Safeway NorCal Remodels and New Stores

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Re: Safeway NorCal Remodels and New Stores

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

rwsandiego wrote: June 10th, 2020, 6:01 pm The Albertson's at 14th and Market in San Diego opened with a curved pharmacy and Premium Fresh and Healthy v. 1 in October, 2006. It has since been remodeled into the Modern Interior.
I meant stores that opened under Old Albertsons pre-SVU, but SVU built 3 more stores (San Marcos, Chula Vista, and Alpine) like that later. The Downtown store had a different layout then the 3 stores I mentioned. These stores were planned by Albertsons Inc., but built by SVU.
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Re: Safeway NorCal Remodels and New Stores

Post by storewanderer »

So, more on the new store in El Dorado Hills:

The gas station is branded Safeway Express. Identical c-store building to the new "Albertsons Express" in Boise, if not a bit larger, but same layout and features. Really, really nice c-store and gas station. The c-store has different (significantly higher) pricing than in-store. This is different from typical where the Safeway gas stations have the same prices for items as inside the store has- unless this has changed universally in the past few weeks since I was last in a different Safeway c-store location.

The main store is basically like a late 80's, or then a 2005 through Supervalu era, new build Albertsons Store in layout. "Modern" decor with a good looking cement floor inside. Layout is rather similar to that Broadway Albertsons in Boise but the store is quite boring in comparison to that store. Layout is nothing like a Safeway, product placement is nothing like a Safeway. This is surreal to go into a Safeway that is laid out and functions- nothing like a typical Safeway.

The produce department seems smaller than a typical Safeway produce department, but has typical Safeway displays. Floral also seems smaller than a typical Safeway floral department. There is a large space in the front corner that was obviously designed to be a Starbucks, but there is no Starbucks there for some reason (none in the shopping center). There are some closed tables for eating (COVID closure).

The side wall has a large hot food case; half is leased out hot Chinese food/Sushi (looked okay), the other half is fried chicken/wings (very full, and much of it looked very dry). The deli has multiple small tall aisle-style cooling units for prepack items vs. a couple large coffin/island style open air cases like the typical Safeway has. I think the typical Safeway presentation (the one they used for 20-25 years) works better as you can better see the product assortment; also a stocking employee can easily see if someone needs help at the service deli counter with the lower profile coffin type cases. The cold service deli was a little larger than typical for Safeway and basically half salads and half lunchmeats.

The bakery has the Lifestyle era open air cases for single bagels/rolls (why are these back...? the last few remodels including South Lake Tahoe a few months ago got cases with actual doors...) which of course at this point were tightly shrink wrapped in plastic wrap. The service cake case in the bakery was quite large and very full. The bakery displays were typical Safeway fixtures.

The meat department (with a wall fixture that says "Butcher Block") has a nice large full service case with lots of beef, and a very small self service case where pork and chicken were very well represented and beef wasn't so well represented. They are clearly trying to route most beef sales through the service counter due to having such a limited assortment of prepackaged beef.

Liquor is on the first couple aisles right after produce then you get into the canned foods, etc. Bread is on an aisle toward the middle of the store (way far away from bakery- very unusual product placement for a Safeway given bakery spends a chunk of labor maintaining the private label bakery plant bread of which Safeway has a ton of SKUs). This is another spot where I don't understand what they are doing with the layout... Frozen foods and dairy are the first three aisles on the far side wall (takes up the rest of that side of the store where pharmacy is). Drug is on 3 little short length/short height aisles in the front corner of the store and pharmacy is on the front side wall right as you walk in on the side of the store opposite produce/bakery/deli.

There is also a little maybe 3,000 square foot dark staging area for "Drive Up and Go" behind the pharmacy (with a separate exterior door entry for that area).

I was also surprised this new store only has 4 self checkouts. I would have expected more. Also noticed the checkstands for the regular cashier were on the small side and had just a single belt between customer and cashier- no belt between cashier and bagger, just a slightly sloped counter between cashier and bagger like older 80's/early 90's checkstands. I guess skipping that belt between the cashier and bagger is cheaper and one less thing to potentially have to repair.

Overall the store was nice enough and had moderate traffic and adequate staffing; better than usual Safeway staffing (actually had baggers working at every open checkstand). The employee attitude was just okay; not forward friendly, but by no means rude either. I would expect more friendly employees in a brand new store that actually greet you when you enter their department, etc. But that wasn't the case here. Maybe they can blame it on COVID. I don't fully understand the layout but I'm sure it isn't too difficult to figure out after a few trips. The fresh departments looked okay overall but not as good as I'd expect in a new store. The store is still on grand opening ads with lower priced specials than the typical Safeway NorCal ad. The area surrounding the store looks good and I expect this to be a strong performing store over time.

I am still kind of surprised they flat out ditched Safeway's store layout prototypes for a dated Albertsons layout, and some of the layout stuff like the bread makes no sense in a Safeway store. I'm also curious to see the OTC/drug area right next to the door given those items tend to be higher theft (that probably won't be an issue in this store).
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Re: Safeway NorCal Remodels and New Stores

Post by magowan »

Alpha8472 wrote: June 8th, 2020, 1:47 am A Safeway in Pleasanton, California has the Florida decor and the old brown tile floor. Concrete was not used.

Other chains are no longer switching to concrete floors. Target remodeled the Walnut Creek, California store and added concrete floors. They then decided that there were too many cracks and installed white tiles.

The Dublin, California Target store is currently remodeling and it is receiving white tile. Target no longer uses concrete floors.

Some Socal updates on these trends…

Encinitas Target got concrete floors with its remodel this year - too harsh a look but no reversal yet

Encinitas Vons just redone last month from Phase 1 Lifestyle - and got the cursive font colorful Lifestyle - not the seemingly more recent stark Florida package. Floors being torn up not clear what the end result will be but ceiling still the distinct soft Lifestyle beige.

That Encinitas store is more of a downscale shopper and very close to a busy Ralph’s but rarely busy so was surprised it even got remodeled.

To make that more strange the Solana Beach Vons down the road got the seemingly newer Florida package at some point with concrete floors but kept the lifestyle beige ceiling. Very upscale clientele for this one, usually well trafficked.

Now trying to figure out was the cursive Lifestyle an anomaly for a lower profit store or a reversal of the harsh Florida look? Maybe they had leftover signage inventory?

Or was there feedback on pure Florida with the full white ceilings and concrete that it was too harsh / stark?

Any Norcal remodels get the cursive colorful Lifestyle this year?

Any other Socal remodels get cursive instead of Florida this year?

Personally think the softer look of the cursive / colorful Lifestyle is better and more differentiated from the harsh white box look of most other chains.
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Re: Safeway NorCal Remodels and New Stores

Post by storewanderer »

magowan wrote: December 4th, 2021, 7:58 am

Encinitas Target got concrete floors with its remodel this year - too harsh a look but no reversal yet



Now trying to figure out was the cursive Lifestyle an anomaly for a lower profit store or a reversal of the harsh Florida look? Maybe they had leftover signage inventory?

Or was there feedback on pure Florida with the full white ceilings and concrete that it was too harsh / stark?

Any Norcal remodels get the cursive colorful Lifestyle this year?

Personally think the softer look of the cursive / colorful Lifestyle is better and more differentiated from the harsh white box look of most other chains.
NorCal is full speed ahead with the cheapened version of the Florida interior on new builds and remodels with the Safeway banner. Andronicos banner gets a different interior. I have not seen them do any other interior in NorCal/NV. However in Hawaii the NorCal division uses the Pavilions interior.

I do not know of any colorful lifestyle or other odd lifestyle (such as repainted wall ultra cheap lifestyle as seen at Bishop Vons) interiors in NorCal.

Some remodels lately in NorCal into Florida interior keep the Lifestyle floors, checkstands, and most fixtures. These remodels are little more than a brighten the lights up and do wall repaint. They look cheap and hastily done and if anything they downscale the store. One done in my area didn't even do a grand re-opening after the project was done. I have seen other divisions do this sort of thing but go with Colorful Lifestyle instead of Florida, and the results are much better- the Colorful Lifestyle works better with bright lights and utilizes more existing fixtures in a complimentary manner.

The cheapened version of the Florida interior is the most generic of the generic- it is boring and you could use it interchangeably in a discount store or an upscale store. It looks okay, but it lacks any personality or mood. Lifestyle needed an update as it was getting dreary and Colorful Lifestyle was just the right thing. Not this cheapened version of the Florida interior.
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Re: Safeway NorCal Remodels and New Stores

Post by Alpha8472 »

The Flagship Safeway got a cheapened Florida decor. The floor is in bad shape and overall it looks awful.
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Re: Safeway NorCal Remodels and New Stores

Post by storewanderer »

Alpha8472 wrote: December 4th, 2021, 2:08 pm The Flagship Safeway got a cheapened Florida decor. The floor is in bad shape and overall it looks awful.
I'm pretty bored with the Florida decor. Most of the stores in my area have this decor now. It feels cold and sterile unless they have really nice product presentation (which they don't). Too institutional. I was in one of the unremodeled Lifestyle stores a few days ago and was thinking it looks more upscale and has a warmer feel... never thought I'd think that.

Historically Albertsons had quite a few better interiors than this Florida thing. If they are convinced this Florida decor is something they need to keep using, they should probably invest in a nicer flooring package and it may make some difference. Also perhaps some different color shelves/different height shelves in certain parts of the store.
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Re: Safeway NorCal Remodels and New Stores

Post by Bagels »

I’m surprised there’s so much love for Colorful Lifestyles. In SoCal, it’s a very light refresh - signage is updated (and walls painted), a fake wooden floor is put in the produce department (Albertsons) and some lighting is updated. That’s pretty much it.

Here’s the Lake Forest produce department before renovation (most older Albertsons around me had a simile interior… I don’t know the history, but I assume it’s post-Lucky merger as nearly all stores have it, along with newer freezer and meat cases);

Image

Here it is post-renovation:

Image

And here’s what the rest of the store looks like: while most everything has been replaced, still comes across being old:

Image
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Re: Safeway NorCal Remodels and New Stores

Post by storewanderer »

Bagels wrote: December 4th, 2021, 3:23 pm I’m surprised there’s so much love for Colorful Lifestyles. In SoCal, it’s a very light refresh - signage is updated (and walls painted), a fake wooden floor is put in the produce department (Albertsons) and some lighting is updated. That’s pretty much it.

Here’s the Lake Forest produce department before renovation (most older Albertsons around me had a simile interior… I don’t know the history, but I assume it’s post-Lucky merger as nearly all stores have it, along with newer freezer and meat cases);

Image

Here it is post-renovation:

Image

And here’s what the rest of the store looks like: while most everything has been replaced, still comes across being old:

Image
The top interior is the Supervalu Premium Fresh and Healthy interior.

Ironically I think the Florida interior may look better on a store like the one in your photo above. The space for the fixtures is short/skinny. The Colorful Lifestyle looks much better with a "square" wall space for the fixture and paint, as opposed to a skinny rectangle like the above.
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Re: Safeway NorCal Remodels and New Stores

Post by Alpha8472 »

Safeway Norcal did have some cheap Lifestyle remodels. This was the low budget non-lighted wall decor with cheap posters and cheap lettering on the wall.


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Re: Safeway NorCal Remodels and New Stores

Post by Alpha8472 »

A Safeway in San Ramon, California is receiving a new decor that I have not seen before. The remodel is much more thorough than the cheap Florida Decor that the Flagship Safeway in Dublin recently received.

The floors are being redone with white tile. The aisle signs are of a new design that I have not seen before. The decor is not yet complete, but it is interesting in that the refrigerated cases are being replaced with new ones with doors. Brand new checkstands are being installed. This store has not had a remodel since about 2004.

This decor looks to be something new.

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