Fleming was able to run Baker's for almost a decade before selling it to Kroger...but like C&S, most of their operations that they bought into didn't make it. I guess Rainbow Foods (the original WI/MN one, not the TX division) did make it...but I suspect it was damaged beyond repair when it went into the possession of Roundy's. Didn't save Furr's or ABCO Foods Desert Market. Those got completely dismantled. Arguably, C&S did a better job of handling Grand Union (selling it to Tops) and Bruno's (selling it to a new group that rebranded it as Belle Foods—it wasn't C&S's fault that they went under just over a year later).storewanderer wrote: ↑March 5th, 2024, 6:52 pmFleming retail was very terrible and Supervalu Retail was questionable but had some high points before Albertsons and then once they got Albertsons their entire situation turned into total disaster.veteran+ wrote: ↑March 5th, 2024, 8:27 amI do not like them operating retail stores.storewanderer wrote: ↑March 5th, 2024, 12:18 am Here is something to like about C&S: their taking over and continuing to operate what Fleming was running in California made it so California (also Hawaii, Guam, etc.) at least has two grocery wholesalers operating in the market to provide at least a little competition to independents in the areas. While C&S doesn't supply much in SoCal, they do supply some stores. With as terrible as it is in CA for independent grocers due to outrageous product costs, I have to assume it would be even worse (hard to imagine how that would be possible though) had C&S not kept operating the former Fleming stuff in CA.
What bothers me is C&S needs some kind of loan to buy the divests. If they were doing an all cash buy I may have a different opinion.
Also too many times they seem to act as a "trash can" of sorts to buy a pile of assets then quickly spin them to multiple other parties.
Stick to wholesale and work harder to improve THAT. Felt the same way about Fleming operating retail...........disaster.
SuperValu's possession of Albertsons didn't really work partly because it was never integrated into the other chains. I think Cub Foods and the other SVU brands got some version of Premium Fresh & Healthy (see this article) but never with the Albertsons leaf.