Stater Bros. Oceanside (Vista Way) closed

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Stater Bros. Oceanside (Vista Way) closed

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

On the way to my college today, I drove past the Pacific Coast Plaza along Highway 78 (right before you get to I-5 going west). I noticed that the Stater Bros. sign on the shopping center pylon was covered in white.
Upon further investigation, I found out that this Stater Bros. has closed.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/stater-bros-ma ... =date_desc
This store was built as a Lucky/Sav-on, divested to Stater during the Albertsons/ASC merger (they chose to divest this one instead of the small Albertsons down in Carlsbad Village, née Big Bear). When we lived near the beach in Oceanside, we did our shopping here during the strike (we usually shopped at the now-closed Ralphs on Oceanside Blvd next to I-5). This store had a repaint of the old red/teal Lucky interior. I'm guessing the Walmart in the same shopping center ran it out, sadly.
As a result of this closure, there are no more traditional supermarkets left in the 92054 zip code. The Walmart Neighborhood Market on Mission Ave does brisk business. I wonder if Stater will eventually exit San Diego County. That would not be great.
Last edited by retailfanmitchell019 on March 11th, 2023, 3:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Stater Bros. Oceanside (Vista Way) closed

Post by storewanderer »

This store ran a very low volume for a long time, and was too big for Stater. I think it is an unfortunate closure but it is not surprising.

This was a brand new store when Stater got it, and Stater did not spend anything on cap-ex beyond a very basic partial wall repaint.
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Re: Stater Bros. Oceanside (Vista Way) closed

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

storewanderer wrote: March 10th, 2023, 12:04 am This store ran a very low volume for a long time, and was too big for Stater. I think it is an unfortunate closure but it is not surprising.

This was a brand new store when Stater got it, and Stater did not spend anything on cap-ex beyond a very basic partial wall repaint.
I honestly think with Stater raising prices, doing cheaper remodels, and closure of some stores, they might end up selling to Raley's.
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Re: Stater Bros. Oceanside (Vista Way) closed

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retailfanmitchell019 wrote: March 11th, 2023, 11:45 am
storewanderer wrote: March 10th, 2023, 12:04 am This store ran a very low volume for a long time, and was too big for Stater. I think it is an unfortunate closure but it is not surprising.

This was a brand new store when Stater got it, and Stater did not spend anything on cap-ex beyond a very basic partial wall repaint.
I honestly think with Stater raising prices, doing cheaper remodels, and closure of some stores, they might end up selling to Raley's.
What Stater is doing seems to be consistent with what is happening to a lot of regional grocers lately. The climate and environment is very difficult right now.

Raley's and Stater are two very different cultures. But so are Raley's and Bashas (not sure what Bashas culture was, the stores always felt lifeless except AJ's where everyone was very nice and happy/professional).

Stater is an old line grocer mentality. Full of career employees, heavily staffed stores, heavy labor in perimeter departments, and caters to a completely different customer than Raleys. Management at corporate at Stater worked its way up through the stores. Stater's marketing campaigns are simple and seem to resonate well with customers. The people working in Stater Stores are decades-long tenured, in neat professional uniforms, and work very hard/efficiently.

Raleys has for the past 20 years been a chain that is always trying to copy and be the next cool thing. Back 23 years they were copying Ralphs interior because they saw Ralphs entry into NorCal as a big threat (given Ralphs ran a far better store than them, it was a threat, but customers didn't go to Ralphs so the threat never did any damage to Raleys). In more recent years the chain Raleys keeps trying to copy is Nugget Markets.

So Raleys when you look at their operation it does not run in the old line grocer mentality anymore, they ditched that in the 90's. Raleys upper management at present mostly did not work its way up through the stores and many are outside hires some with zero prior grocery experience (this is not uncommon in grocery, but it is not the same as Stater). Raleys tries to run with younger employees in the stores in an effort to appear cool or on trend (real copy of Nugget going there). Raleys does not seem to push efficiency in an effort to have a more relaxed work environment and this shows with their glacially slow checkout and lackluster execution in perimeter departments lately (really don't know why there is never any fresh bakery French Bread in the afternoons anymore no matter what Raleys I go into). Raleys marketing campaigns seem really well designed and well thought out but constantly talk down to the customer and try to convince the customer of things that the customer doesn't seem to "buy" (as in believe) (ONE being the biggest fiasco).

For instance right now Raleys has taken a marketing campaign focusing on price, using signs that look like the Food City logo, in font/design, and throwing them all over the store. The problem is we are in the midst of massive inflation and Raleys pricing is escalating very rapidly just like every other store. Raleys pricing is not low, has never been low, and everyone knows it. Many people shop there despite that as they feel they are getting higher quality products. Putting big signs up like this trying to somehow convince the Raleys customer that they are getting great values is somewhat laughable. Raleys needs to sell its quality and drive that message. Their marketing should be all about quality of product/experience. Lately in their stores though the quality of product/experience isn't as good as it used to be though.

A Raleys purchase of Stater would be absolutely terrible news for Stater. Save Mart would be a much better partner for Stater however I do not think that is a great fit either. Actually in that case I think Stater brings a lot to the table for Save Mart and Save Mart could ditch most of its programs and replace with those of Stater. Maybe what is going to happen here is Kroger will broker a deal with FTC to divest F4L in SoCal and keep everything else. Save Mart will get F4L (which has no pharmacies, how convenient) and integrate it into Food Maxx. Then Save Mart will buy Stater.
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Re: Stater Bros. Oceanside (Vista Way) closed

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storewanderer wrote: March 11th, 2023, 12:14 pm
A Raleys purchase of Stater would be absolutely terrible news for Stater. Save Mart would be a much better partner for Stater however I do not think that is a great fit either. Actually in that case I think Stater brings a lot to the table for Save Mart and Save Mart could ditch most of its programs and replace with those of Stater. Maybe what is going to happen here is Kroger will broker a deal with FTC to divest F4L in SoCal and keep everything else. Save Mart will get F4L (which has no pharmacies, how convenient) and integrate it into Food Maxx. Then Save Mart will buy Stater.
I still wonder if Ahold will end up acquiring the new Save Mart/SpinCo.
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Re: Stater Bros. Oceanside (Vista Way) closed

Post by arizonaguy »

storewanderer wrote: March 11th, 2023, 12:14 pm
Stater is an old line grocer mentality. Full of career employees, heavily staffed stores, heavy labor in perimeter departments, and caters to a completely different customer than Raleys. Management at corporate at Stater worked its way up through the stores. Stater's marketing campaigns are simple and seem to resonate well with customers. The people working in Stater Stores are decades-long tenured, in neat professional uniforms, and work very hard/efficiently.
This is the mentality that Bashas' tried to project prior to being purchased by Raley's. They branded themselves as "Arizona's Hometown Grocer" and employees wore pins that denoted how long they worked for the company. They focused on perimeter departments that were much better than the average Albertsons / Safeway / Fry's offering.

An example of this is when they discussed their new prototype store (which never got expanded to the rest of the store fleet) a few years after they emerged from bankruptcy:

https://progressivegrocer.com/bashas-op ... tore-tempe

Unfortunately, subsequent remodels were done on the cheap and were essentially a clone of the Albertsons LLC decor with more earth tones and some almost foam like tile overlaying either polished concrete or regular floor tiling.

Here are some photos of the current Bashas' prototype:

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x ... AB6BAgJEAI
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Re: Stater Bros. Oceanside (Vista Way) closed

Post by ClownLoach »

retailfanmitchell019 wrote: March 11th, 2023, 11:45 am
storewanderer wrote: March 10th, 2023, 12:04 am This store ran a very low volume for a long time, and was too big for Stater. I think it is an unfortunate closure but it is not surprising.

This was a brand new store when Stater got it, and Stater did not spend anything on cap-ex beyond a very basic partial wall repaint.
I honestly think with Stater raising prices, doing cheaper remodels, and closure of some stores, they might end up selling to Raley's.
This is a declining location that is hard to get to and frankly was never a success from day one. The center it's in is deteriorating and the owners have been talking about tearing down that end and building apartments for years now (I used to manage a store in the next center over). In addition Stater has just completed an extensive, very expensive remodel of the nearby store off Highway 76 in which a very old and small store was enlarged and brought to their latest prototype. I would argue this may have been the most thorough and expensive remodel of a supermarket in the SoCal area I can name in the last 5 years. It is literally a brand new store as they gutted it in quarters out to the block walls and started again. Although I don't agree with the decisions made from a merchandising perspective it is a beautifully remodeled store. Stater also recently fully remodeled Encinitas to their '2019' prototype decor. They're not going away anytime soon.
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Re: Stater Bros. Oceanside (Vista Way) closed

Post by ClownLoach »

retailfanmitchell019 wrote: March 9th, 2023, 2:16 pm On the way to my college today, I drove past the Pacific Coast Plaza along Highway 78 (right before you get to I-5 going west). I noticed that the Stater Bros. sign on the shopping center pylon was covered in white.
Upon further investigation, I found out that this Stater Bros. has closed.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/stater-bros-ma ... =date_desc
This store was built as a Lucky/Sav-on, divested to Stater during the Albertsons/ASC merger (they chose to divest this one instead of the small Albertsons down in Carlsbad Village, née Big Bear). When we lived near the beach in Oceanside, we did our shopping here during the strike (we usually shopped at the now-closed Ralphs on Oceanside Blvd next to I-5). This store had a repaint of the old red/teal Lucky interior. I'm guessing the Walmart in the same shopping center ran it out, sadly.
As a result of this closure, there are no more traditional supermarkets left in the 92054 zip code. The Walmart Neighborhood Market on Mission Ave does brisk business. I wonder if Stater will eventually exit San Diego County. That would not be great.
Go check out the just remodeled and expanded Stater two miles north and you'll see why it is closed. That is the replacement.
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Re: Stater Bros. Oceanside (Vista Way) closed

Post by storewanderer »

ClownLoach wrote: March 11th, 2023, 10:00 pm
retailfanmitchell019 wrote: March 11th, 2023, 11:45 am
storewanderer wrote: March 10th, 2023, 12:04 am This store ran a very low volume for a long time, and was too big for Stater. I think it is an unfortunate closure but it is not surprising.

This was a brand new store when Stater got it, and Stater did not spend anything on cap-ex beyond a very basic partial wall repaint.
I honestly think with Stater raising prices, doing cheaper remodels, and closure of some stores, they might end up selling to Raley's.
This is a declining location that is hard to get to and frankly was never a success from day one. The center it's in is deteriorating and the owners have been talking about tearing down that end and building apartments for years now (I used to manage a store in the next center over). In addition Stater has just completed an extensive, very expensive remodel of the nearby store off Highway 76 in which a very old and small store was enlarged and brought to their latest prototype. I would argue this may have been the most thorough and expensive remodel of a supermarket in the SoCal area I can name in the last 5 years. It is literally a brand new store as they gutted it in quarters out to the block walls and started again. Although I don't agree with the decisions made from a merchandising perspective it is a beautifully remodeled store. Stater also recently fully remodeled Encinitas to their '2019' prototype decor. They're not going away anytime soon.
The store appears to have opened in 1998, so I am guessing the 25 year lease ended.

At least they rode out the lease. They didn't spend a cent inside other than expanding service meat when they converted the store from Lucky.

This store very clearly was never working out but it must have at least broken even as they didn't close it.

This was the least staffed Stater I've ever shopped.

The success rate on these Lucky/Sav-On Combo Stores built in the late 90's hasn't been great.
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Re: Stater Bros. Oceanside (Vista Way) closed

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

storewanderer wrote: March 11th, 2023, 10:45 pm
The store appears to have opened in 1998, so I am guessing the 25 year lease ended.

At least they rode out the lease. They didn't spend a cent inside other than expanding service meat when they converted the store from Lucky.

This store very clearly was never working out but it must have at least broken even as they didn't close it.

This was the least staffed Stater I've ever shopped.

The success rate on these Lucky/Sav-On Combo Stores built in the late 90's hasn't been great.
A clone of this store up in Temecula is still open... as an Albertsons.

On a side note relating to Stater Bros., I found this.
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/1206869 ... -brothers/
This is obviously a Groceteria topic, but hilarious in any case.
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