Food Maxx Closing Bakersfield, CA Chester

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Re: Food Maxx Closing Bakersfield, CA Chester

Post by storewanderer »

jamcool wrote: September 20th, 2021, 12:06 pm Stater had a store in Mojave (Kern County) which has since closed.
I think Stater stayed open in Mojave. I hope, for their sake... pretty desolate place there. Obviously not a high volume store but a closure would have been bad news. Similar to when Bashas closed Needles (then the 99 Cents Only also did not make it in Needles; oddly Rite Aid is able to make it there).

Stater is not in Fresno/Bakersfield. They have a store in Ridgecrest. Three stores in Hesperia pretty close together all along the same street (16904, 15757, and 14466 Main St.); a few more north of there (Victorville, Apple Valley).

Looks like Stater got a Lucky/Sav-On in Hesperia- 16904 Main St.- really nice looking store.
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Re: Food Maxx Closing Bakersfield, CA Chester

Post by HCal »

storewanderer wrote: September 15th, 2021, 11:06 pm
HCal wrote: September 15th, 2021, 10:16 pm Yup, 3 FoodMaxx and 1 tired old Save Mart left. Kind of pathetic for a company that prides itself on its central valley ties.

I also thought FoodMaxx was doing well, but this location was in a bad area plagued by shoplifting, homelessness, etc. The remaining Save Mart and 2 of the FoodMaxxes are on the west side, and don't have those issues.

The FoodMaxx locations on Union (which became Superior) and Ming (still open) were former F4L, according to this article: https://www.bakersfield.com/news/busine ... 701d8.html No mention of White Lane, but that might just be sloppy reporting.
There should be room for Save Mart in Bakersfield to have a bit more of a presence. I guess Albertsons and Vons are too much competition for them. The loss of 2 Food Maxx Stores in such a short duration strikes me as somewhat troubling, it will be interesting to see if they figure out a way to add a store or two there.
I think the issue with Bakersfield is that it has been pretty much blanketed by Walmart. For example, the Neighborhood Market in Oildale opened in 2014, and the Vons down the street closed a few years later. 7-8 years ago, there were 6 Vons in town, now there are 3.

There are now so many discounters (besides Walmart, you have a couple Aldi's, 2 big Wincos, a few Grocery Outlets, and 2 remaining FoodsCo's) that there is little room left for conventional full-service supermarkets. Vons/Albertsons is pretty much the only one left, other than the last remaining SaveMart. FoodMaxx is cheaper than Save Mart, but I think the gap has narrowed somewhat in recent years.
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Re: Food Maxx Closing Bakersfield, CA Chester

Post by veteran+ »

storewanderer wrote: September 20th, 2021, 4:41 pm
jamcool wrote: September 20th, 2021, 12:06 pm Stater had a store in Mojave (Kern County) which has since closed.
I think Stater stayed open in Mojave. I hope, for their sake... pretty desolate place there. Obviously not a high volume store but a closure would have been bad news. Similar to when Bashas closed Needles (then the 99 Cents Only also did not make it in Needles; oddly Rite Aid is able to make it there).

Stater is not in Fresno/Bakersfield. They have a store in Ridgecrest. Three stores in Hesperia pretty close together all along the same street (16904, 15757, and 14466 Main St.); a few more north of there (Victorville, Apple Valley).

Looks like Stater got a Lucky/Sav-On in Hesperia- 16904 Main St.- really nice looking store.
I believe Staters would be a great fit for Fresno and Bakersfield and potentially destroy most of the competition (except perhaps Walmart?).

Wow, 3 stores in Hesperia? I expect that they do very well.

I openned a Fresh & Easy store there......................what a nightmare store to run. I apologize but.....................horrible area and horrible customers (except for a trickle of folks from Apple Valley).
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Re: Food Maxx Closing Bakersfield, CA Chester

Post by jamcool »

Bakersfield is more like a town in the Midwest or South than SoCal, more blue collar and lower income, which is why Walmart does well there and the more upscale chains don’t.
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Re: Food Maxx Closing Bakersfield, CA Chester

Post by SamSpade »

HCal wrote: September 15th, 2021, 10:16 pm Yup, 3 FoodMaxx and 1 tired old Save Mart left. Kind of pathetic for a company that prides itself on its central valley ties.
A year ago, the company was advertising FoodMaxx in local media. Now it's SaveMart only. The only other grocer using radio that I know of currently is Grocery Outlet.

The one store in Kern County does have very good reviews on Google. Yelp is a bit more of a mixed bag.
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Re: Food Maxx Closing Bakersfield, CA Chester

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

storewanderer wrote: September 20th, 2021, 4:41 pm Looks like Stater got a Lucky/Sav-On in Hesperia- 16904 Main St.- really nice looking store.
That store was built as Lucky/Sav-on, but opened as Albertsons. Yet it had the Lucky red/teal interior. SVU sold that store to Stater in 2011.
There is a clone of this store in Hawthorne that closed in 2014 (now Superior). That store was also planned by Lucky, but opened as Albertsons with Lucky interior.
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Re: Food Maxx Closing Bakersfield, CA Chester

Post by storewanderer »

SamSpade wrote: September 28th, 2021, 10:53 am
HCal wrote: September 15th, 2021, 10:16 pm Yup, 3 FoodMaxx and 1 tired old Save Mart left. Kind of pathetic for a company that prides itself on its central valley ties.
A year ago, the company was advertising FoodMaxx in local media. Now it's SaveMart only. The only other grocer using radio that I know of currently is Grocery Outlet.

The one store in Kern County does have very good reviews on Google. Yelp is a bit more of a mixed bag.
That one Save Mart in Kern County was a 2-3 year old Ralphs when Save Mart got it. It is a very nice store, in a safe neighborhood, especially for Bakersfield. Save Mart re-did the walls and did a hack job in produce putting in an ugly floor and some ceiling fans (???) but that is about it; the store is for all intents and purposes still a Ralphs when you can get past the hack job they did on the walls. The couple times I've been there, I found the employees quite friendly. Despite the various shortcomings of Save Mart over the years, I think this is one of those locations that has always done the best it possibly can with what it has to work with and having a nice facility to work with and employees that seem to actually care about their store makes a big difference.
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Re: Food Maxx Closing Bakersfield, CA Chester

Post by SO_CAL_RETAIL_SLUT »

Re; FoodMaxx Chester Ave. closing, the UFCW bargaining agreement for the FoodMaxx stores in southern California
expires on October 9, 2021.

That does not imply that this FoodMaxx location is closing only because of a soon to expire bargaining agreement, rather, it most likely has to do with an upcoming lease expiration, dwindling sales and increased costs that make the location negative and other factors.

SaveMart probably looked at the numbers:, increase to lease costs from a renewal, upcoming bargaining agreement and increases to wages/benefits, and as the surrounding neighborhood has greatly deteriorated over the past few years - the impact to store profitability from increased shrinkage.

Others have mentioned how the Bakersfield market has changed - and it has changed rapidly during the past 10 years.
Basically, Bakersfield has two market segments - east or the 99, and west of the 99. Most of the Hispanic format stores are located east of the 99, while Walmart and Target have stores on both sides of the 99 and most of the ethnic markets are east of the 99 - and thereby through default, the demographics/economics of profitability in Bakersfield.

Just to point out that both Costco's, both Winco's, Sam's Club, the 3 Vons, 5 of the Albertsons, the remaining FoodMaxx and Save Mart, are all located west of the 99. Aldi is split, one east and one west - but the one east is just east of of the 99 on Panama Ln.

The Hispanic format stores from Los Angeles (Vallarta, Superior) have greatly increased their market share. Much of this can be drilled right down to the cost of housing - many have moved/relocated from the Los Angeles area - primarily the east San Fernando Valley (heavily Hispanic) for less expensive housing - whether that's a purchase or rental. Unfortunately, as a local investor (retail, and commercial) in Bakersfield what was a very inexpensive market has now seen real estate and rental prices increased to the point where people are being priced out for the market - and frankly, the demographics have changed whereas the traditional grocers can't get the margins they are used to as in other areas of California.

Grocers are re-thinking their footprints. With increases to transportation, bargaining agreements and leases, many are just pulling the plug.

I also expect Albertsons to convert the remaining Vons locations into ABS stores for market commonality, advertising weekly flyers, website, home delivery, tv ads, etc., shortly after January 1, 2022, but before the ABS fiscal year closes. I wouldn't be surprised if ABS pruned a couple locations from their Bakersfield fleet.

I do believe that Bakersfield from a price standpoint is a very competitive market - with so many companies chasing the food dollars there - shoppers have many choices in which to maximize their spending.

Even with the Chester Ave. FoodMaxx location closing, Bakersfield residents will have plenty of other choices where to spend their food dollars - many with competitive pricing as good or better than FoodMaxx.

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Re: Food Maxx Closing Bakersfield, CA Chester

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

SO_CAL_RETAIL_SLUT wrote: October 4th, 2021, 2:39 pm

Others have mentioned how the Bakersfield market has changed - and it has changed rapidly during the past 10 years.
Basically, Bakersfield has two market segments - east or the 99, and west of the 99. Most of the Hispanic format stores are located east of the 99, while Walmart and Target have stores on both sides of the 99 and most of the ethnic markets are east of the 99 - and thereby through default, the demographics/economics of profitability in Bakersfield.

Just to point out that both Costco's, both Winco's, Sam's Club, the 3 Vons, 5 of the Albertsons, the remaining FoodMaxx and Save Mart, are all located west of the 99. Aldi is split, one east and one west - but the one east is just east of of the 99 on Panama Ln.

The Hispanic format stores from Los Angeles (Vallarta, Superior) have greatly increased their market share. Much of this can be drilled right down to the cost of housing - many have moved/relocated from the Los Angeles area - primarily the east San Fernando Valley (heavily Hispanic) for less expensive housing - whether that's a purchase or rental. Unfortunately, as a local investor (retail, and commercial) in Bakersfield what was a very inexpensive market has now seen real estate and rental prices increased to the point where people are being priced out for the market - and frankly, the demographics have changed whereas the traditional grocers can't get the margins they are used to as in other areas of California.

Grocers are re-thinking their footprints. With increases to transportation, bargaining agreements and leases, many are just pulling the plug.

I also expect Albertsons to convert the remaining Vons locations into ABS stores for market commonality, advertising weekly flyers, website, home delivery, tv ads, etc., shortly after January 1, 2022, but before the ABS fiscal year closes. I wouldn't be surprised if ABS pruned a couple locations from their Bakersfield fleet.

I do believe that Bakersfield from a price standpoint is a very competitive market - with so many companies chasing the food dollars there - shoppers have many choices in which to maximize their spending.

Even with the Chester Ave. FoodMaxx location closing, Bakersfield residents will have plenty of other choices where to spend their food dollars - many with competitive pricing as good or better than FoodMaxx.

SO_CAL_RETAIL_SLUT
Bakersfield is definitely a price sensitive market. Demographics are more similar to the Deep South or rural Texas (During the Great Depression, people migrated there from states like Oklahoma and Louisiana, hence "Okies"). Walmart does better there than any other area in California.
If Albertsons does rebrand the remaining Vons stores in Bakersfield, I wouldn't be surprised if they were to rebrand Vons stores in Orange County, Las Vegas, and the IE to Albertsons.
There is an Albertsons in Bakersfield on Coffee Rd 1 mile up the street from a Vons. Albertsons just gave that store a Colorful Lifestyle remodel. The Vons nearby still has Lifestyle 1.0. I can imagine them closing this one.
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Re: Food Maxx Closing Bakersfield, CA Chester

Post by HCal »

SO_CAL_RETAIL_SLUT wrote: October 4th, 2021, 2:39 pm Re; FoodMaxx Chester Ave. closing, the UFCW bargaining agreement for the FoodMaxx stores in southern California
expires on October 9, 2021.

That does not imply that this FoodMaxx location is closing only because of a soon to expire bargaining agreement, rather, it most likely has to do with an upcoming lease expiration, dwindling sales and increased costs that make the location negative and other factors.

SaveMart probably looked at the numbers:, increase to lease costs from a renewal, upcoming bargaining agreement and increases to wages/benefits, and as the surrounding neighborhood has greatly deteriorated over the past few years - the impact to store profitability from increased shrinkage.

Others have mentioned how the Bakersfield market has changed - and it has changed rapidly during the past 10 years.
Basically, Bakersfield has two market segments - east or the 99, and west of the 99. Most of the Hispanic format stores are located east of the 99, while Walmart and Target have stores on both sides of the 99 and most of the ethnic markets are east of the 99 - and thereby through default, the demographics/economics of profitability in Bakersfield.

Just to point out that both Costco's, both Winco's, Sam's Club, the 3 Vons, 5 of the Albertsons, the remaining FoodMaxx and Save Mart, are all located west of the 99. Aldi is split, one east and one west - but the one east is just east of of the 99 on Panama Ln.

The Hispanic format stores from Los Angeles (Vallarta, Superior) have greatly increased their market share. Much of this can be drilled right down to the cost of housing - many have moved/relocated from the Los Angeles area - primarily the east San Fernando Valley (heavily Hispanic) for less expensive housing - whether that's a purchase or rental. Unfortunately, as a local investor (retail, and commercial) in Bakersfield what was a very inexpensive market has now seen real estate and rental prices increased to the point where people are being priced out for the market - and frankly, the demographics have changed whereas the traditional grocers can't get the margins they are used to as in other areas of California.

Grocers are re-thinking their footprints. With increases to transportation, bargaining agreements and leases, many are just pulling the plug.

I also expect Albertsons to convert the remaining Vons locations into ABS stores for market commonality, advertising weekly flyers, website, home delivery, tv ads, etc., shortly after January 1, 2022, but before the ABS fiscal year closes. I wouldn't be surprised if ABS pruned a couple locations from their Bakersfield fleet.

I do believe that Bakersfield from a price standpoint is a very competitive market - with so many companies chasing the food dollars there - shoppers have many choices in which to maximize their spending.

Even with the Chester Ave. FoodMaxx location closing, Bakersfield residents will have plenty of other choices where to spend their food dollars - many with competitive pricing as good or better than FoodMaxx.

SO_CAL_RETAIL_SLUT
I really don't see them rebranding the Vons locations. The Vons name has a lot of history in town, going back to the 1970s. Having two banners doesn't cost much extra, and I'm sure they have learned their lesson after the Lucky/Albertsons fiasco.

Bakersfield is definitely low-income and price-sensitive, but there are pockets of people with more disposable income (Rosedale, Haggin Oaks, etc.) where full-service supermarkets have potential.
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