Albertsons and Safeway Openings/Closings 2017

[storewanderer]

We have another closure; Hybla Valley, VA. Store built in 2006.

http://coveringthecorridor.com/2017/03/ ... y-closing/
https://www.yelp.com/biz/safeway-alexan ... =date_desc

Ratings only got worse since Albertsons ownership but were already not good. Long lines a common issue it seems.

[pseudo3d]

That store seems relatively new (2006 built) and maybe it just didn't work out to begin with.

[mjhale]

We have another closure; Hybla Valley, VA. Store built in 2006.

http://coveringthecorridor.com/2017/03/ ... y-closing/
https://www.yelp.com/biz/safeway-alexan ... =date_desc

Ratings only got worse since Albertsons ownership but were already not good. Long lines a common issue it seems.

I can't say that I am surprised. This is without a doubt one of the worst Safeway stores I have ever shopped in. The Yelp reviews and the comments on the news store are not kidding. The area immediately along the Route 1 corridor is more along the lines of Aldi and ethnic markets than an wannabe upscale Safeway. Even a Food Lion/Bottom Dollar in Woodlawn Shopping Center didn't make it.

There are two nearby Safeway stores - one on Belle View Blvd (former Grand Union) and a marina on Fort Hunt Road that are in neighborhoods that are much more suited to what we would perceive as Safeway's target suburban demographic.

[pseudo3d]

Added San Pedro Albertsons (Haggen reopening that I missed), as well as a new Tom Thumb (Left Bank). I suspect there might be some "silent" Haggen reopenings I missed (there were a few last year). The openings brings the net number of stores this year to -7.

[pseudo3d]

A somewhat under-the-radar Albertsons opening later this year, in Las Vegas, a building shell meant to open as Vons back in 2006 (building finished in 2009) is finishing construction as an Albertsons instead. Given that they reopened one of the old Haggen stores (formerly Vons) as an Albertsons, will Las Vegas end up becoming an "Albertsons market" instead of Vons? Sure would seem that way...

https://vegasinc.com/business/2017/mar/ ... certainty/

[storewanderer]

Albertsons reputation in Las Vegas is a lot better than Vons... (and that isn't saying much). Vons reputation in Las Vegas is very bad, and they deserve the reputation they have. Unfortunately, the operations of the Las Vegas Vons have gone even more downhill since those stores were put under the Arizona Division... not sure why that happened. Given Albertsons is developing new stores in Las Vegas, I hope they are working on their pricing and working on the stores because they do not seem very healthy there. Low traffic levels and lightly stocked perimeters seem to be issues in the Albertsons bannered stores in Las Vegas. Packed parking lots at Smiths and Wal Marts; overcrowded almost.

[kr.abs.swy]

We lived in Vegas for a year (until about a year ago) and I agree with everything you said. The Vons store base was much smaller than the Smith's or Albertsons store bases, and the Haggen divestitures left major gaps in Vons' coverage. There are materially more Albertsons stores than Vons stores, and this is a market where, IMHO, it makes sense to consolidate under the Albertsons name. Some of the Vons stores were quite low volume. The space in some was quite underutilized (wide aisles, big empty spaces, aisles with bottled water as filler, etc.). But the biggest problem was that pricing was out of whack. I would guess that overall, we would pay 15% more for the same basket at Vons versus Smith's. The Anthem Vons was probably in a position where the pricing wasn't a huge issue, but some of the other Vons stores were in neighborhoods where the marginally higher quality of a Vons store just wasn't enough to justify the higher prices. The prices at Vons in Vegas were noticeably higher than at Safeway stores in the Northwest. I believe that someone on this board has said that they use the SoCal pricing scale at Vons in Vegas (or at least have in the past) and based on my observations, that was probably true.

There were a few Smith's stores that I was in that were dogs, but, like you said, most were busy, clean stores that served their neighborhoods well. At least in Vegas, Smith's seemed to be able to compete well with Walmart. I would say that overall, Smith's prices were probably closer to Walmart than to Vons. Overall I was quite impressed.

The average Vegas Albertsons didn't seem to have the volume of a Smith's, but probably performed better than the average Vons.

Albertsons reputation in Las Vegas is a lot better than Vons... (and that isn't saying much). Vons reputation in Las Vegas is very bad, and they deserve the reputation they have. Unfortunately, the operations of the Las Vegas Vons have gone even more downhill since those stores were put under the Arizona Division... not sure why that happened. Given Albertsons is developing new stores in Las Vegas, I hope they are working on their pricing and working on the stores because they do not seem very healthy there. Low traffic levels and lightly stocked perimeters seem to be issues in the Albertsons bannered stores in Las Vegas. Packed parking lots at Smiths and Wal Marts; overcrowded almost.

[pseudo3d]

In any case, I've added the ACME in UPenn (4001 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104) and the Las Vegas Albertsons (7975 Blue Diamond Rd Las Vegas, NV 89178) to stores to open in 2017. I wonder what action Albertsons should take with the Vons with the Las Vegas that would make a difference. Maybe they should just do rolling closures and reset them in two days with cleaned-up stores.

[CalItalian]

A somewhat under-the-radar Albertsons opening later this year, in Las Vegas, a building shell meant to open as Vons back in 2006 (building finished in 2009) is finishing construction as an Albertsons instead. Given that they reopened one of the old Haggen stores (formerly Vons) as an Albertsons, will Las Vegas end up becoming an "Albertsons market" instead of Vons? Sure would seem that way...

https://vegasinc.com/business/2017/mar/ ... certainty/

That store opened today.
https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/loc ... las-vegas/

[CalItalian]

We lived in Vegas for a year (until about a year ago) and I agree with everything you said. The Vons store base was much smaller than the Smith's or Albertsons store bases, and the Haggen divestitures left major gaps in Vons' coverage. There are materially more Albertsons stores than Vons stores, and this is a market where, IMHO, it makes sense to consolidate under the Albertsons name. Some of the Vons stores were quite low volume. The space in some was quite underutilized (wide aisles, big empty spaces, aisles with bottled water as filler, etc.). But the biggest problem was that pricing was out of whack. I would guess that overall, we would pay 15% more for the same basket at Vons versus Smith's. The Anthem Vons was probably in a position where the pricing wasn't a huge issue, but some of the other Vons stores were in neighborhoods where the marginally higher quality of a Vons store just wasn't enough to justify the higher prices. The prices at Vons in Vegas were noticeably higher than at Safeway stores in the Northwest. I believe that someone on this board has said that they use the SoCal pricing scale at Vons in Vegas (or at least have in the past) and based on my observations, that was probably true.

There were a few Smith's stores that I was in that were dogs, but, like you said, most were busy, clean stores that served their neighborhoods well. At least in Vegas, Smith's seemed to be able to compete well with Walmart. I would say that overall, Smith's prices were probably closer to Walmart than to Vons. Overall I was quite impressed.

The average Vegas Albertsons didn't seem to have the volume of a Smith's, but probably performed better than the average Vons.

Albertsons reputation in Las Vegas is a lot better than Vons... (and that isn't saying much). Vons reputation in Las Vegas is very bad, and they deserve the reputation they have. Unfortunately, the operations of the Las Vegas Vons have gone even more downhill since those stores were put under the Arizona Division... not sure why that happened. Given Albertsons is developing new stores in Las Vegas, I hope they are working on their pricing and working on the stores because they do not seem very healthy there. Low traffic levels and lightly stocked perimeters seem to be issues in the Albertsons bannered stores in Las Vegas. Packed parking lots at Smiths and Wal Marts; overcrowded almost.

I've been in the Albertsons at Tropicana and Jones. I was shocked that it hasn't had a remodel since the Lucky days. It's a complete mess with broken flooring, lighting that is out and one or more freezer units each time I have been in that have been out. There is a Smith's catty corner to it and it's a busy store. Not a great store but lots better than that Albertsons. There was a Fresh & Easy across the street from both Smith's and Albertsons. It never got any traffic but I sure loved all the discounted clearance food in it. The Vons on Durango is a much better store than most Albertsons in Las Vegas but since the Southwest Division has taken it over, each time I have been in there they were out of many advertised items. The Glazier's across the street is much busier. I've actually been impressed by some of the Vons advertised prices since the Southwest division took over. Like a case of Refreshe water for .99 cents a few weeks ago. Never that low in California.