Albertsons continues to disappear from WA

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Re: Albertsons continues to disappear from WA

Post by storewanderer »

The Aloha Safeway looks much more fitting for a remodel- sure it has the mid 90's interior (can't believe it) but it has exposed ceilings and is a large store. A remodel there and you'd have a store that looks like it is quite new. The Albertsons is older and it shows and short of taking out the ceiling it is going to look and feel old no matter what you do to it. The Safeway must not perform well. If the Albertsons did better (with a smaller older store) one has to ask is it a wise move to convert the store in that area to the Safeway banner which appears to be failing in that particular neighborhood.
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Re: Albertsons continues to disappear from WA

Post by SamSpade »

As noted here in the thread below this one, the Aloha Safeway actually was renovated. It looks good. Unfortunately they did not try to go through the permits / energy savings / etc to receive a new sign on the building's exterior, so I had no idea until I went inside.

To boot, they also now have self checkout (the modern ones).
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Re: Albertsons continues to disappear from WA

Post by storewanderer »

SamSpade wrote: April 21st, 2021, 3:55 pm As noted here in the thread below this one, the Aloha Safeway actually was renovated. It looks good. Unfortunately they did not try to go through the permits / energy savings / etc to receive a new sign on the building's exterior, so I had no idea until I went inside.

To boot, they also now have self checkout (the modern ones).
Oh - I was getting these stores confused.

I was thinking the remodel was on 2525 SE TV Highway.
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Re: Albertsons continues to disappear from WA

Post by babs »

retailfanmitchell019 wrote: April 21st, 2021, 9:58 am
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.
Word on the street is that the old Raleigh Hills Safeway is being turned into a dark store to fulfill Albertsons/Safeway orders in the area.
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Re: Albertsons continues to disappear from WA

Post by SamSpade »

babs wrote: April 24th, 2021, 8:52 am Word on the street is that the old Raleigh Hills Safeway is being turned into a dark store to fulfill Albertsons/Safeway orders in the area.
Kind of a cool idea. I haven't seen the Safeway.com refrigerated trucks disappear in our area, so I don't think they fully cut the unionized workforce in the Portland division for the Door Dash method. It does seem like you could also still allow for "Drive up and go" orders to be picked up, allowing shoppers to take care of other errands in the center (bank, dollar store, quick service restaurants).

Opening a grocery (of any sort) in that Raleigh Hills center would be challenging. The area has a well merchandised Fred Meyer Marketplace, New Seasons Market's original location, and Albertsons all right there. It's also a short drive (this neighborhood isn't especially pedestrian oriented) to Hillsdale for Basics and the weekend farmers market, Beaverton for Target, WinCo, or additional full-sized Fred Meyer location.
Off Topic
I do wish the Safeway (and Albertsons) Deli was on Door Dash like it is in Seattle, though.
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Re: Farmington Rd and 185th Albertsons

Post by SamSpade »

I was shopping in this store on Sunday. It is definitely becoming a Safeway. I am hopeful based on how much the walls are being stripped that it might even be the first store in this area (as far as I know) to receive what we here call the "Florida" decor.

The produce department is being given significant floor space, new flooring appears to be going in storewide, aisle markers are the newer Safeway wood with red circle numbers and in-aisle product markers with black signs hanging from walls or shelving. New shopping carts have Safeway handles. A Starbucks kiosk and traditional Safeway-style cart vestibule have been built at the front of the store.

This store likely saw an increase in sales over the past few years as the neighborhood south of it was designated as a 'growth' area in the Portland metro urban growth boundary and Bales' nearby Farmington Road location closed in 2019. Hopefully the shopping center owner will do some sprucing up as well, parts of this center look very old and tired.

No pharmacy at this location and one doesn't seem to be in the cards with this remodel despite the Bi-Mart in the center no longer operating one. Other Safeway amenities that I don't think will be present when everything is done are a deli sandwich bar or Chinese cuisine, which are in most Portland division stores.
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Re: Farmington Rd and 185th Albertsons

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

SamSpade wrote: May 3rd, 2021, 10:10 am I was shopping in this store on Sunday. It is definitely becoming a Safeway. I am hopeful based on how much the walls are being stripped that it might even be the first store in this area (as far as I know) to receive what we here call the "Florida" decor.

The produce department is being given significant floor space, new flooring appears to be going in storewide, aisle markers are the newer Safeway wood with red circle numbers and in-aisle product markers with black signs hanging from walls or shelving. New shopping carts have Safeway handles. A Starbucks kiosk and traditional Safeway-style cart vestibule have been built at the front of the store.
This Albertsons is an early 80's "Superstore" model. I was looking at your posts on a trip to Omaha you did; there are a handful of former Albertsons in Omaha with the early 80's model.
The shopping center Albertsons sign probably dates to when the store opened, in 1983 (according to someone on Groceteria).
It's sad to see the Albertsons name slowly disappear from the NW. But SVU really screwed up Albertsons NW, when they jacked up pricing and left stores to deteriorate.
If Albertsons is so gung ho about rebranding stores, they should eliminate the Safeway name in Eugene/Springfield, Northern Idaho, and MT/WY. The Vons name should be eliminated in Las Vegas, Bakersfield, Inland Empire, and even South Orange County.
There are Albertsons stores in SoCal remodeled with the Florida/Modern interior that have stuck with the Albertsons name (Dana Point, Los Feliz, and Downtown San Diego).
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Re: Farmington Rd and 185th Albertsons

Post by babs »

SamSpade wrote: May 3rd, 2021, 10:10 am I was shopping in this store on Sunday. It is definitely becoming a Safeway. I am hopeful based on how much the walls are being stripped that it might even be the first store in this area (as far as I know) to receive what we here call the "Florida" decor.

The produce department is being given significant floor space, new flooring appears to be going in storewide, aisle markers are the newer Safeway wood with red circle numbers and in-aisle product markers with black signs hanging from walls or shelving. New shopping carts have Safeway handles. A Starbucks kiosk and traditional Safeway-style cart vestibule have been built at the front of the store.

This store likely saw an increase in sales over the past few years as the neighborhood south of it was designated as a 'growth' area in the Portland metro urban growth boundary and Bales' nearby Farmington Road location closed in 2019. Hopefully the shopping center owner will do some sprucing up as well, parts of this center look very old and tired.

No pharmacy at this location and one doesn't seem to be in the cards with this remodel despite the Bi-Mart in the center no longer operating one. Other Safeway amenities that I don't think will be present when everything is done are a deli sandwich bar or Chinese cuisine, which are in most Portland division stores.
I just looked at the building permit and it says Rebrand from Albertsons to Safeway.
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Re: Farmington Rd and 185th Albertsons

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

babs wrote: May 3rd, 2021, 1:50 pm I just looked at the building permit and it says Rebrand from Albertsons to Safeway.
:(
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Re: Albertsons continues to disappear from WA

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

Another one bites the dust, Lakewood Albertsons rebrands to Safeway: https://thesubtimes.com/2021/05/19/lake ... /#comments
:(
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