Foods Co Closing Bakersfield, CA- Rosedale Hwy

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Re: Foods Co Closing Bakersfield, CA- Rosedale Hwy

Post by HCal »

Vallarta had their grand opening today. Very nice store, well lit, with prepared food, freshly made bread/tortillas, and juice bar. Center store is like their other stores, mostly supplied by UNFI/Supervalu, and pricing on the higher side.

Today was very crowded, I had to constantly dodge people to get around. Unusually, there was a significant number of non-Hispanic customers. Lots of employees stocking, and (as I recall) all checkstands in operation, plus self-checkout.

Overall I think they are off to a good start. Hopefully they can maintain the momentum.
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Re: Foods Co Closing Bakersfield, CA- Rosedale Hwy

Post by storewanderer »

Interesting to hear self checkout at Vallarta- is that common now?

Seems like you have a store that is opposite FoodsCo here- big push on perimeter/in store prepared foods but overpriced center store. Unlike FoodsCo where perimeter is more limited and not much store prep but aggressive center store pricing.
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Re: Foods Co Closing Bakersfield, CA- Rosedale Hwy

Post by veteran+ »

In my experience, hispanic grocers always use that click and bait tactic.

HIGH price center store (especially non hispanic foods) and low price perimeter foods.

I would often find better deals on such items as Goya black beans in a traditional supermarket.
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Re: Foods Co Closing Bakersfield, CA- Rosedale Hwy

Post by HCal »

I have never seen a Vallarta with self-checkout, so I don't think it's common. But I've only been to a few.

I think that higher prices on center-store items are common for small chains. Kroger is big enough to negotiate low prices with suppliers. Vallarta has around 50 stores, so they don't have that leverage and have to use a wholesaler, which adds to the cost. Most Hispanic chains are in the same situation. Like most independents, they make up for the higher prices with better service and offerings that are tailored to the local community.
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Re: Foods Co Closing Bakersfield, CA- Rosedale Hwy

Post by storewanderer »

veteran+ wrote: October 14th, 2021, 8:36 am In my experience, hispanic grocers always use that click and bait tactic.

HIGH price center store (especially non hispanic foods) and low price perimeter foods.

I would often find better deals on such items as Goya black beans in a traditional supermarket.
Sometimes these hispanic stores will try to get some good pricing on private label center store items, but it seems like when Unified got bought by Supervalu something changed and that sort of stopped.

Goya is interesting- it is distributed to a lot of these hispanic stores DSD through "local Goya distributors". Whereas at the larger chains, it just comes through their usual distribution, usually. Target seems to have some of the best prices on that brand. I did notice a couple Smiths in Reno/Sparks got a door of frozen Goya products and it is DSD through Goya Reno.
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Re: Foods Co Closing Bakersfield, CA- Rosedale Hwy

Post by HCal »

storewanderer wrote: October 14th, 2021, 8:31 pm
Sometimes these hispanic stores will try to get some good pricing on private label center store items, but it seems like when Unified got bought by Supervalu something changed and that sort of stopped.
I suppose that is the price of consolidation. There aren't too many choices left for small chains that need a distributor in California. Supervalu/Unified/UNFI, C&S, is there anyone else left? With no competition, I suppose the prices keep going higher.
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Re: Foods Co Closing Bakersfield, CA- Rosedale Hwy

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

HCal wrote: October 17th, 2021, 10:45 pm I suppose that is the price of consolidation. There aren't too many choices left for small chains that need a distributor in California. Supervalu/Unified/UNFI, C&S, is there anyone else left? With no competition, I suppose the prices keep going higher.
I don't think C&S supplies anyone in SoCal. So SVU is the only option.
Fleming did supply some IGA stores around San Diego before they collapsed years ago.
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Re: Foods Co Closing Bakersfield, CA- Rosedale Hwy

Post by storewanderer »

retailfanmitchell019 wrote: October 17th, 2021, 11:05 pm
HCal wrote: October 17th, 2021, 10:45 pm I suppose that is the price of consolidation. There aren't too many choices left for small chains that need a distributor in California. Supervalu/Unified/UNFI, C&S, is there anyone else left? With no competition, I suppose the prices keep going higher.
I don't think C&S supplies anyone in SoCal. So SVU is the only option.
Fleming did supply some IGA stores around San Diego before they collapsed years ago.
C&S has some stores they supply in SoCal, from some supply points in the Central Valley. They also supply Target and some other larger entities with certain primarily perishable items. Those IGAs in San Diego are one of the regular grocers they supply.
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Re: Foods Co Closing Bakersfield, CA- Rosedale Hwy

Post by luckysaver »

FoodsCo is part of Kroger's Ralphs Food4Less division. Liquor license has most of the FoodsCo stores registered as Ralphs Grocery Company (Santa Maria/Bakersfield stores) or Bay Area Warehouse Stores Inc (a Ralphs phantom subsidiary from the old Yucaipa ownership pre Kroger) for the SF/Oakland/Sacramento stores). The delivery trucks that pull into the back of the stores are all Ralphs trailers (or the occasional black Food4Less "beef" trailer) and they come from the main DC in Compton CA (or La Habra CA for baked goods, Riverside CA for dairy products). Signage and weekly ads are exactly the same as Food4Less in SoCal/San Diego. The current president of F4L/FC doubles as a VP of Ralphs.

I once had a small conversation with a Ralphs truck driver at a gas station at the 101/135 junction in Los Olivos and he told me his assignment for that day was to pick up the truck in Compton and deliver merchandise to all the Central Coast area FoodsCo stores. He also told me on some days he delivers merchandise between Santa Maria and San Diego in a single day, stopping at the DCs in either Compton or Paramount to swap trailers.

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