, CVS, and Wal Mart close their pharmacies s...

What supermarket pharmacies have taken a hit? Kroger quickly matched the program offered by Target and Wal Mart with $4 generics and their pharmacies in my area are very busy; three of them have drive through facilities (not present at any other supermarket in this area). I am also aware of grocers ...

Albertsons was doing this too here. Save Mart even tried it. I observed in the case of one Save Mart pulling this after 8 PM that the supervisor on duty, upon a few visits, (they did not have a cashier) was more interested in standing around reading a magazine and pretending to (but not really) moni...

"Kroger's Michigan division has a policy of not having a regular lane open after 10 or 11pm unless requested by a customer.... If they would get signs that said that we would have less problems with customers getting angry at the U-scans...." This is a terrible policy for a grocery store c...

Safeway's Self Checkouts in NorCal seem to be programmed that they shut off at 10 PM. So after that you get a normal cashier. Kroger as I understand it has a policy in place making self checkout the only checkout option in a number of stores after a certain time (10 PM, Midnight, etc.). However this...

Save Mart also uses self checkouts in some of the Food Maxx Stores that were purchased from Fleming. It is my understanding the new Modesto Save Mart has self checkouts. I think that is probably the first of Save Mart's "own" stores to get them. The customers will get better and better wit...

Okay, I was by this location and I saw they have new FedEx Office signs up. So they were without signs for about a week. It seems to me they could have removed the "Kinko's" part of the sign and replaced with "Office" rather than replacing the entire sign but what do I know? This...

When I was in Portland in late 2007, they had remodeled all of the remaining stores and one had a remodel in process. I didn't see the point to the QFC Stores then and still don't really see it. A couple of the locations were very, very small stores too. I'm surprised QFC was running radio advertise...

I noticed one in Reno, NV was missing signs on Friday night. I drove by again today and it was still missing signs, but there appeared to be people inside. I don't know if it has closed or they are finally switching signs. Normally when signs get switched out you remove the old signs and put the new...