Safeway Rockville, MD

[storewanderer]

I don't really understand this. I also find it interesting this new operator is going to do a full remodel to an already new Safeway... given how their other store locations look... I find this very curious.

Maybe Safeway was trying to find someone to transfer the lease to and as part of that process they came up with a debranding agreement where the new operator gets some funds to do renovations so it no longer looks like a Safeway.

It's not a new store. There are chains that would consider 10 years long enough or even too long before doing a remodel.

What other new construction stores have opened in Safeway East in the past decade? I assume it is one of the 5 newest stores in the Safeway East group even if it is 10 years old.

Plus the interior looks brand new. It could have grand opened yesterday with how it looks inside.

[storewanderer]

Based on all these post and confirmations of a new tenant before Safeway is even starting their closing sales definitely solidifies that the closure may be due to lease agreements rather than them actually wanting to close the store. I get ten years is still a long time for a store to be open (and we all know Albertsons is notorious for closing stores much newer than this), but this is probably the newest store Albertsons has closed since they merged with Safeway.

I'm kinda replying late to this thread, however, looking at photos, it makes me wonder if this may have been the very first store to get the Colorful Lifestyle that we all know of today. It kinda looks like this was meant to open with Lifestyle under Safeway (layout and interior look way more Safeway than Albertsons), but with this store literally opening right after the merger took place, maybe Albertsons decided to change course last minute with this store and unveil a new interior.

I guess colorful Lifestyle started at Shaws or Star Market under Supervalu but I think this may have been the first Safeway East unit to get colorful Lifestyle and I think you're right it may have been planned with tan Safeway Lifestyle. Because in 2015 NorCal still used tan Safeway Lifestyle.

I think there was a shorter lived new Tom Thumb in Dallas area. It may have been another of these stores in high density housing projects.

[buckguy]

Based on all these post and confirmations of a new tenant before Safeway is even starting their closing sales definitely solidifies that the closure may be due to lease agreements rather than them actually wanting to close the store. I get ten years is still a long time for a store to be open (and we all know Albertsons is notorious for closing stores much newer than this), but this is probably the newest store Albertsons has closed since they merged with Safeway.

I'm kinda replying late to this thread, however, looking at photos, it makes me wonder if this may have been the very first store to get the Colorful Lifestyle that we all know of today. It kinda looks like this was meant to open with Lifestyle under Safeway (layout and interior look way more Safeway than Albertsons), but with this store literally opening right after the merger took place, maybe Albertsons decided to change course last minute with this store and unveil a new interior.

I guess colorful Lifestyle started at Shaws or Star Market under Supervalu but I think this may have been the first Safeway East unit to get colorful Lifestyle and I think you're right it may have been planned with tan Safeway Lifestyle. Because in 2015 NorCal still used tan Safeway Lifestyle.

I think there was a shorter lived new Tom Thumb in Dallas area. It may have been another of these stores in high density housing projects.

The store doesn't do very large volumes which is why they were looking to sublet 5 years ago--stores like that can look good with a reasonable level of staffing. I can recall A&Ps that looked great and had no customers.

The most recent openings, all in the last 5 years) in the region were Pikeville (an old Shoppers) outside Baltimore and Capitol Hill (a replacement store). They've done significant remodels recently including the "Social Safeway" in Georgetown and the store in Southwest DC. They've also done minor remodels to the 17th Street Safeway. Other than Wegman's, I can't think of many openings in the past 5 years.

[marketreportblog]

I guess colorful Lifestyle started at Shaws or Star Market under Supervalu but I think this may have been the first Safeway East unit to get colorful Lifestyle and I think you're right it may have been planned with tan Safeway Lifestyle. Because in 2015 NorCal still used tan Safeway Lifestyle.

The Star Market decor package appears to have been introduced in mid- to late-2014, and that Safeway opened in December 2015.

I'm not honestly sure since there was so much going on and it's difficult to piece together the chronology, but I'm pretty sure that decor package was the first New Albertsons decor package, not the last Supervalu decor package. The majority of the stores that are currently Star Markets were converted from Shaw's between the summer of 2014 and the fall of 2015, and most (but not all) of those were renovated with that decor package in that time range. Supervalu sold Albertsons in January 2013, The first round of conversions was announced in early 2013, but as you can see in that article the River Street store, pictured, got Premium Fresh & Healthy 3.0. Stores continued to be converted for a while after that, and by late 2013 they'd settled on the newer format including the new decor package. Those remodels were mostly completed about a year later.

That Star Market decor package has not much in common with Colorful Lifestyle except for the department signs and primary font, but it's clear the Colorful Lifestyle decor package evolved from this one. Plus, the Star Market decor was later very significantly scaled down. Every Star Market but one now has that decor package, and the single one that doesn't is the beautiful one at North Station in Boston, opened in 2019 with the Ultra Premium decor package. But at least one Star Market was remodeled to the Colorful Lifestyle-type decor after that store's opening.

And I think you're right that Rockville was the first eastern Safeway to get this decor package, although I have a lot less experience with Safeway (I've lived in NJ for a long time and have also lived in Boston and Worcester, so I know ACME and Shaw's/Star Market well).

[storewanderer]

Based on all these post and confirmations of a new tenant before Safeway is even starting their closing sales definitely solidifies that the closure may be due to lease agreements rather than them actually wanting to close the store. I get ten years is still a long time for a store to be open (and we all know Albertsons is notorious for closing stores much newer than this), but this is probably the newest store Albertsons has closed since they merged with Safeway.

I'm kinda replying late to this thread, however, looking at photos, it makes me wonder if this may have been the very first store to get the Colorful Lifestyle that we all know of today. It kinda looks like this was meant to open with Lifestyle under Safeway (layout and interior look way more Safeway than Albertsons), but with this store literally opening right after the merger took place, maybe Albertsons decided to change course last minute with this store and unveil a new interior.

I guess colorful Lifestyle started at Shaws or Star Market under Supervalu but I think this may have been the first Safeway East unit to get colorful Lifestyle and I think you're right it may have been planned with tan Safeway Lifestyle. Because in 2015 NorCal still used tan Safeway Lifestyle.

I think there was a shorter lived new Tom Thumb in Dallas area. It may have been another of these stores in high density housing projects.

The store doesn't do very large volumes which is why they were looking to sublet 5 years ago--stores like that can look good with a reasonable level of staffing. I can recall A&Ps that looked great and had no customers.

The most recent openings, all in the last 5 years) in the region were Pikeville (an old Shoppers) outside Baltimore and Capitol Hill (a replacement store). They've done significant remodels recently including the "Social Safeway" in Georgetown and the store in Southwest DC. They've also done minor remodels to the 17th Street Safeway. Other than Wegman's, I can't think of many openings in the past 5 years.

So was this the last new build store they opened back at East?

For some reason I thought there was at least one more. I couldn't find the info last night and that is why I asked.

These former Shoppers they took or in the case of Acme the various A&P owned stores are growth I suppose but they aren't new
build or new to industry stores. I suppose it could be argued they saved some stores from closure.

[caleb737]

The arrival of Wegmans brings potential changes to the Safeway business. The rumors can turn out to be baseless, but genuine problems concerning the lease could transform the situation. Observing recent updates about this situation would be beneficial.

[brendenmoney]

I guess colorful Lifestyle started at Shaws or Star Market under Supervalu but I think this may have been the first Safeway East unit to get colorful Lifestyle and I think you're right it may have been planned with tan Safeway Lifestyle. Because in 2015 NorCal still used tan Safeway Lifestyle.

I think there was a shorter lived new Tom Thumb in Dallas area. It may have been another of these stores in high density housing projects.

The store doesn't do very large volumes which is why they were looking to sublet 5 years ago--stores like that can look good with a reasonable level of staffing. I can recall A&Ps that looked great and had no customers.

The most recent openings, all in the last 5 years) in the region were Pikeville (an old Shoppers) outside Baltimore and Capitol Hill (a replacement store). They've done significant remodels recently including the "Social Safeway" in Georgetown and the store in Southwest DC. They've also done minor remodels to the 17th Street Safeway. Other than Wegman's, I can't think of many openings in the past 5 years.

So was this the last new build store they opened back at East?

For some reason I thought there was at least one more. I couldn't find the info last night and that is why I asked.

These former Shoppers they took or in the case of Acme the various A&P owned stores are growth I suppose but they aren't new
build or new to industry stores. I suppose it could be argued they saved some stores from closure.

They did open a new Safeway in Capitol Hill with the Market Street decor in 2020 (mentioned in post above): https://www.grocerydive.com/news/inside ... dc/583361/

Quite frankly, I like the Market Street decor much more than Pavilions decor

[storewanderer]

The store doesn't do very large volumes which is why they were looking to sublet 5 years ago--stores like that can look good with a reasonable level of staffing. I can recall A&Ps that looked great and had no customers.

The most recent openings, all in the last 5 years) in the region were Pikeville (an old Shoppers) outside Baltimore and Capitol Hill (a replacement store). They've done significant remodels recently including the "Social Safeway" in Georgetown and the store in Southwest DC. They've also done minor remodels to the 17th Street Safeway. Other than Wegman's, I can't think of many openings in the past 5 years.

So was this the last new build store they opened back at East?

For some reason I thought there was at least one more. I couldn't find the info last night and that is why I asked.

These former Shoppers they took or in the case of Acme the various A&P owned stores are growth I suppose but they aren't new
build or new to industry stores. I suppose it could be argued they saved some stores from closure.

They did open a new Safeway in Capitol Hill with the Market Street decor in 2020 (mentioned in post above): https://www.grocerydive.com/news/inside ... dc/583361/

Quite frankly, I like the Market Street decor much more than Pavilions decor

Market Street is a great concept and it is unfortunate they haven't expanded it further.

This store looks great but at the end of the day if it ends up after the dressed up grand opening like a typical Safeway or slightly worse (which is what has happened in Reno) that just isn't good enough. They need better products and consistent execution. Or they need to cut prices.

[veteran+]

The store doesn't do very large volumes which is why they were looking to sublet 5 years ago--stores like that can look good with a reasonable level of staffing. I can recall A&Ps that looked great and had no customers.

The most recent openings, all in the last 5 years) in the region were Pikeville (an old Shoppers) outside Baltimore and Capitol Hill (a replacement store). They've done significant remodels recently including the "Social Safeway" in Georgetown and the store in Southwest DC. They've also done minor remodels to the 17th Street Safeway. Other than Wegman's, I can't think of many openings in the past 5 years.

So was this the last new build store they opened back at East?

For some reason I thought there was at least one more. I couldn't find the info last night and that is why I asked.

These former Shoppers they took or in the case of Acme the various A&P owned stores are growth I suppose but they aren't new
build or new to industry stores. I suppose it could be argued they saved some stores from closure.

They did open a new Safeway in Capitol Hill with the Market Street decor in 2020 (mentioned in post above): https://www.grocerydive.com/news/inside ... dc/583361/

Quite frankly, I like the Market Street decor much more than Pavilions decor

Gorgeous store.

Love the lighting, floors and display cases.

[storewanderer]

So was this the last new build store they opened back at East?

For some reason I thought there was at least one more. I couldn't find the info last night and that is why I asked.

These former Shoppers they took or in the case of Acme the various A&P owned stores are growth I suppose but they aren't new
build or new to industry stores. I suppose it could be argued they saved some stores from closure.

They did open a new Safeway in Capitol Hill with the Market Street decor in 2020 (mentioned in post above): https://www.grocerydive.com/news/inside ... dc/583361/

Quite frankly, I like the Market Street decor much more than Pavilions decor

Gorgeous store.

Love the lighting, floors and display cases.

You would really like the TX Market Street concept.