Ralphs Fresh Fare Trademark

California. No non-grocery posts.
Bluelightspecial
Receiving Clerk
Receiving Clerk
Posts: 137
Joined: March 31st, 2017, 2:52 pm
Been thanked: 18 times
Status: Offline

Re: Ralphs Fresh Fare Trademark

Post by Bluelightspecial »

Bagels wrote: November 13th, 2019, 12:02 am
storewanderer wrote: November 12th, 2019, 10:35 pmAlbertsons did a couple real nice Pavilions remodels a few years ago. Back around the time they were trying to merge with Rite Aid. They were using photos of those very nice looking stores in the materials to try to show investors how their stores look (what a joke, ought to go take photos of all those dark dingy or eye hurting bright thanks to "lighting enhancements" Lifestyle stores which represent the majority of how their stores look). I assumed they would remodel all of the Pavilions into that interior. Also what ever happened to that new Pavilions in Sherman Oaks?
They're remodeling all Pavilions into that look. I've visited about 7 or 8 this year and they were all completed, with the exception of WeHo which was under renovation (over the summer months). They've also heavily upgraded their product offerings, especially in the fresh departments. You can buy lobster or Halibut meat by the pound in the meat department, doughnuts and muffins that actually taste good (as they should for $2 each), store-made pies, cakes and breads (including seasonal recipes like pumpkin), some really good Boar's Head sandwiches (priced the same as the generic stuff Albertsons/Vons sell), etc. They also offered a fairly large hot foods bar as well as ready-to-cook meals, but sadly, these appear to have been discontinued recently. They still have a fairly extensive menu of foods they'll cook, however.

Earlier this year Albertsons said they were planning a 2021 opening date for the Sherman Oaks store. There may be more Pavilions on the way, however; one of the managers at the Irvine Albertons near the Great Park (I-5/Jeffery) told me that the store, which already has many of the Pavilions offerings, may get the Pavilions interior (but she didn't know if they'd change the name). The store currently has the final Lucky interior -- IIRC, it was under construction during the merger and opened as an Albertsons.
I drove by the Sherman Oaks Pavilions last month and it looked about 50% complete. My guess it's a 2020 not a 2021 opening, especially to beat the new Whole Foods that is being built down the street.
rwsandiego
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1244
Joined: April 3rd, 2016, 10:57 pm
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 55 times
Status: Offline

Re: Ralphs Fresh Fare Trademark

Post by rwsandiego »

storewanderer wrote: November 14th, 2019, 9:58 pm If my memory serves correctly, the Ralphs "Signature" in downtown San Diego was branded as such soon after Kroger transferred someone from a different division in to run Ralphs.

I think it was around the same time they opened one or two Frys Signature Stores (which also had Fresh Fare interiors; Frys also never used "Fresh Fare").

I'm not sure what the difference between the "Signature" and the "Fresh Fare" was at that time. But they were not using "Fresh Fare" in San Diego at all at that time.
They were using the Fresh Fare branding on Hillcrest and if memory serves LaJolla Village Square. Also, they used Marketplace branding at Friars Mission Center in Mission Valley. Mind you, it was a standard-issue Ralphs with an expanded kitchenware department, not a Fry's Marketplace.
User avatar
retailfanmitchell019
Assistant Store Manager
Assistant Store Manager
Posts: 891
Joined: November 10th, 2019, 11:17 am
Location: 760 area code
Has thanked: 39 times
Been thanked: 57 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Ralphs Fresh Fare Trademark

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

rwsandiego wrote: November 14th, 2019, 10:08 pm
storewanderer wrote: November 14th, 2019, 9:58 pm If my memory serves correctly, the Ralphs "Signature" in downtown San Diego was branded as such soon after Kroger transferred someone from a different division in to run Ralphs.

I think it was around the same time they opened one or two Frys Signature Stores (which also had Fresh Fare interiors; Frys also never used "Fresh Fare").

I'm not sure what the difference between the "Signature" and the "Fresh Fare" was at that time. But they were not using "Fresh Fare" in San Diego at all at that time.
They were using the Fresh Fare branding on Hillcrest and if memory serves LaJolla Village Square. Also, they used Marketplace branding at Friars Mission Center in Mission Valley. Mind you, it was a standard-issue Ralphs with an expanded kitchenware department, not a Fry's Marketplace.
Didn't Ralphs Marketplace stores get general merchandise from Fred Meyer?

On a side note, there's one King Soopers Fresh Fare in the Denver area.
Bagels
Assistant Store Manager
Assistant Store Manager
Posts: 823
Joined: August 20th, 2018, 11:54 pm
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 12 times
Status: Offline

Re: Ralphs Fresh Fare Trademark

Post by Bagels »

SamSpade wrote: November 14th, 2019, 10:02 am From the Los Angeles Times article on Amazon's SoCal planned store,
Ralphs, for instance, is overhauling its Ralphs Fresh Fare format stores this year, adding thousands of natural, organic, vegan and gluten-free produce items, meats and other foods. There are 63 such stores among Ralphs’ 189 Southern California locations.
This quote is not attributed to anyone, but may have been tipped from the interview with Burt P. Flickinger III, managing director of Strategic Resource Group, a retail consulting firm mentioned earlier in the article.
I believe this information is erroneous; these were part of the chain-wide initiates Kroger announced last year. They reiterated this during their re-brand announcement last month, and then announced an expansion of vegan products earlier this week:

https://www.today.com/food/kroger-s-sho ... ts-t140827

https://vegconomist.com/companies-and-p ... uth-label/

These products appear headed to all Kroger stores (except for F4L), including all Ralphs, not just FF-branded locations.
Bagels
Assistant Store Manager
Assistant Store Manager
Posts: 823
Joined: August 20th, 2018, 11:54 pm
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 12 times
Status: Offline

Re: Ralphs Fresh Fare Trademark

Post by Bagels »

retailfanmitchell019 wrote: November 14th, 2019, 7:50 pm In contrast to the Ralphs near you, there is a Ralphs Fresh Fare in Carlsbad that was converted from a standard Ralphs 10 years ago.
The location I was referring to received new signage in late summer, so a little more recently than 10 years ago :). Additionally, when the Woodbridge Irvine location was renovated recently (I can't recall exactly when but it was within the past year or two), it received the Fresh Fare decor package but was not branded as Fresh Fare (and it's long carried high-end items found only at FF). So I maintain my opinion that Kroger is walking away from the FF branding.
This reminds me of new Albertsons remodels, where the Sav-on signage is removed from the pharmacy department, yet they keep the Sav-on sign on the exterior.
Alberstons renovated a nearby location, added a drive-though pharmacy, removed the Sav-On signage (replacing them with generic "Pharmacy") and updated the signage within the store to read "Albertsons Pharmacy." I noticed that after Albertsons began promoting 'Sav-On, Southern California's familiar neighborhood pharmacy' in ad campagns, they re-added the Sav-On signage.

I thought it was interesting that Albertsons began promoting "Sav-On" again, since the crux of the local population likely isn't even familiar with its legacy.
veteran+
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor
Posts: 2234
Joined: January 3rd, 2015, 7:53 am
Has thanked: 1204 times
Been thanked: 72 times
Status: Offline

Re: Ralphs Fresh Fare Trademark

Post by veteran+ »

rwsandiego wrote: November 14th, 2019, 10:08 pm
storewanderer wrote: November 14th, 2019, 9:58 pm If my memory serves correctly, the Ralphs "Signature" in downtown San Diego was branded as such soon after Kroger transferred someone from a different division in to run Ralphs.

I think it was around the same time they opened one or two Frys Signature Stores (which also had Fresh Fare interiors; Frys also never used "Fresh Fare").

I'm not sure what the difference between the "Signature" and the "Fresh Fare" was at that time. But they were not using "Fresh Fare" in San Diego at all at that time.
They were using the Fresh Fare branding on Hillcrest and if memory serves LaJolla Village Square. Also, they used Marketplace branding at Friars Mission Center in Mission Valley. Mind you, it was a standard-issue Ralphs with an expanded kitchenware department, not a Fry's Marketplace.
The Ralphs in Mission Valley has the Fresh Fare signage but is not listed anywhere as a Fresh Fare. Hillcrest is still a Fresh Fare.
veteran+
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor
Posts: 2234
Joined: January 3rd, 2015, 7:53 am
Has thanked: 1204 times
Been thanked: 72 times
Status: Offline

Re: Ralphs Fresh Fare Trademark

Post by veteran+ »

retailfanmitchell019 wrote: November 14th, 2019, 10:32 pm
rwsandiego wrote: November 14th, 2019, 10:08 pm
storewanderer wrote: November 14th, 2019, 9:58 pm If my memory serves correctly, the Ralphs "Signature" in downtown San Diego was branded as such soon after Kroger transferred someone from a different division in to run Ralphs.

I think it was around the same time they opened one or two Frys Signature Stores (which also had Fresh Fare interiors; Frys also never used "Fresh Fare").

I'm not sure what the difference between the "Signature" and the "Fresh Fare" was at that time. But they were not using "Fresh Fare" in San Diego at all at that time.
They were using the Fresh Fare branding on Hillcrest and if memory serves LaJolla Village Square. Also, they used Marketplace branding at Friars Mission Center in Mission Valley. Mind you, it was a standard-issue Ralphs with an expanded kitchenware department, not a Fry's Marketplace.
Didn't Ralphs Marketplace stores get general merchandise from Fred Meyer?

On a side note, there's one King Soopers Fresh Fare in the Denver area.
From my sources they still get their GM from Fred Meyers.
rwsandiego
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1244
Joined: April 3rd, 2016, 10:57 pm
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 55 times
Status: Offline

Re: Ralphs Fresh Fare Trademark

Post by rwsandiego »

veteran+ wrote: November 15th, 2019, 7:05 am
rwsandiego wrote: November 14th, 2019, 10:08 pm
storewanderer wrote: November 14th, 2019, 9:58 pm If my memory serves correctly, the Ralphs "Signature" in downtown San Diego was branded as such soon after Kroger transferred someone from a different division in to run Ralphs.

I think it was around the same time they opened one or two Frys Signature Stores (which also had Fresh Fare interiors; Frys also never used "Fresh Fare").

I'm not sure what the difference between the "Signature" and the "Fresh Fare" was at that time. But they were not using "Fresh Fare" in San Diego at all at that time.
They were using the Fresh Fare branding on Hillcrest and if memory serves LaJolla Village Square. Also, they used Marketplace branding at Friars Mission Center in Mission Valley. Mind you, it was a standard-issue Ralphs with an expanded kitchenware department, not a Fry's Marketplace.
The Ralphs in Mission Valley has the Fresh Fare signage but is not listed anywhere as a Fresh Fare. Hillcrest is still a Fresh Fare.
Hmm...I wonder when the Fresh Fare signage went up. I was in San Diego in Summer, 2018 and don't recall seeing it. Looking at Google Maps, in December 2016 it was signed as "Ralphs" (complete with a label scar from the old Marketplace sign) but in a May 2019 picture it was "Ralphs Fresh Fare."
ClownLoach
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor
Posts: 2698
Joined: April 4th, 2016, 10:55 pm
Has thanked: 40 times
Been thanked: 289 times
Status: Offline

Re: Ralphs Fresh Fare Trademark

Post by ClownLoach »

Was driving through Laguna Niguel last night and was surprised to see a "Grand Re-opening" banner on the Fresh Fare on Crown Valley. Stopped in and looks like they are taking a completely new approach and relaunching Fresh Fare as a Whole Foods competitor. Instead of the upscale look they have painted nearly everything white, hung old barnwood decor with stenciled messages on the wall in Produce, and every aisle has the natural and organic product separated from conventional. I would call it "rustic decor". The meat and seafood counter calls out that all seafood at the store is sustainable, and features natural beef. This is a very small store, a former Hughes I believe. Will be interesting to see the new look in a larger store.
SamSpade
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1570
Joined: September 13th, 2015, 4:39 pm
Has thanked: 374 times
Been thanked: 57 times
Status: Offline

Re: Ralphs Fresh Fare Trademark

Post by SamSpade »

So we're back to separating natural & organic?!? They just merged it all in at most Fred Meyer stores.

Then again, Natural Choices / nutrition was a separate department. Perhaps the consolidation was part of the store level personnel changes.

Hope someone can share this (yet another) new store decor photos soon.
Post Reply