Laurel, MT IGA transferred to Albertsons

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Laurel, MT IGA transferred to Albertsons

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

Resse & Ray's IGA in Laurel, MT has closed. Albertsons has agreed to take over the space.
Laurel is a commuter town/suburb 10 miles west of Billings, where Albertsons has 6 stores. I bet Albertsons is #1 in share in Billings. They are planning to build a store on the west side of Billings too.
https://www.laureloutlook.com/content/final-days-iga
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Re: Laurel, MT IGA transferred to Albertsons

Post by SamSpade »

Walmart had opened in Laurel in 2007, making it a challenge for the smaller store to stay competitive.
Made it 15 years after Walmart opened in the community; pretty good track record. As with any store, it is nice that another grocer will open there (eventually) because there are always some in communities (even rural ones) that are burdened to travel to other stores.
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Re: Laurel, MT IGA transferred to Albertsons

Post by storewanderer »

SamSpade wrote: July 7th, 2022, 5:23 pm
Walmart had opened in Laurel in 2007, making it a challenge for the smaller store to stay competitive.
Made it 15 years after Walmart opened in the community; pretty good track record. As with any store, it is nice that another grocer will open there (eventually) because there are always some in communities (even rural ones) that are burdened to travel to other stores.
That IGA operator, supplied by UNFI/Supervalu, sold a few stores off previously (not sure how many they sold are still open or what exactly happened with the buyer of those other stores) and is now left with just one store.

I have to assume if Albertsons wants the store, it was doing just fine.
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Re: Laurel, MT IGA transferred to Albertsons

Post by pseudo3d »

Based on the fact Albertsons wanted to replace all the fixtures and do a renovation, I was expecting an outdated store that needed an update years ago. But the inside, based on Google Maps, doesn't look as outdated as I would think an IGA would be.

I guess it will probably get a new décor package (LLC, maybe?) but it looks like they could just as easily shut it down for a long weekend to do a reset.
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Re: Laurel, MT IGA transferred to Albertsons

Post by storewanderer »

I think this Laurel Store is a former Safeway.

Also other Reese and Rays units that closed/sold: these were sold to someone called Eaglecav in September 2019
Worland, WY- closed September 2019
Thermopolis, WY- sold September 2019, closed November 2019, sold building to the other grocer in town Mack's Market (to keep another grocery store from moving in no doubt...). Mack's is an Associated Utah customer.
Buffalo, WY - sold September 2019, now Lynn's Superfoods
Hardin, MT - sold September 2019, now Lynn's Superfoods

I guess Lynn's Superfoods is Eaglecav. Can't tell but they appear to be an Associated Utah customer in these locations. Appears they may have previously used UNFI/Supervalu...
Not sure why they go around and buy stores just to close them.
Maybe it was to keep 2 stores business with UNFI/Supervalu since just about any other buyer would have undoubtedly switched to either Associated Utah or URM. Of course then they didn't stay with UNFI/Supervalu either. Or keep the useless IGA affiliation.

Also there is still one Reese & Ray's in Sidney, MT. The prices I am seeing in photos from 2017 show pricing that would look extremely high even by today's standards. It is no wonder this operator has had problems. That Sidney Store appears to be a former Safeway as well.
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Re: Laurel, MT IGA transferred to Albertsons

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

pseudo3d wrote: July 8th, 2022, 8:40 am I guess it will probably get a new décor package (LLC, maybe?) but it looks like they could just as easily shut it down for a long weekend to do a reset.
It will probably get the Heritage interior, which is heavily used in Intermountain now. The 2012 LLC interior is out of production.

In Billings, Albertsons bought 6 Buttrey stores in 1998. 2 Albertsons in town were divested to Smith's (who failed with the stores within 5 years. 2 of the former Buttrey stores in Billings were torn down and replaced with new stores, Including this one, which may have been the last Albertsons to open before the SVU merger: https://billingsgazette.com/business/ne ... e4172.html
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Re: Laurel, MT IGA transferred to Albertsons

Post by storewanderer »

retailfanmitchell019 wrote: July 8th, 2022, 6:55 pm [
In Billings, Albertsons bought 6 Buttrey stores in 1998. 2 Albertsons in town were divested to Smith's (who failed with the stores within 5 years. 2 of the former Buttrey stores in Billings were torn down and replaced with new stores, Including this one, which may have been the last Albertsons to open before the SVU merger: https://billingsgazette.com/business/ne ... e4172.html
Smiths volumes in Montana were painfully low. I am talking like $100k a week low, some stores even less than that.

Smiths at that time was running with lousy quality perimeters and very high everyday prices. And Fred Meyer reportedly was setting the Montana prices higher than typical Smiths pricing due to the logistics of the stores being so remote and wanting to not "underprice" in a new market. Recall Fred Meyer's pricing in the 90's was high, usually above Safeway. This same thing was done to pricing in the NorCal Albertsons that got divested to Ralphs... not sure where that decision came from since it was after the Kroger merger but someone didn't learn their lesson in Montana yet. Smiths was a poor fit for Fred Meyer and Fred Meyer was a poor fit for Smiths. Kroger has been a much better fit for Smiths. Some good teaser specials at the late 90's Smiths, but with old run down undersized former Albertsons or Buttrey Stores, that didn't seem to matter. That was right when Wal Mart was starting to open Supercenters and Smiths was in such a poor competitive position, it was not the lowest hanging fruit, it was already fallen off the tree and on the ground.
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Re: Laurel, MT IGA transferred to Albertsons

Post by SamSpade »

Off Topic
I don't want to trend too far off topic, but I thought it might be interesting to see where these stores stand today:
1) Great Falls, still a Smith's (was Buttrey)
2)Bozeman, Gallatin Valley Mall - no grocer present
3) Helena, now a health club
4) Missoula (vacant, looks like it spent time as CVS Pharmacy)*Albertsons
5) Butte, subdivided
6) Butte, now a medical laboratory
7) Billings, apparently replaced by a modern Albertsons in same shopping plaza *Albertsons
8) Billings, Big Lots (looks like a grocer may have built a new store/replaced by ACE and Petsmart) *Albertsons
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Re: Laurel, MT IGA transferred to Albertsons

Post by pseudo3d »

So apparently the store is still closed, which makes it sound like financial difficulties are preventing ACI from re-opening or there was some sort of serious problem that has tied up work. You don't need to close down a grocery for six months to do "renovations" unless you were practically rebuilding the inside from scratch.

Usually with Albertsons-owned resets, a week is enough time for cleaning, new décor, restocking, and training. They DID give employees other positions at stores, though.
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Re: Laurel, MT IGA transferred to Albertsons

Post by storewanderer »

It is strange they did not open in time for the holidays.

Perhaps it will just open as a Smiths. Not clear if this is even a good fit for Kroger.
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