Glaziers Las Vegas, NV Closing

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storewanderer
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Glaziers Las Vegas, NV Closing

Post by storewanderer »

Glazier was a retired Shop Rite operator from PA who moved to Las Vegas and opened this store. It was a new build store from the ground up. This was a very successful store and a very unique store. Really unique merchandising and all kinds of odd items from back east were brought here; tons of frozen pastas, various other things. Very aggressive perimeter. They did a really incredible job with this store procuring items from back east and getting them out to sell in Las Vegas. Pricing was fair given the circumstances. They were supplied by Unified, but also seemed to be ordering some things from Associated Utah (maybe not presently).

I visit this store every time I go to Las Vegas and always really enjoyed it.

I knew something was amiss with this store when I went into it last month. First, I was surprised the parking lot was only about half full, at best. Lower traffic than I typically saw. Walking in I went straight over to the prepared food/bakery/deli perimeter area which looked pretty good as it always has. Then I got back around meat and it looked a little rough, and sort of dark back there. Then I got into center store. They had a ton of lights out in center store, parts of the store felt very very cold; many aisles in center store were so dark you could not even see what was on the aisles. Looking more closely at the aisles, in stock condition was very poor especially in secondary categories like drug, pet, or cleaning.

At checkout when paying I was surprised they did not have chip readers, then they demanded ID for a $3 credit card transaction which I refused and was given some pushback by a floor supervisor who said it is the owner's policy and he didn't even know why but it was. I spoke to the store director who was put off before I even started talking to him, and was told they are a private business and can do whatever they want. Not exactly according to Visa/MasterCard rules. I then asked him why they do not have chip readers yet, since they are liable for fraud since they do not have chip readers. I was told they are not spending the "thousands of dollars" to install chip readers and if I have a problem I don't have to shop there. Really rude attitude and I was not too happy. I think they decided they won't spend money on chip readers but will instead break the network rules by requiring ID (which will stop the fraction of a percent of fraud that is lost/stolen card use, but won't even address the skimming fraud that is much more common). I was left with a pretty bad impression after this combined with the lack of lighting/cold temperature, plus the low inventory levels in some area, I was under the impression this store was either in financial trouble or trying to bleed every last cent out of the operation before closing or selling.

I'm a little disappointed to see Smiths is the buyer and Smiths is already saying they will just make a standard Smiths in this location. Vons is already across the street to fit that bill. I would have liked to see some other independent get the store and keep it with the unique format that Glazier's was offering. Even some of the hispanic independents in Las Vegas might have been able to make this work (not as a hispanic format, but as the current format), but it would have been a pretty far stretch.
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Re: Glaziers Las Vegas, NV Closing

Post by pseudo3d »

storewanderer wrote: January 4th, 2018, 7:55 pm Glazier was a retired Shop Rite operator from PA who moved to Las Vegas and opened this store. It was a new build store from the ground up. This was a very successful store and a very unique store. Really unique merchandising and all kinds of odd items from back east were brought here; tons of frozen pastas, various other things. Very aggressive perimeter. They did a really incredible job with this store procuring items from back east and getting them out to sell in Las Vegas. Pricing was fair given the circumstances. They were supplied by Unified, but also seemed to be ordering some things from Associated Utah (maybe not presently).

I visit this store every time I go to Las Vegas and always really enjoyed it.

I knew something was amiss with this store when I went into it last month. First, I was surprised the parking lot was only about half full, at best. Lower traffic than I typically saw. Walking in I went straight over to the prepared food/bakery/deli perimeter area which looked pretty good as it always has. Then I got back around meat and it looked a little rough, and sort of dark back there. Then I got into center store. They had a ton of lights out in center store, parts of the store felt very very cold; many aisles in center store were so dark you could not even see what was on the aisles. Looking more closely at the aisles, in stock condition was very poor especially in secondary categories like drug, pet, or cleaning.

At checkout when paying I was surprised they did not have chip readers, then they demanded ID for a $3 credit card transaction which I refused and was given some pushback by a floor supervisor who said it is the owner's policy and he didn't even know why but it was. I spoke to the store director who was put off before I even started talking to him, and was told they are a private business and can do whatever they want. Not exactly according to Visa/MasterCard rules. I then asked him why they do not have chip readers yet, since they are liable for fraud since they do not have chip readers. I was told they are not spending the "thousands of dollars" to install chip readers and if I have a problem I don't have to shop there. Really rude attitude and I was not too happy. I think they decided they won't spend money on chip readers but will instead break the network rules by requiring ID (which will stop the fraction of a percent of fraud that is lost/stolen card use, but won't even address the skimming fraud that is much more common). I was left with a pretty bad impression after this combined with the lack of lighting/cold temperature, plus the low inventory levels in some area, I was under the impression this store was either in financial trouble or trying to bleed every last cent out of the operation before closing or selling.

I'm a little disappointed to see Smiths is the buyer and Smiths is already saying they will just make a standard Smiths in this location. Vons is already across the street to fit that bill. I would have liked to see some other independent get the store and keep it with the unique format that Glazier's was offering. Even some of the hispanic independents in Las Vegas might have been able to make this work (not as a hispanic format, but as the current format), but it would have been a pretty far stretch.
Huh, I had mentioned in this in another thread and I think you read it, as I speculated that it was an Albertsons originally (but wasn't). With the other thread it seems now would be the time for Albertsons to start pushing for some market-wide remodels and store brand changes, assuming that the Smith's is anywhere near competently run. It is a shame that the conversion to Smith's seems like an afterthought...even Albertsons talks about carrying similar items and taking in the employees while all Smith's can offer is "a fairly typical Smith’s, with an extended grab-and-go selection that will evoke Glazier’s".
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Re: Glaziers Las Vegas, NV Closing

Post by storewanderer »

Albertsons tends to try to talk to sound good, overpromise, then underdeliver.

I hope Smiths is doing the opposite; making a generic statement, then they will end up delivering something better than what they are saying they will (which, frankly, sounds really sterile). Smiths is competently run in Las Vegas, but bakery/deli perimeter quality is below average (Albertsons has a better bakery/deli perimeter offering; the only thing Smiths has going for it on bakery/deli perimeter is Boar's Head).

But it will be impossible to replace Glazier's perimeter offering. The store may do fine, well even, as a standard Smiths. But it won't be the same, or even close to the same.

Sure, Smiths will lower prices. They will probably sell the standard old Kroger donut at 59 cents (not a very good product). Glazier's donuts cost 99 cents. They are easily 1.5 to 2 times the size of the standard old Kroger donut and come in every flavor you can imagine, and taste far better. Next to the donuts they have various cookies from a couple small Italian suppliers back east, as well as some bulk bagels direct from New York (frozen then thawed and sold). This entire store is a great adventure of numerous items from small east coast vendors.

What Smiths should probably do here is try to get a store that is like a Marianos (including the merchandising- figure out a way to get some of the products from the east and midwest)... that is what this Glazier's reminded me of the most, was a Marinao's. The first Mariano's opened in July 2010 and this Glazier's opened in Fall 2009.
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Re: Glaziers Las Vegas, NV Closing

Post by pseudo3d »

storewanderer wrote: January 4th, 2018, 10:40 pm Albertsons tends to try to talk to sound good, overpromise, then underdeliver.

I hope Smiths is doing the opposite; making a generic statement, then they will end up delivering something better than what they are saying they will (which, frankly, sounds really sterile). Smiths is competently run in Las Vegas, but bakery/deli perimeter quality is below average (Albertsons has a better bakery/deli perimeter offering; the only thing Smiths has going for it on bakery/deli perimeter is Boar's Head).

But it will be impossible to replace Glazier's perimeter offering. The store may do fine, well even, as a standard Smiths. But it won't be the same, or even close to the same.

Sure, Smiths will lower prices. They will probably sell the standard old Kroger donut at 59 cents (not a very good product). Glazier's donuts cost 99 cents. They are easily 1.5 to 2 times the size of the standard old Kroger donut and come in every flavor you can imagine, and taste far better. Next to the donuts they have various cookies from a couple small Italian suppliers back east, as well as some bulk bagels direct from New York (frozen then thawed and sold). This entire store is a great adventure of numerous items from small east coast vendors.

What Smiths should probably do here is try to get a store that is like a Marianos (including the merchandising- figure out a way to get some of the products from the east and midwest)... that is what this Glazier's reminded me of the most, was a Marinao's. The first Mariano's opened in July 2010 and this Glazier's opened in Fall 2009.
Much as Albertsons tend to talk up and under-deliver I don't think that Smith's will do the opposite, especially after the patronizing "well, it will have a big grab and go section" comment. It's like saying "Our new store will have a bakery and deli in it, too!"

I don't know. On one hand, there will be a nice new Smith's with cheaper prices that will compete against a dowdy-looking Vons. On the other hand, Smith's doesn't have a lot going for it to bring old Glazier's shoppers back (even the talk of employees re-applying seemed dubious), especially since the Vons will remain open as the former Glazier's is renovated.
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Re: Glaziers Las Vegas, NV Closing

Post by pseudo3d »

Reading the Yelp reviews for this store indicates disappointment and response to a rather standard Smith's. Some highlights:

- People seem divided whether the store is better than the Vons nearby in terms of quality, selection, and price.
- The store added a popcorn counter.
- The bakery counter is mostly Kroger's sub-par offerings but offer a few specialty items from a Utah bakery.
- They removed the olive bar and sushi counter, which seem to be standard items in better supermarkets.
- The idea of turning off some lights in center store (at least in the late-night hours) has been carried over.
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Re: Glaziers Las Vegas, NV Closing

Post by storewanderer »

pseudo3d wrote: March 1st, 2020, 8:18 am Reading the Yelp reviews for this store indicates disappointment and response to a rather standard Smith's. Some highlights:

- People seem divided whether the store is better than the Vons nearby in terms of quality, selection, and price.
- The store added a popcorn counter.
- The bakery counter is mostly Kroger's sub-par offerings but offer a few specialty items from a Utah bakery.
- They removed the olive bar and sushi counter, which seem to be standard items in better supermarkets.
- The idea of turning off some lights in center store (at least in the late-night hours) has been carried over.
This is odd as most Smiths have an olive bar and sushi counter...

Smiths has shut off a lot of lights after about 10 PM since before they were bought out by Fred Meyer. That practice has been carried through many ownerships. Thinking about it, I don't think they do this anymore in my area. It has varied over the years, sometimes it stops, but it seems to always start back up again.

Smiths has really gone downhill the past couple years. The stores do not have the service level they previously had (too few cashiers, too many self checkouts), in-stock seems to struggle, there was the whole Visa mess, and they are not nearly as sharp on pricing as they once were. Smiths remains very popular in Las Vegas though, and really throughout all of its market territories. Their stores do significantly more volume than Albertsons/Vons do in surrounding competition.
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