Safeway NorCal returns to regular store hours

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Safeway NorCal returns to regular store hours

Post by storewanderer »

Safeway NorCal has returned all stores to regular store hours and they are now advertising extended store hours. Most stores are 5 AM to 2 AM but a handfull are 24 hours and a handfull close at Midnight or 1 AM.

This is good to see, though Safeway NorCal always kept fairly generous hours with most stores closing at 10 PM at the earliest in the past year.
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Re: Safeway NorCal returns to regular store hours

Post by pseudo3d »

That's great news, and I hope other grocers (and restaurants) get the message. H-E-B is still closing at midnight around here when they used to run 24 hour stores, which attracted a lot of after-hours traffic due to the student population and related businesses. (The Kroger stores weren't near the central parts of town and were basically empty during night--I would know since I worked there overnight).
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Re: Safeway NorCal returns to regular store hours

Post by Bagels »

Many stores will probably "never" return to their pre-COVID hours. In Southern California, Albertsons has largely standardized hours to 6AM-11PM. They're re-stickered (removing the paper sign with "temporary" hours) most stores. Previously, most Albertsons closed at 10PM, 11PM or 12AM, whereas Vons were open until 11PM-1AM. Some stores were open later on the weekend (for alcohol sales, obviously) and some stores near LA were open later every day of the week. Presumably, at some point, some stores (e.g. WeHo Pavilions) will have to extend their hours. In contrast, with very few exceptions, Ralphs have returned to their pre-COVID hours (opening at 4/5/6 or 7AM, and closing at 11PM/12AM/1AM or 2AM).

Pre-COVID, Walmart was gradually reducing the number of stores open 24-hours. COVID was likely a catalyst; I'll bet very few stores will ever return to 24-hours. On another site, a person who works for Meijer claimed that the reduction in shrink more than offset the overnight sales gains -- and that's not factoring in wages (one or two dedicated cashiers and LP staff worked overnight), and it was improbable the chain will return to 24-hours.

I'm betting that in the future, there will be fewer shopping options at 1AM than there were in years past.
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Re: Safeway NorCal returns to regular store hours

Post by pseudo3d »

Bagels wrote: April 17th, 2021, 7:17 pm Many stores will probably "never" return to their pre-COVID hours. In Southern California, Albertsons has largely standardized hours to 6AM-11PM. They're re-stickered (removing the paper sign with "temporary" hours) most stores. Previously, most Albertsons closed at 10PM, 11PM or 12AM, whereas Vons were open until 11PM-1AM. Some stores were open later on the weekend (for alcohol sales, obviously) and some stores near LA were open later every day of the week. Presumably, at some point, some stores (e.g. WeHo Pavilions) will have to extend their hours. In contrast, with very few exceptions, Ralphs have returned to their pre-COVID hours (opening at 4/5/6 or 7AM, and closing at 11PM/12AM/1AM or 2AM).

Pre-COVID, Walmart was gradually reducing the number of stores open 24-hours. COVID was likely a catalyst; I'll bet very few stores will ever return to 24-hours. On another site, a person who works for Meijer claimed that the reduction in shrink more than offset the overnight sales gains -- and that's not factoring in wages (one or two dedicated cashiers and LP staff worked overnight), and it was improbable the chain will return to 24-hours.

I'm betting that in the future, there will be fewer shopping options at 1AM than there were in years past.
Kroger (specifically the "empty at night" stores) scaled back well before COVID-19, not all at once. But there are a few stores that work and work well with 24 hours. Not all stores have to be open 24 hours (especially small towns and suburbs without college students and/or nightlife), but there are some stores where that works.
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Re: Safeway NorCal returns to regular store hours

Post by Alpha8472 »

During the riots in June of 2020, Safeway in the San Francisco Bay Area closed their stores early at 9 or before. It stayed that way for months.

Now the Safeway stores in high shoplifting areas close at 12 AM. There are very few 24 hour stores. Safeway had a string of late night cashier robberies where the thieves would steal the entire cash drawer.

Lucky Supermarkets in the San Francisco Bay Area are still 6 AM to 10 PM. Some Nob Hill Foods close at 10 PM and some at 11 PM. Sprouts is 7 AM to 10 PM. Lunardi's is 7 AM to 8 PM.

Walmart is 7 AM to 11 PM.
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Re: Safeway NorCal returns to regular store hours

Post by CalItalian »

Bagels wrote: April 17th, 2021, 7:17 pm Many stores will probably "never" return to their pre-COVID hours. In Southern California, Albertsons has largely standardized hours to 6AM-11PM. They're re-stickered (removing the paper sign with "temporary" hours) most stores. Previously, most Albertsons closed at 10PM, 11PM or 12AM, whereas Vons were open until 11PM-1AM. Some stores were open later on the weekend (for alcohol sales, obviously) and some stores near LA were open later every day of the week. Presumably, at some point, some stores (e.g. WeHo Pavilions) will have to extend their hours. In contrast, with very few exceptions, Ralphs have returned to their pre-COVID hours (opening at 4/5/6 or 7AM, and closing at 11PM/12AM/1AM or 2AM).

Pre-COVID, Walmart was gradually reducing the number of stores open 24-hours. COVID was likely a catalyst; I'll bet very few stores will ever return to 24-hours. On another site, a person who works for Meijer claimed that the reduction in shrink more than offset the overnight sales gains -- and that's not factoring in wages (one or two dedicated cashiers and LP staff worked overnight), and it was improbable the chain will return to 24-hours.

I'm betting that in the future, there will be fewer shopping options at 1AM than there were in years past.
Ralphs no longer has any 24-hour locations. For example, Ralphs Fresh Fare Westwood (the largest Ralphs by sales & sq. footage), Marina del Rey Fresh Fare (former Marina Market and Boys Market on Mindanao & Admiralty) and Westchester on Sepulveda close to LAX, all use to be open 24/7. Ralphs Westwood pharmacy was even open 24 hours (directly across the street from UCLA). Now, Ralphs Westwood is open 5 am to 2 am and the pharmacy 8 am to Midnight. That particular store has a lot of theft, lots of homeless. 3 entrances, 2 separate checkout areas and an odd shaped sales floor since it was formally one of the floors of a Bullock's Department Store. Multiple security guards all day who are all very rude.

The only supermarket in my area of Southwest Riverside County that was ever open 24/7, and has returned to those hours, is Winco. Winco at this time, I believe, is the only supermarket open 24/7 in SoCal.

CVS was the only drug store in my area to remain with a 24-hour operation through Covid. Walgreens recently has returned to a 24-hour operation, though.
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Re: Safeway NorCal returns to regular store hours

Post by Super S »

There was a point in time when EVERY grocery store where I live was 24 hours. Safeway, TOP Foods, and even local grocers Shop 'N Kart, Sinnett's Market Place and Park 'N Shop. Even Fred Meyer advertised a 24 hour food department. The local operators are gone, and Walmart is no longer 24 hours. Safeway sometimes will be 24 hours on a seasonal basis but this varies by location. WinCo is about the only one reliably 24 hours in my area.
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Re: Safeway NorCal returns to regular store hours

Post by Bagels »

CalItalian wrote: April 18th, 2021, 11:44 am Ralphs no longer has any 24-hour locations. For example, Ralphs Fresh Fare Westwood (the largest Ralphs by sales & sq. footage), Marina del Rey Fresh Fare (former Marina Market and Boys Market on Mindanao & Admiralty) and Westchester on Sepulveda close to LAX, all use to be open 24/7. Ralphs Westwood pharmacy was even open 24 hours (directly across the street from UCLA). Now, Ralphs Westwood is open 5 am to 2 am and the pharmacy 8 am to Midnight. That particular store has a lot of theft, lots of homeless. 3 entrances, 2 separate checkout areas and an odd shaped sales floor since it was formally one of the floors of a Bullock's Department Store. Multiple security guards all day who are all very rude.

The only supermarket in my area of Southwest Riverside County that was ever open 24/7, and has returned to those hours, is Winco. Winco at this time, I believe, is the only supermarket open 24/7 in SoCal.

CVS was the only drug store in my area to remain with a 24-hour operation through Covid. Walgreens recently has returned to a 24-hour operation, though.
To be fair, Kroger has gradually been reducing the number of 24-hours stores within its store fleet in recent years. Even Smith's in the Las Vegas area saw their hours trimmed well before COVID, breaking decades worth of tradition. In SoCal, the Food4Less near Disneyland flipped from 24-hours to a 7AM-12AM format sometime in 2019, as did a Ralph's in Long Beach (5AM-1AM). I'm certain there are other examples.

I wouldn't be surprised if certain locations -- the Westood/UCLA, Rock 'N Roll (was this 24 hours pre-COVID?), etc. return to a 24-hour format. But I also wouldn't be surprised if Kroger concluded that shrink and labor (including cashiers, LP / security) exceeds sales gains, and opts to keep these stores closing earlier.
Super S wrote: April 18th, 2021, 12:28 pm There was a point in time when EVERY grocery store where I live was 24 hours. Safeway, TOP Foods, and even local grocers Shop 'N Kart, Sinnett's Market Place and Park 'N Shop. Even Fred Meyer advertised a 24 hour food department. The local operators are gone, and Walmart is no longer 24 hours. Safeway sometimes will be 24 hours on a seasonal basis but this varies by location. WinCo is about the only one reliably 24 hours in my area.
Some markets -- e.g. San Francisco, Las Vegas, etc. -- have a long tradition of 24-hour supermarkets. But in most others, the trend started sometime in the late 1980s / 1990s, and lasted through the mid-2000s. There was a period in the late 1990s/early 2000s in which most supermarkets across the country were 24-hours. It didn't last long...
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Re: Safeway NorCal returns to regular store hours

Post by storewanderer »

Bagels wrote: April 18th, 2021, 1:07 pm
To be fair, Kroger has gradually been reducing the number of 24-hours stores within its store fleet in recent years. Even Smith's in the Las Vegas area saw their hours trimmed well before COVID, breaking decades worth of tradition. In SoCal, the Food4Less near Disneyland flipped from 24-hours to a 7AM-12AM format sometime in 2019, as did a Ralph's in Long Beach (5AM-1AM). I'm certain there are other examples.

I wouldn't be surprised if certain locations -- the Westood/UCLA, Rock 'N Roll (was this 24 hours pre-COVID?), etc. return to a 24-hour format. But I also wouldn't be surprised if Kroger concluded that shrink and labor (including cashiers, LP / security) exceeds sales gains, and opts to keep these stores closing earlier.
Super S wrote: April 18th, 2021, 12:28 pm There was a point in time when EVERY grocery store where I live was 24 hours. Safeway, TOP Foods, and even local grocers Shop 'N Kart, Sinnett's Market Place and Park 'N Shop. Even Fred Meyer advertised a 24 hour food department. The local operators are gone, and Walmart is no longer 24 hours. Safeway sometimes will be 24 hours on a seasonal basis but this varies by location. WinCo is about the only one reliably 24 hours in my area.
Some markets -- e.g. San Francisco, Las Vegas, etc. -- have a long tradition of 24-hour supermarkets. But in most others, the trend started sometime in the late 1980s / 1990s, and lasted through the mid-2000s. There was a period in the late 1990s/early 2000s in which most supermarkets across the country were 24-hours. It didn't last long...
Smiths had kept some stores in Las Vegas 24 hours up until COVID. Up in Reno they kept Reno, Sparks, and Dayton Smiths as 24 hours up until COVID.

I suspect if/when Wal Mart returns to 24 hour operations in some of these places, Kroger will go back to 24 hour operations too. As long as Wal Mart is doing the 11 PM closure, Kroger will be comfortable with 11 PM closing time in many places too. Kroger really seems to act as if Wal Mart is its only competitor anymore. And it sure shows in how they've let the quality of their operation decline.
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Re: Safeway NorCal returns to regular store hours

Post by Bagels »

storewanderer wrote: April 18th, 2021, 1:25 pmSmiths had kept some stores in Las Vegas 24 hours up until COVID. Up in Reno they kept Reno, Sparks, and Dayton Smiths as 24 hours up until COVID.

I suspect if/when Wal Mart returns to 24 hour operations in some of these places, Kroger will go back to 24 hour operations too. As long as Wal Mart is doing the 11 PM closure, Kroger will be comfortable with 11 PM closing time in many places too. Kroger really seems to act as if Wal Mart is its only competitor anymore. And it sure shows in how they've let the quality of their operation decline.
I doubt most Walmart locations will ever go back to 24-hour hours.

Labor costs are swelling, and that's not going to change soon -- the domestic birth rate dropped dramatically following 9-11, creating a smaller entry-level labor pool at the same time Boomers' retirement is accelerating. Our gig economy has created new opportunities for young workers; they may be far more interested in shopping for groceries when they want to, rather than stocking groceries and having to punch in-and-out.

At the same time, multiple sources have reported for years that shrink is gotten out of control at Walmart. Much of this can be attributed to Walmart's decision to limit labor costs; in the 2010s, most stores ditched greeters, limited front end staff, cut LP staff, etc. and heavily relied upon local PD to (de fact) police their stores. Many communities have proposed fining Walmart for this, although I don't know if any actually have.

Walmart began reducing stores' hours well before COVID (including every store here in SoCal), and I'd be surprised if many stores nationally returned to their former ways.
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