Aldi lists job openings at multiple warehouses and nearly 30 stores in Northern California

[ClownLoach]

Yeah, I never heard or witnessed that about Ralphs.

The 2 Ralphs in the Koreatown area are quite busy. I noticed many Asian folks at the Westwood Fresh Fare as well.

Come to think about it, the Fresh Fare by UCSD was usually packed with (I think) mostly Chinese students shopping.

I think I need to be more specific than I was previously as I painted with too broad of a brush. The Vietnamese community in Orange County seems to have something against Ralphs, which has led to the closure of all of the stores in and around Little Saigon. Meanwhile Albertsons does fine with two busy stores in the same area. I am unsure what happened but that community will not shop Ralphs. They have no problem with Albertsons or Stater Bros (although Stater has been culling old undersized stores for years now and did close some of them in the area, they lacked the amenities the community is looking for especially the expanded meat selection and service counter). I suspect that they failed to adjust to the expanding Vietnamese community there and tried to just remain a "American" grocery store which led them to be cast aside as irrelevant and/or deliberately ignoring the community. I am aware Albertsons opened there and made an effort from day one on the Brookhurst St location which you would imagine would have been divested to 99 Ranch or HMart years ago but wasn't. It's a very popular store in the Vietnamese community there. I am less confident in the Westminster and Goldenwest store mainly because I know that is a rough area and retailers there experience severe shrink. But the steadfast presence of Albertsons in Little Saigon where nobody else is really standing speaks volumes of their success in connection with the community.

[storewanderer]

Yeah, I never heard or witnessed that about Ralphs.

The 2 Ralphs in the Koreatown area are quite busy. I noticed many Asian folks at the Westwood Fresh Fare as well.

Come to think about it, the Fresh Fare by UCSD was usually packed with (I think) mostly Chinese students shopping.

I think I need to be more specific than I was previously as I painted with too broad of a brush. The Vietnamese community in Orange County seems to have something against Ralphs, which has led to the closure of all of the stores in and around Little Saigon. Meanwhile Albertsons does fine with two busy stores in the same area. I am unsure what happened but that community will not shop Ralphs. They have no problem with Albertsons or Stater Bros (although Stater has been culling old undersized stores for years now and did close some of them in the area, they lacked the amenities the community is looking for especially the expanded meat selection and service counter). I suspect that they failed to adjust to the expanding Vietnamese community there and tried to just remain a "American" grocery store which led them to be cast aside as irrelevant and/or deliberately ignoring the community. I am aware Albertsons opened there and made an effort from day one on the Brookhurst St location which you would imagine would have been divested to 99 Ranch or HMart years ago but wasn't. It's a very popular store in the Vietnamese community there. I am less confident in the Westminster and Goldenwest store mainly because I know that is a rough area and retailers there experience severe shrink. But the steadfast presence of Albertsons in Little Saigon where nobody else is really standing speaks volumes of their success in connection with the community.

I really think Albertsons survived due to "last store standing" in those locations. Maybe they are still living off of some goodwill previously established by Lucky. Or there was a time when they were doing something more that they aren't doing anymore and I never saw. Maybe they had a small program similar to their Max/Grocery Warehouse/SVU Lucky program which was heavily catering to Hispanic customers with different items/prices/ads, which was also being done for the Vietnamese community in these two locations.

I could see Ralphs not handling this properly in the 90's/00's and losing those stores, but they have gotten a lot better since then on this.

Safeway for all I say actually gives more linear feet of space to Asian products than these other chains historically, and still does in NorCal (in places like AZ/Las Vegas/CO Albertsons did resets that severely cut how much space had Asian products). But they just don't get that great of a variety in that huge amount of space they give. They have the items faced out 3, 4, etc. times over the space. These expanded mixes in the Kroger divisions have "one row" for each SKU/item. It looks like an OTC Drug aisle or something they have so many SKUs squeezed in.

[ClownLoach]

Yeah, I never heard or witnessed that about Ralphs.

The 2 Ralphs in the Koreatown area are quite busy. I noticed many Asian folks at the Westwood Fresh Fare as well.

Come to think about it, the Fresh Fare by UCSD was usually packed with (I think) mostly Chinese students shopping.

I think I need to be more specific than I was previously as I painted with too broad of a brush. The Vietnamese community in Orange County seems to have something against Ralphs, which has led to the closure of all of the stores in and around Little Saigon. Meanwhile Albertsons does fine with two busy stores in the same area. I am unsure what happened but that community will not shop Ralphs. They have no problem with Albertsons or Stater Bros (although Stater has been culling old undersized stores for years now and did close some of them in the area, they lacked the amenities the community is looking for especially the expanded meat selection and service counter). I suspect that they failed to adjust to the expanding Vietnamese community there and tried to just remain a "American" grocery store which led them to be cast aside as irrelevant and/or deliberately ignoring the community. I am aware Albertsons opened there and made an effort from day one on the Brookhurst St location which you would imagine would have been divested to 99 Ranch or HMart years ago but wasn't. It's a very popular store in the Vietnamese community there. I am less confident in the Westminster and Goldenwest store mainly because I know that is a rough area and retailers there experience severe shrink. But the steadfast presence of Albertsons in Little Saigon where nobody else is really standing speaks volumes of their success in connection with the community.

I really think Albertsons survived due to "last store standing" in those locations. Maybe they are still living off of some goodwill previously established by Lucky. Or there was a time when they were doing something more that they aren't doing anymore and I never saw. Maybe they had a small program similar to their Max/Grocery Warehouse/SVU Lucky program which was heavily catering to Hispanic customers with different items/prices/ads, which was also being done for the Vietnamese community in these two locations.

I could see Ralphs not handling this properly in the 90's/00's and losing those stores, but they have gotten a lot better since then on this.

Safeway for all I say actually gives more linear feet of space to Asian products than these other chains historically, and still does in NorCal (in places like AZ/Las Vegas/CO Albertsons did resets that severely cut how much space had Asian products). But they just don't get that great of a variety in that huge amount of space they give. They have the items faced out 3, 4, etc. times over the space. These expanded mixes in the Kroger divisions have "one row" for each SKU/item. It looks like an OTC Drug aisle or something they have so many SKUs squeezed in.

I need to look it up but I don't believe the Brookhurst and Edinger Albertsons is a converted Lucky, nor do I think it is all that old. I believe it is a mid 2000s opening in part of some large building that I would swear was a Kmart by appearance but I don't recall one there growing up nor the Albertsons. I also believe it arrived after Ralphs had left both Brookhurst stores which are now Vietnamese markets (Saigon City with the Ralphs oval still, and a Shun Fat in part of a former Ralphs Giant).

I'll have to check the Fountain Valley Ralphs on Brookhurst and see if it has as large of a Asian grocery program as you described, it should by all accounts. They definitely didn't when they opened yet another Ralphs just across the city limit in Huntington Beach on Brookhurst, a disastrous new Marketplace build that closed after ten years and is now the deadest Whole Foods I've ever seen. It was a identical twin to the Lake Forest Ralphs that remains unremodeled after 20+ years and is still the brown and green signage inside.

[HCal]

I think I need to be more specific than I was previously as I painted with too broad of a brush. The Vietnamese community in Orange County seems to have something against Ralphs, which has led to the closure of all of the stores in and around Little Saigon. Meanwhile Albertsons does fine with two busy stores in the same area. I am unsure what happened but that community will not shop Ralphs. They have no problem with Albertsons or Stater Bros (although Stater has been culling old undersized stores for years now and did close some of them in the area, they lacked the amenities the community is looking for especially the expanded meat selection and service counter).

I really doubt that the community had some specific reason to be against Ralphs but not Albertsons. By and large, they are both very similar stores, if anything Ralphs is a bit cheaper. Neither one was involved on the wrong side of the Vietnam War or anything like that.

My guess is that Ralphs was simply quicker to close underperforming stores. In a heavily ethnic area with lots of authentic options, conventional "American" supermarkets may not do too well. Ralphs might have decided that their stores weren't performing well enough, while Albertsons just let them squeak along. Perhaps the higher prices meant that Albertsons needed less volume to be profitable, or perhaps their expectation for profitability was lower.

[storewanderer]

I need to look it up but I don't believe the Brookhurst and Edinger Albertsons is a converted Lucky, nor do I think it is all that old. I believe it is a mid 2000s opening in part of some large building that I would swear was a Kmart by appearance but I don't recall one there growing up nor the Albertsons. I also believe it arrived after Ralphs had left both Brookhurst stores which are now Vietnamese markets (Saigon City with the Ralphs oval still, and a Shun Fat in part of a former Ralphs Giant).

I'll have to check the Fountain Valley Ralphs on Brookhurst and see if it has as large of a Asian grocery program as you described, it should by all accounts. They definitely didn't when they opened yet another Ralphs just across the city limit in Huntington Beach on Brookhurst, a disastrous new Marketplace build that closed after ten years and is now the deadest Whole Foods I've ever seen. It was a identical twin to the Lake Forest Ralphs that remains unremodeled after 20+ years and is still the brown and green signage inside.

I remember that Huntington Beach Ralphs and I saw zero effort to cater to Asian center store customers occurring in that location.

There is a picture on Fountain Valley's Google Maps from 4 years ago showing a pretty large Asian aisle, but the depth of what I am seeing currently is much better than that. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1 ... -w680-h510

[ClownLoach]

I need to look it up but I don't believe the Brookhurst and Edinger Albertsons is a converted Lucky, nor do I think it is all that old. I believe it is a mid 2000s opening in part of some large building that I would swear was a Kmart by appearance but I don't recall one there growing up nor the Albertsons. I also believe it arrived after Ralphs had left both Brookhurst stores which are now Vietnamese markets (Saigon City with the Ralphs oval still, and a Shun Fat in part of a former Ralphs Giant).

I'll have to check the Fountain Valley Ralphs on Brookhurst and see if it has as large of a Asian grocery program as you described, it should by all accounts. They definitely didn't when they opened yet another Ralphs just across the city limit in Huntington Beach on Brookhurst, a disastrous new Marketplace build that closed after ten years and is now the deadest Whole Foods I've ever seen. It was a identical twin to the Lake Forest Ralphs that remains unremodeled after 20+ years and is still the brown and green signage inside.

I remember that Huntington Beach Ralphs and I saw zero effort to cater to Asian center store customers occurring in that location.

There is a picture on Fountain Valley's Google Maps from 4 years ago showing a pretty large Asian aisle, but the depth of what I am seeing currently is much better than that. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1 ... -w680-h510

That aisle when I look closer isn't all that spectacular. Wow, they cobbled together anything they thought seems to interest Asian customers and put it in one aisle. They found Rice and moved it across the aisle but it's American products. Really low effort here, they can do better.

That half aisle is about what I saw in Irvine as well. Someone at Ralphs doesn't do well with demographics especially in the Orange County market.

[storewanderer]

I need to look it up but I don't believe the Brookhurst and Edinger Albertsons is a converted Lucky, nor do I think it is all that old. I believe it is a mid 2000s opening in part of some large building that I would swear was a Kmart by appearance but I don't recall one there growing up nor the Albertsons. I also believe it arrived after Ralphs had left both Brookhurst stores which are now Vietnamese markets (Saigon City with the Ralphs oval still, and a Shun Fat in part of a former Ralphs Giant).

I'll have to check the Fountain Valley Ralphs on Brookhurst and see if it has as large of a Asian grocery program as you described, it should by all accounts. They definitely didn't when they opened yet another Ralphs just across the city limit in Huntington Beach on Brookhurst, a disastrous new Marketplace build that closed after ten years and is now the deadest Whole Foods I've ever seen. It was a identical twin to the Lake Forest Ralphs that remains unremodeled after 20+ years and is still the brown and green signage inside.

I remember that Huntington Beach Ralphs and I saw zero effort to cater to Asian center store customers occurring in that location.

There is a picture on Fountain Valley's Google Maps from 4 years ago showing a pretty large Asian aisle, but the depth of what I am seeing currently is much better than that. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1 ... -w680-h510

That aisle when I look closer isn't all that spectacular. Wow, they cobbled together anything they thought seems to interest Asian customers and put it in one aisle. They found Rice and moved it across the aisle but it's American products. Really low effort here, they can do better.

That half aisle is about what I saw in Irvine as well. Someone at Ralphs doesn't do well with demographics especially in the Orange County market.

They do an excellent job on the mix in the current resets. They are selling top moving items from the distributor they use and mixing those in with their usual set of items that they self distribute which is severely lacking (hence the need for the distributor to expand the mix). There is rice integrated into this Asian set on a bottom shelf, brands you would see at actual Asian grocers (not the American brands...).

What they are doing is far more than any other conventional supermarket has done in terms of SKU depth in these categories. Yes it isn't a 99 Ranch or Seafood City or H Mart but it covers a number of bases to prevent a customer from having to go to one of those stores for an item or two.

And at the end of the day they seem to be cutting non food space to put this stuff there... the non food clearly wasn't selling... this stuff even if it only sells a little is at the worst a sideways move for them... but it sells more than a little.

[ClownLoach]

I remember that Huntington Beach Ralphs and I saw zero effort to cater to Asian center store customers occurring in that location.

There is a picture on Fountain Valley's Google Maps from 4 years ago showing a pretty large Asian aisle, but the depth of what I am seeing currently is much better than that. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1 ... -w680-h510

That aisle when I look closer isn't all that spectacular. Wow, they cobbled together anything they thought seems to interest Asian customers and put it in one aisle. They found Rice and moved it across the aisle but it's American products. Really low effort here, they can do better.

That half aisle is about what I saw in Irvine as well. Someone at Ralphs doesn't do well with demographics especially in the Orange County market.

They do an excellent job on the mix in the current resets. They are selling top moving items from the distributor they use and mixing those in with their usual set of items that they self distribute which is severely lacking (hence the need for the distributor to expand the mix). There is rice integrated into this Asian set on a bottom shelf, brands you would see at actual Asian grocers (not the American brands...).

What they are doing is far more than any other conventional supermarket has done in terms of SKU depth in these categories. Yes it isn't a 99 Ranch or Seafood City or H Mart but it covers a number of bases to prevent a customer from having to go to one of those stores for an item or two.

And at the end of the day they seem to be cutting non food space to put this stuff there... the non food clearly wasn't selling... this stuff even if it only sells a little is at the worst a sideways move for them... but it sells more than a little.

I wonder if that vendor they're using supplies some of the Asian markets in Orange County and as such won't contract with Ralphs there. Setting a display where the predominant product visible is Minute Rice is suspect. There's a noticeable difference how they're handling this in OC versus LA. But then it seems like they manage everything better in the core LA market based on everything I read here.

[storewanderer]

To be fair most Asian grocers are a messy hodgepodge of whatever they think people may buy too... it is usually difficult to find items and this includes the chains especially 99 Ranch, SF Supermarket, and some H Marts everything is just thrown around. There are obviously no planograms. Seafood City seems a bit more structured but also has far less assortment and way more UNFI items every time I visit them. Actually the addition of these items to Smiths have largely stopped me from picking them up at the chain Asian grocers out of town. The smaller Asian stores around Reno don't mark prices clearly and one seems to like to do interesting things with expiration dates, a couple of then charge credit card fees, they're all on my avoid list- most on my avoid at all costs list. Two are on my avoid but go if desperate list. I haven't been to them in months.

[veteran+]

To be fair most Asian grocers are a messy hodgepodge of whatever they think people may buy too... it is usually difficult to find items and this includes the chains especially 99 Ranch, SF Supermarket, and some H Marts everything is just thrown around. There are obviously no planograms. Seafood City seems a bit more structured but also has far less assortment and way more UNFI items every time I visit them. Actually the addition of these items to Smiths have largely stopped me from picking them up at the chain Asian grocers out of town. The smaller Asian stores around Reno don't mark prices clearly and one seems to like to do interesting things with expiration dates, a couple of then charge credit card fees, they're all on my avoid list- most on my avoid at all costs list. Two are on my avoid but go if desperate list. I haven't been to them in months.

Exactly my experience.

I just will not take the time (or the Gas) to find the exceptions to the above.