Albertsons marks ‘transformational year’ in fiscal 2020

This is the place for general and miscellaneous posts on topics which might extend past the boundaries of any specific region. No non-grocery posts.
veteran+
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor
Posts: 2233
Joined: January 3rd, 2015, 7:53 am
Has thanked: 1202 times
Been thanked: 71 times
Status: Offline

Re: Albertsons marks ‘transformational year’ in fiscal 2020

Post by veteran+ »

In my area the shopping experience at Vons - Pavilions is significantly superior in all ways to Ralphs.

Albertsons (in this area) has made some incremental steps in lowering prices but is STILL uncomfortably higher than Ralphs (Fresh Fare included).

I cannot stand the Just4u nonsense! It is a rewards card program gone crazy! I am not a Club Card fan but this is something else............ :x

I would include the Palm Springs and San Diego area as well.
storewanderer
Posts: 14379
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Albertsons marks ‘transformational year’ in fiscal 2020

Post by storewanderer »

This is my general observation as well. Smiths has continued to spiral downhill and gets worse and worse by the month. I only go into Smiths once or twice a week now, I used to shop them daily. Usually one of those visits each week involves me screwing around with their app in the parking lot for 15-20 minutes before I enter the store to download some "weekly digital offer" which already puts me in a real lousy mood before I even enter the store. Then about 75% of the time, once inside the store, I find the item out of stock. Some of the employees will give rainchecks (some won't) or I can talk to the store manager who will do something (substitution or raincheck) but frankly I don't really want to bother with all of that. I drive out of my way to avoid shopping at Smiths multiple times during the week. Given their ongoing price increases it has made it that much easier to shop elsewhere. Raleys has thrown me a bit of a curve ball with the ONE conversion but I won't be going to Smiths more.

With Safeway pricing, freshness, checkout speed have all improved. Safeway has problems but they seem to have a lot fewer problems than they had a year or two years ago. I do think if you watch the promotions closely the pricing in most categories at Safeway has become quite close to Kroger but you have to really watch the promotions. The meat category is the one category they are still really weak on price and execution, but that isn't relevant anyway.
User avatar
retailfanmitchell019
Assistant Store Manager
Assistant Store Manager
Posts: 891
Joined: November 10th, 2019, 11:17 am
Location: 760 area code
Has thanked: 39 times
Been thanked: 57 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Albertsons marks ‘transformational year’ in fiscal 2020

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

Latest observation at Albertsons/Vons/Safeway in CA: their bags now have a "Thank You" message on them. "Thank You" looks to be written in the same font as the late 90's Albertson's script logo.
storewanderer
Posts: 14379
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Albertsons marks ‘transformational year’ in fiscal 2020

Post by storewanderer »

retailfanmitchell019 wrote: August 23rd, 2021, 12:23 pm Latest observation at Albertsons/Vons/Safeway in CA: their bags now have a "Thank You" message on them. "Thank You" looks to be written in the same font as the late 90's Albertson's script logo.
Aren't these the same bags they've been using for the past year or so? And before that, they were using thin bags with the same look?

Those are generic thank you for shopping with us bags and I have seen them in the past at various random stores over the years.

NorCal Safeway isn't always using those generic thank you for shopping with us bags; sometimes they have some super thick green colored bag, or super thick gray colored bag. Due to the supply issue with the thick bags they are needing to go to multiple sources to meet demand.
arizonaguy
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1107
Joined: July 12th, 2013, 6:07 pm
Been thanked: 35 times
Status: Offline

Re: Albertsons marks ‘transformational year’ in fiscal 2020

Post by arizonaguy »

storewanderer wrote: May 15th, 2021, 9:51 am This is my general observation as well. Smiths has continued to spiral downhill and gets worse and worse by the month. I only go into Smiths once or twice a week now, I used to shop them daily. Usually one of those visits each week involves me screwing around with their app in the parking lot for 15-20 minutes before I enter the store to download some "weekly digital offer" which already puts me in a real lousy mood before I even enter the store. Then about 75% of the time, once inside the store, I find the item out of stock. Some of the employees will give rainchecks (some won't) or I can talk to the store manager who will do something (substitution or raincheck) but frankly I don't really want to bother with all of that. I drive out of my way to avoid shopping at Smiths multiple times during the week. Given their ongoing price increases it has made it that much easier to shop elsewhere. Raleys has thrown me a bit of a curve ball with the ONE conversion but I won't be going to Smiths more.

With Safeway pricing, freshness, checkout speed have all improved. Safeway has problems but they seem to have a lot fewer problems than they had a year or two years ago. I do think if you watch the promotions closely the pricing in most categories at Safeway has become quite close to Kroger but you have to really watch the promotions. The meat category is the one category they are still really weak on price and execution, but that isn't relevant anyway.
One of the advantages of the Safeway app and promotional setup versus Fry's (and I assume other Kroger divisions) is that Safeway posts the digital offer on the price tag of an item. Instead of messing around with the app before I go to the store and then hoping I find the offer I clipped a digital coupon on, at Safeway I can go to the item, see that it has a digital coupon on its price tag, scan the item with my phone, and load my coupon.

I used to shop at the Fry's Marketplace near my house when it first opened because at the time it was the best all around supermarket near my house. Now I shop regularly at Safeway and Winco and very rarely go to Fry's. Safeway's promotional pricing has caught up with Fry's (and oftentimes with the J4U offers they tend to even have better promotions). The Safeway store and parking lot are smaller (so easier in and out). My local Safeway has self checkouts that actually seem fairly intuitive (and have hand held scan guns). Also, Safeway tends to have more items in stock than Fry's. It's very rare that I go to Safeway and cannot find what I'm looking for. Finally, at least at my local Safeway, the employees seem happier and are more helpful.
storewanderer
Posts: 14379
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Albertsons marks ‘transformational year’ in fiscal 2020

Post by storewanderer »

arizonaguy wrote: August 23rd, 2021, 10:44 pm
One of the advantages of the Safeway app and promotional setup versus Fry's (and I assume other Kroger divisions) is that Safeway posts the digital offer on the price tag of an item. Instead of messing around with the app before I go to the store and then hoping I find the offer I clipped a digital coupon on, at Safeway I can go to the item, see that it has a digital coupon on its price tag, scan the item with my phone, and load my coupon.

I used to shop at the Fry's Marketplace near my house when it first opened because at the time it was the best all around supermarket near my house. Now I shop regularly at Safeway and Winco and very rarely go to Fry's. Safeway's promotional pricing has caught up with Fry's (and oftentimes with the J4U offers they tend to even have better promotions). The Safeway store and parking lot are smaller (so easier in and out). My local Safeway has self checkouts that actually seem fairly intuitive (and have hand held scan guns). Also, Safeway tends to have more items in stock than Fry's. It's very rare that I go to Safeway and cannot find what I'm looking for. Finally, at least at my local Safeway, the employees seem happier and are more helpful.
At least with Safeway it is VERY clear when items are part of the pick 4 or pick 5 or whatever it is promotion as they use a solid color shelf tag background that is red, and very CLEARLY show the regular price, single unit price, and pick 4 save more price. I too have found a better success rate when going into Safeway for sale items in the past year or so. I typically go out with what I go in for.

Actually Smiths does tag the items that have a digital offer showing the final price. It is often half of the sale items in the store on weeks when it is in the ad.

I had a real mishap at Smiths this week. I did not bother to look at the ad before I shopped or the app as I didn't want to sit in the parking lot in the heavy smoke in the air like I usually do for 20 minutes before I go into Smiths to shop. They had items tagged with the "buy 5 save $5" and items tagged with rather similar colored tags "with digital coupon price" and I thought the items were all part of the buy 5 save $5 promotion. I did not know they run both promotions overlapping in the same week. I thought it was either one promotion or the other in a given week.

Of course I went up to pay and I had 3 items ring up with the FV (card price) designation and 2 items ring up with the <+ or whatever it is designation that denotes the buy 5 save $5 offer. My mistake for not reading the tags. And Kroger's sales and efficiency loss for not having more straightforward promotions. I'm about to the point Smiths could just leave my market and I wouldn't even miss them. I shouldn't say that as they are causing pricing pressure that is pushing the prices down here at Safeway.
rwsandiego
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1242
Joined: April 3rd, 2016, 10:57 pm
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 55 times
Status: Offline

Re: Albertsons marks ‘transformational year’ in fiscal 2020

Post by rwsandiego »

arizonaguy wrote: August 23rd, 2021, 10:44 pm...I used to shop at the Fry's Marketplace near my house when it first opened because at the time it was the best all around supermarket near my house. Now I shop regularly at Safeway and Winco and very rarely go to Fry's. Safeway's promotional pricing has caught up with Fry's (and oftentimes with the J4U offers they tend to even have better promotions). The Safeway store and parking lot are smaller (so easier in and out). My local Safeway has self checkouts that actually seem fairly intuitive (and have hand held scan guns). Also, Safeway tends to have more items in stock than Fry's. It's very rare that I go to Safeway and cannot find what I'm looking for. Finally, at least at my local Safeway, the employees seem happier and are more helpful.
I can walk to a Fry's (Jefferson and 1st Street in downtown Phoenix) but typically drive to Safeway because of the things you noted in your post. Like you, I've noticed the employees at my two local Safeways (7th Ave and Osborn and 7th St and McDowell) to be much friendlier and nicer than those at Fry's. Also, the 7th and Osborn Safeway employees are normal people, unlike some of the strange folk they have working at the Sprouts across the street.
veteran+
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor
Posts: 2233
Joined: January 3rd, 2015, 7:53 am
Has thanked: 1202 times
Been thanked: 71 times
Status: Offline

Re: Albertsons marks ‘transformational year’ in fiscal 2020

Post by veteran+ »

storewanderer wrote: August 23rd, 2021, 10:58 pm
arizonaguy wrote: August 23rd, 2021, 10:44 pm
One of the advantages of the Safeway app and promotional setup versus Fry's (and I assume other Kroger divisions) is that Safeway posts the digital offer on the price tag of an item. Instead of messing around with the app before I go to the store and then hoping I find the offer I clipped a digital coupon on, at Safeway I can go to the item, see that it has a digital coupon on its price tag, scan the item with my phone, and load my coupon.

I used to shop at the Fry's Marketplace near my house when it first opened because at the time it was the best all around supermarket near my house. Now I shop regularly at Safeway and Winco and very rarely go to Fry's. Safeway's promotional pricing has caught up with Fry's (and oftentimes with the J4U offers they tend to even have better promotions). The Safeway store and parking lot are smaller (so easier in and out). My local Safeway has self checkouts that actually seem fairly intuitive (and have hand held scan guns). Also, Safeway tends to have more items in stock than Fry's. It's very rare that I go to Safeway and cannot find what I'm looking for. Finally, at least at my local Safeway, the employees seem happier and are more helpful.
At least with Safeway it is VERY clear when items are part of the pick 4 or pick 5 or whatever it is promotion as they use a solid color shelf tag background that is red, and very CLEARLY show the regular price, single unit price, and pick 4 save more price. I too have found a better success rate when going into Safeway for sale items in the past year or so. I typically go out with what I go in for.

Actually Smiths does tag the items that have a digital offer showing the final price. It is often half of the sale items in the store on weeks when it is in the ad.

I had a real mishap at Smiths this week. I did not bother to look at the ad before I shopped or the app as I didn't want to sit in the parking lot in the heavy smoke in the air like I usually do for 20 minutes before I go into Smiths to shop. They had items tagged with the "buy 5 save $5" and items tagged with rather similar colored tags "with digital coupon price" and I thought the items were all part of the buy 5 save $5 promotion. I did not know they run both promotions overlapping in the same week. I thought it was either one promotion or the other in a given week.

Of course I went up to pay and I had 3 items ring up with the FV (card price) designation and 2 items ring up with the <+ or whatever it is designation that denotes the buy 5 save $5 offer. My mistake for not reading the tags. And Kroger's sales and efficiency loss for not having more straightforward promotions. I'm about to the point Smiths could just leave my market and I wouldn't even miss them. I shouldn't say that as they are causing pricing pressure that is pushing the prices down here at Safeway.

You make such a valid point with that 20 minutes scenario in the car. I have experienced the very same thing and it annoys the heck out of me!

Their apps may work better but...................................I never spent 20 minutes picking and cutting coupons (received from store) before this tsunami of tech came around.

Easier? Quicker? Not for me.....................................
Post Reply