Albertsons continues to disappear from WA

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Re: Albertsons continues to disappear from WA

Post by Brian Lutz »

retailfanmitchell019 wrote: April 6th, 2021, 1:00 pm 2 more Albertsons in WA converted to Safeway in the past week: Snohomish and Tumwater.
Stop the madness, ACI!!
If the Snohomish (Clearview) store you're referring to is the one on Highway 9 it's technically a Snohomish address, but it's much closer to Woodinville than Snohomish, and as far as I'm aware it was converted over a couple of months ago. There's a Safeway store in Snohomish on Avenue D (which is also across the street from one of the few remaining Haggen stores), but I think it's been a Safeway for as long as it's been open.

There's also a former Albertson's in Lake Stevens that has a bit of a weird history. I am not sure if it closed under Supervalu ownership or after the Albertsons Safeway merger (it's right near both another Safeway store and a Haggen store) but for some odd reason the store had a brief run as a County Market store (run by Supervalu) along with another store in Woodinville before those two closed again several months later. The Woodinville store eventually got repurposed into a non grocery store use (Ulta Beauty) while the Lake Stevens store sat empty several years before Saar's opened a Super Saver Foods store, which lasted about a year before shutting down leaving the property vacant again, where it is now. I have heard that Grocery Outlet was interested in the space, but have not seen any action to that effect yet.
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Re: Albertsons continues to disappear from WA

Post by pseudo3d »

Brian Lutz wrote: April 9th, 2021, 11:19 am
retailfanmitchell019 wrote: April 6th, 2021, 1:00 pm 2 more Albertsons in WA converted to Safeway in the past week: Snohomish and Tumwater.
Stop the madness, ACI!!
If the Snohomish (Clearview) store you're referring to is the one on Highway 9 it's technically a Snohomish address, but it's much closer to Woodinville than Snohomish, and as far as I'm aware it was converted over a couple of months ago. There's a Safeway store in Snohomish on Avenue D (which is also across the street from one of the few remaining Haggen stores), but I think it's been a Safeway for as long as it's been open.

There's also a former Albertson's in Lake Stevens that has a bit of a weird history. I am not sure if it closed under Supervalu ownership or after the Albertsons Safeway merger (it's right near both another Safeway store and a Haggen store) but for some odd reason the store had a brief run as a County Market store (run by Supervalu) along with another store in Woodinville before those two closed again several months later. The Woodinville store eventually got repurposed into a non grocery store use (Ulta Beauty) while the Lake Stevens store sat empty several years before Saar's opened a Super Saver Foods store, which lasted about a year before shutting down leaving the property vacant again, where it is now. I have heard that Grocery Outlet was interested in the space, but have not seen any action to that effect yet.
Both Woodinville and Everett (Lake Stevens) were divestments to SuperValu. Both of them closed in the fall of 2016.

As an aside, Oak Harbor (also in Washington) was where in early 2015, not long after selling the Safeway to Haggen, converted the Albertsons a block away to a new Safeway (shutting down and doing a remodel to make it more Safeway-like, this being when Albertsons and Safeway still had a substantially different product mix). This was the first Albertsons-to-Safeway conversion under the combined company and a sticking point in Haggen's lawsuit against Albertsons.
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Re: Albertsons continues to disappear from WA

Post by dmk »

Stumbled on this board while searching for information about conversions of Albertsons to Safeway. I worked at an Albertson's store from 88-91. About three weeks ago I noticed the Albertson's store on 128th St south Everett (outside the city limits) was converting to a Safeway. Also noticed a grand re-opening of Safeway in Auburn, WA that used to be an Albertsons. I believe in Snohomish County there are just two Albertsons stores left, one in Marysville and one at 35th Ave and 132nd St in Mill Creek. At the peak there were maybe a dozen stores across the county.
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Re: Albertsons continues to disappear from WA

Post by storewanderer »

dmk wrote: April 11th, 2021, 8:28 pm Stumbled on this board while searching for information about conversions of Albertsons to Safeway. I worked at an Albertson's store from 88-91. About three weeks ago I noticed the Albertson's store on 128th St south Everett (outside the city limits) was converting to a Safeway. Also noticed a grand re-opening of Safeway in Auburn, WA that used to be an Albertsons. I believe in Snohomish County there are just two Albertsons stores left, one in Marysville and one at 35th Ave and 132nd St in Mill Creek. At the peak there were maybe a dozen stores across the county.
Marysville is interesting as you have Albertsons, Safeway, and Haggen all in fairly close proximity.

If it wasn't for that recent remodel in Renton where an Albertsons got what is obviously a heavily Albertsons-themed interior I'd say they were definitely getting rid of the Albertsons banner in Seattle based on these conversions. But that doesn't quite seem to be the case. But what is the point on keeping the name on so few stores in a given area. I understand pruning the banner by closing stores but if you are converting to Safeway why not just convert all? It is clear in WA that Safeway with 6 times the store count of Albertsons is the favored banner for whatever reason. Well, we know the reason. Safeway was dominant to begin with and Supervalu killed Albertsons. It is quite an achievement there are as many stores left as there are with the name.
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Re: Albertsons continues to disappear from WA

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

storewanderer wrote: April 13th, 2021, 7:25 pm If it wasn't for that recent remodel in Renton where an Albertsons got what is obviously a heavily Albertsons-themed interior I'd say they were definitely getting rid of the Albertsons banner in Seattle based on these conversions. But that doesn't quite seem to be the case. But what is the point on keeping the name on so few stores in a given area. I understand pruning the banner by closing stores but if you are converting to Safeway why not just convert all? It is clear in WA that Safeway with 6 times the store count of Albertsons is the favored banner for whatever reason. Well, we know the reason. Safeway was dominant to begin with and Supervalu killed Albertsons. It is quite an achievement there are as many stores left as there are with the name.
I'd say they might've applied the brakes on getting rid of the Albertsons banner in WA.
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Re: Albertsons continues to disappear from WA

Post by dmk »

Marysville also has a Fred Meyer, WInco and Grocery Outlet. Add in a Super Walmart and you have a lot of choices for groceries (then again it's the second biggest city in the county). I grew up in Marysville and back in the day it was Safeway, B & M, Thriftway and a Market Basket (where I remember writing the price on the item). I could go on and on about the history of grocery stores in Marysville (but that's quite a bit off-topic).
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Re: Albertsons continues to disappear from WA

Post by SamSpade »

Aloha, Oregon Albertsons is undergoing a renovation. So, we will see if Portland follows Seattle and rebrands it to Safeway.
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Re: Albertsons continues to disappear from WA

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

SamSpade wrote: April 19th, 2021, 10:55 pm Aloha, Oregon Albertsons is undergoing a renovation. So, we will see if Portland follows Seattle and rebrands it to Safeway.
IDK... one Google Reviewer said that that the store might rebrand to Safeway. I'm not sure, those might be rumors, as there were rumors that the Baker City Albertsons would turn into a Safeway when bought back from Haggen.
They have actually closed more Safeways than Albertsons in Oregon in the past few years, not to mention they have the distribution center from Old Albertsons/NAI (open since the late 80's). The Portland Division might still have Albertsons management.
The Safeway in Aloha still has the Safeway mid 90's interior.
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Re: Albertsons continues to disappear from WA

Post by babs »

SamSpade wrote: April 19th, 2021, 10:55 pm Aloha, Oregon Albertsons is undergoing a renovation. So, we will see if Portland follows Seattle and rebrands it to Safeway.
I haven't seen any Albertsons in the Portland market rebrand. I have seen several Albertsons recently receive a remodel but the reason for the remodels is to create room for Drive Up & Go.

The one store I am curious about is the old Raleigh Hills Safeway. It's been closed for years but building permits have been issued for a remodel. No clue if another grocery store is moving in there or if Safeway may reopen. The construction group.who applied for the permits has done a lot of Safeway and Whole Foods stores.
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Re: Albertsons continues to disappear from WA

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

babs wrote: April 20th, 2021, 8:31 pm I haven't seen any Albertsons in the Portland market rebrand. I have seen several Albertsons recently receive a remodel but the reason for the remodels is to create room for Drive Up & Go.

The one store I am curious about is the old Raleigh Hills Safeway. It's been closed for years but building permits have been issued for a remodel. No clue if another grocery store is moving in there or if Safeway may reopen. The construction group.who applied for the permits has done a lot of Safeway and Whole Foods stores.
The Aloha Albertsons is an early 80's build "Superstore", with windows located above the meat department.

I doubt Safeway will reopen, as there is an Albertsons (expanded 60's marina store) a mile east.
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