End of an era:Curtain to fall on Valley Fair Safeway after 67 years

[Alpha8472]

Perhaps they are waiting to see if the merger goes through. Why remodel now when Kroger will just remodel everything into a new decor.

[storewanderer]

Perhaps they are waiting to see if the merger goes through. Why remodel now when Kroger will just remodel everything into a new decor.

I don't think Kroger will remodel everything into a new decor.

It could happen but that would be unlike Kroger's previous handling on mergers.

[ClownLoach]

Perhaps they are waiting to see if the merger goes through. Why remodel now when Kroger will just remodel everything into a new decor.

I don't think Kroger will remodel everything into a new decor.

It could happen but that would be unlike Kroger's previous handling on mergers.

Kroger budgeted about enough for new registers and computers in that "remodel" budget. Assuming the merger goes through nothings getting remodeled for years, and I think they would keep the Safeway/Albertsons formats as is.

[storewanderer]

Perhaps they are waiting to see if the merger goes through. Why remodel now when Kroger will just remodel everything into a new decor.

I don't think Kroger will remodel everything into a new decor.

It could happen but that would be unlike Kroger's previous handling on mergers.

Kroger budgeted about enough for new registers and computers in that "remodel" budget. Assuming the merger goes through nothings getting remodeled for years, and I think they would keep the Safeway/Albertsons formats as is.

Kroger uses the same register systems including hardware as Safeway chainwide it won't be that. The only division on different registers is United-TX.

One I thought difference is some Kroger units use at the registers Epson printers instead of IBM/Toshiba. Well, back at Jewel on some recent self checkout installs, they had Epson printers on those too. First time I've seen a non Toshiba register printers at a Safeway operation. Maybe Jewel is trying to get a head start on assimilation.

[ClownLoach]

I don't think Kroger will remodel everything into a new decor.

It could happen but that would be unlike Kroger's previous handling on mergers.

Kroger budgeted about enough for new registers and computers in that "remodel" budget. Assuming the merger goes through nothings getting remodeled for years, and I think they would keep the Safeway/Albertsons formats as is.

Kroger uses the same register systems including hardware as Safeway chainwide it won't be that. The only division on different registers is United-TX.

One I thought difference is some Kroger units use at the registers Epson printers instead of IBM/Toshiba. Well, back at Jewel on some recent self checkout installs, they had Epson printers on those too. First time I've seen a non Toshiba register printers at a Safeway operation. Maybe Jewel is trying to get a head start on assimilation.

Many companies use the same register hardware, but I doubt anything past that in the network switching, server, etc. are the same. There definitely will have to be full replacements of the expensive stuff behind the scenes throughout the stores to integrate them. I'm very familiar with this work and it actually will be well into the six figures per store.

[storewanderer]

Many companies use the same register hardware, but I doubt anything past that in the network switching, server, etc. are the same. There definitely will have to be full replacements of the expensive stuff behind the scenes throughout the stores to integrate them. I'm very familiar with this work and it actually will be well into the six figures per store.

I don't know- they use the same register software, same pinpads, the systems are really similar...

There is some different stuff with how Safeway retrieves loyalty communication compared to Kroger so that is where the network switching and server changes you are referring to would come into play, but that would not be until they actually did a loyalty program integration.

Which brings me to another point- Kroger has reissued Smiths Fresh Value Cards three different times in the past 20 years (early 00's, late 00's, later 00's) and reissued Ralphs cards one time (late 00's), to get them to "synch" with the rest of the Kroger loyalty system. When they do this temporarily they have something where they scan the old card then scan a card link bar code then scan the new card and then total out the .00 transaction to somehow get it to all synch together. It will be interesting to see how many cards have to be reissued with Safeway.

Another big difference is Kroger is still involved in Catalina's programs (Checkout Coupon, etc.) whereas Safeway dumped that program entirely and uses Quotient for the digital coupon program/support.

[veteran+]

Many companies use the same register hardware, but I doubt anything past that in the network switching, server, etc. are the same. There definitely will have to be full replacements of the expensive stuff behind the scenes throughout the stores to integrate them. I'm very familiar with this work and it actually will be well into the six figures per store.

I don't know- they use the same register software, same pinpads, the systems are really similar...

There is some different stuff with how Safeway retrieves loyalty communication compared to Kroger so that is where the network switching and server changes you are referring to would come into play, but that would not be until they actually did a loyalty program integration.

Which brings me to another point- Kroger has reissued Smiths Fresh Value Cards three different times in the past 20 years (early 00's, late 00's, later 00's) and reissued Ralphs cards one time (late 00's), to get them to "synch" with the rest of the Kroger loyalty system. When they do this temporarily they have something where they scan the old card then scan a card link bar code then scan the new card and then total out the .00 transaction to somehow get it to all synch together. It will be interesting to see how many cards have to be reissued with Safeway.

Another big difference is Kroger is still involved in Catalina's programs (Checkout Coupon, etc.) whereas Safeway dumped that program entirely and uses Quotient for the digital coupon program/support.

I have not seen Catalina in any store in the Los Angeles area. What happened to that?

[storewanderer]

I have not seen Catalina in any store in the Los Angeles area. What happened to that?

Catalina is still a thing at Walgreens, Rite Aid, Kroger banners, Raleys, and Save Mart. Also found them at Meijer. Walgreens, Rite Aid, Kroger banners, Save Mart, and Meijer still issue store coupons via the Catalina machines based on your spending pattern with them (if there is no loyalty card they track it via the payment card used). Walgreens uses these machines very heavily for its loyalty program. Too heavily.

Safeway had a weird thing going where it was still in place at some stores, at staffed checkouts (not self checkout) but I guess last summer they removed the last of their Catalina machines.

[HCal]

Catalina is still a thing at Walgreens, Rite Aid, Kroger banners, Raleys, and Save Mart. Also found them at Meijer. Walgreens, Rite Aid, Kroger banners, Save Mart, and Meijer still issue store coupons via the Catalina machines based on your spending pattern with them (if there is no loyalty card they track it via the payment card used). Walgreens uses these machines very heavily for its loyalty program. Too heavily.

Are you sure they actually track it by payment card? I've only ever received coupons based on the items in that particular transaction.

[storewanderer]

Catalina is still a thing at Walgreens, Rite Aid, Kroger banners, Raleys, and Save Mart. Also found them at Meijer. Walgreens, Rite Aid, Kroger banners, Save Mart, and Meijer still issue store coupons via the Catalina machines based on your spending pattern with them (if there is no loyalty card they track it via the payment card used). Walgreens uses these machines very heavily for its loyalty program. Too heavily.

Are you sure they actually track it by payment card? I've only ever received coupons based on the items in that particular transaction.

Yes. For "store coupons" issued by Save Mart, Food Maxx, and also seen at Meijer, it is based on payment card. If you pay cash, these will not print. Also once they print once for your payment card they will not print again for a certain time period. However the barcodes are not unique so anyone can redeem them. It prints the same barcodes all day on the same offer, each coupon does not have a unique barcode. These will be coupons like $1 off $5 paper products, $5 off $30 transaction, free avocado with $10 purchase, free hot dog bun with $10 purchase, $5 off $30 private label items, $3 off $9 bakery, and various other odd coupons.

In the case of Save Mart and Food Maxx they seem to only print at certain store locations, not all locations. And they come and go. I last received some around September. Save Mart has been printing these for quite a few years now.

Lately I've had a lot of trouble with redemption at Food Maxx. The private label one didn't work when I had that amount of Sunny Select items in my transaction. Then the one for $5 off $30 if you do not have an item in your transaction that costs at least $5, it will only deduct the value of the highest cost item in your transaction (so in my case the highest cost item I had was 3.00 so that was all it deducted when scanned). The cashier eventually fixes it but it is a bit more of a drama than it should be. One time they told me they had stopped handing them out to customers since they weren't scanning right; I mentioned I got mine at self checkout and they said they try to catch them there before customers take them but miss it sometimes (since nobody is assigned to watch self checkout).