Safeway remodel Truckee, CA

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storewanderer
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Safeway remodel Truckee, CA

Post by storewanderer »

I was in the Truckee remodel today and had enough time this time to take a good look at it. Usually I'm in a real hurry when I go in there.

I don't know why but I don't like this remodel much and do not consider it to be an improvement from before in any way (visually or otherwise). It does not feel particularly upscale, nor particularly well coordinated as far as colors go. I also do not think the departments flow as well as they did before. Specifically bakery is smaller than before and has odd angles. The pharmacy is so small it is practically an afterthought. The meat department is definitely larger than before. Produce feels more narrow than before yet I don't think they changed anything there at all... maybe the old dim lighting somehow made it feel more spacious?

What really struck me was they have 7 checkstands and 6 self checkouts in the store. I could have sworn before the remodel they had 9 checkstands and 6 self checkouts. This store is routinely very crowded and routinely I have seen all registers open with lines going down the aisles. It seems to me what they should have done here was figure out a way to add in more checkstands as part of the remodel. There is space, they just would have had to be a bit creative. Cut back the customer service counter (which looks nicer and larger than the pharmacy) and somehow make it so that can be a few more checkout spots. Maybe make the entryway on the produce side a little less wide because as nice as an open entryway is, a store that people can get in and out of faster is better.

I've seen some pretty good remodels out of these guys (like the colorful lifestyle remodels) but this doesn't quite hit the mark. They need some better decor color coordination and some better thought to the flow and operations of the stores before they proceed on more remodels in NorCal.
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Re: Safeway remodel Truckee, CA

Post by rwsandiego »

None of the online pics show the store post-remodel. What package did they use?
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Re: Safeway remodel Truckee, CA

Post by storewanderer »

It is the modern interior (Florida like).

The old lifestyle floor is still there.
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Re: Safeway remodel Truckee, CA

Post by rwsandiego »

It is unfortunate to hear that Safeway executed the remodel poorly. They did a really nice job at the McDowell Rd Safeway and, based on the pictures, the new Queen Creek store also looks very nice.
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Re: Safeway remodel Truckee, CA

Post by storewanderer »

I'm not sure I'd say it is executed poorly per se. It just is not really anything better than the old lifestyle store that was there before. Basically a sideways move.

It is definitely a lot brighter inside... almost painfully on the eyes so. Between that and the clashing colors... It may have worked better if they had replaced the Lifestyle floor.
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Re: Safeway remodel Truckee, CA

Post by ninersdd »

Maybe Safeway is trying to do something before the new Raley's is built(whenever that is)
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Re: Safeway remodel Truckee, CA

Post by storewanderer »

ninersdd wrote: April 3rd, 2019, 11:14 pm Maybe Safeway is trying to do something before the new Raley's is built(whenever that is)
I think the new Raleys is a go. Whatever the last lawsuit was that was trying to stop it, I believe, lost.

I don't know how much this new Raleys will impact the Truckee Safeway. The Truckee Safeway has more business than it can handle many weekends so it can afford to lose some business. Safeway may have been smart to try to add a second store in Truckee rather than letting a competitor get the spot, in hindsight. But Raleys has been trying to build in Truckee for many years, at one time they were proposing two stores. I also think the new Raleys may also have some impact on the Kings Beach Safeway (a real poor operation historically, though has been a bit better my last couple visits) as it is actually equal distance between the Kings Beach and Truckee Safeways geographically.

I am also waiting to see if Whole Foods can figure out how to make its way into Truckee. That would be bad news for all operators there.
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