ECON Grocery stores closing

[Old Gray Mare]

TB2K already has a thread on bank closings and I thought the number of closing grocery stores might be another "miner's canary" on the health of the economy. From the following articles it looks like both small and larger big box stores are being affected.

Frum Grocery Stores Closing Because Shoppers Owe Tens of Thousands of Dollars
Feb 14, 2010
(Small grocery stores in NY closing)
http://matzav.com/frum-grocery-stores-closing-because-shoppers-owe-tens-of-thousands-of-dollars

Albertsons to close 9 grocery stores by April
Feb 19, 2009
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/feb/19/business/fi-grocery19

Bloom & Food Lion Grocery Store Closing 16 stores
Feb 17, 2010
http://www.leesburg2day.com/articles/2010/02/17/loudoun_business/99909bloomclosing011810.txt

Wolf Creek Marketplace is closing its doors.
February 24, 2010
http://www.basehorinfo.com/news/2010/feb/24/grocery-store-close-doors-good/

 

[Troke]

Local Food Lion closed. But it was downtown, along with two others, while others have opened on the edge of town. So maybe they overbuilt or maybe they built outside deliberately for lower taxes.

 

[denfoote]

Our local IGA is doing so much business that most of the time, you have to wait to get a parking place!!

 

[SteveReloaded]

Same Here

Our HEB is so busy, that other than 2 in the morning, almost can't move around in it. However, that is after the closure of a couple of Albertsons and a couple of Randalls....

 

[Old Gray Mare]

Downtown Safeway closing
Feb 5, 2010
http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2010/02/05/news/19local_02-05-10.txt

Residents Protest, Say Safeway Is Abandoning Them
Monday Feb 15, 2010 6:05PM
http://cfc.news8.net/videoondemand.cfm?id=58962
"A Safeway spokesman says the closing is due to economics."

Randall's Food Market may be owned by Safeway.

 

[Warthog]

The more they close, the more stressed the remaining ones become.

 

[Jamestown Girl]

Safeway does own Randall's.

 

[Ben Sunday]

I don't have a link to verify, but here in CT, they have announced the closing of a considerable number of Shaw's grocery stores. As the story was relayed to me by a store employee (and the local paper), these stores are supposed to close on or about March 31st. Many, but not all, have been sold to Shop Rite and will eventually reopen as Shop Rite stores.

Locally, there is also an issue of a potential strike against the Stop & Shop chain of stores.

Shaws was always a higher cost retailer compared to the competition. Their stores were generally very nice, but one could see the light coming through the tunnel when confronted by a vast store with only 6 or 7 customers at a time, the scaled back produce and bakery sections, and the disappearance of familiar items.

Who is next? One wonders.

 

[maric]

P&C (Penn Traffic) went belly up here. All stores closing. Tops Markets bought the stores in the bankrupcy but Tops said some stores won't reopen as food stores.

 

[Red Baron]

Lot's of changes in NW Milwaukee. Kohl's food used to be a big name but about three years ago most closed.

What's wierd is that there are two Pick and Save's not two miles apart and a Sam's and Wally-World not two miles apart.

Toss in an Aldi's and there is -nothing- else on that side of town.

Looks like the big players are taking over.

If one goes to the trendier North Shore you will find more specialy grocers like, Sendick's, Copps and Trader Joe's. Prices go -way- up over there however.

 

[Old Gray Mare]

A&P
DeMarrais: A&P pins hopes on new CEO
Thursday, January 28, 2010
"...the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., the Montvale-based supermarket chain that lost nearly $560 million in its most recent quarter."

"...now operates 433 stores in eight states in the Northeast and Washington, D.C., under several banners, including A&P, Waldbaum's, Pathmark, The Food Emporium and Food Basics."

http://www.northjersey.com/news/82870322_Can_new_CEO_deliver_the_goods_for_troubled_A_P_.html

 

[PCViking]

Keep an eye on suppliers

We're noticing products disappearing off the shelves... less stores with even less choices... our stores are going to look like pictures from the old USSR.

 

[NC Susan]

and the aisles are getting bigger and wider, (less inventory) in the "other" kind of grocerie stores, such as Target, Walmart, KMart
whereas,
the 'five&dimes' such as Dollar General and Family Dollar are dropping durable goods inventory to add grocery shelf aisles. Manager there, told me they cant WAIT to accept the EBT Food Stamps which will double their grocery business!

 

[Dex]

I was surprised to see 2 major chain stores close a few weeks ago, I think it was because of the Super Walmarts cutting into their business.

 

[Old Gray Mare]

The irony is that during the Great Depression my great grandparents had a small mom and pop grocery store and lost it because of "dead beats" who ran up their credit at the store and refused to pay their bills.

 

[lectrickitty]

The town nearest me used to have 3 grocery stores. Piggy Wiggly dropped out a couple years ago, the other one closed last year. Only 1 left in that town. The next town over had 2 Pigs and another grocery. All 3 are gone, the only grocery store left in that town is Wally World super center.

I've noticed a lot of products missing from the shelves. Wider isles, less stuff in the center isles, etc. Also, if you look behind the front row of product, you may see a lot of empty space where the shelves used to be packed full.

 

[ima pseudonym]

Expansion

The little town near where I live has 2 grocery stores. One is expanding from 10,000 sqft to 17,000!

Nearest WallyWorld is 20 minutes away.

 

[Old Gray Mare]

deleted

 

[Old Gray Mare]

We're noticing products disappearing off the shelves... less stores with even less choices... our stores are going to look like pictures from the old USSR.

Some recent food processor plants also closed:

Twin Rivers Foods Closing Missouri Plant
Manufacturing.Net - February 10, 2010
http://www.manufacturing.net/News-Twin-Rivers-Foods-Closing-Missouri-Plant-021010.aspx

AP Featured News
Wednesday February 24, 2010
ConAgra Foods closing processing line in Idaho
http://www.dailymail.com/ap/ApTopStories/201002240147

 

[Sleeping Cobra]

We're noticing products disappearing off the shelves... less stores with even less choices... our stores are going to look like pictures from the old USSR.

I also noticed shelves are not stocked up as in the past. Ever try Wonder Bread? That was my favorite. Nice and "moist" compared to some other kinds. I have not seen Wonder Bread stocked up locally.

 

[Loon]

Our small town has one grocery store. IGA. It closed a few years ago but within six months someone else bought it and reopened it. It's still open. Not sure for how long but I hope forever. Every town needs at least one grocery store.

 

[Maher]

Albertsons prices are higher than most other stores around here. But, the quality of their products is great and the store is very clean. Thier meat and produce departments are great, but their prices for meat and produce are high.

 

[annieosage]

Albertsons prices are higher than most other stores around here. But, the quality of their products is great and the store is very clean. Thier meat and produce departments are great, but their prices for meat and produce are high.

Oh yes. Albertsons meat is so expensive. Overall they are more expensive. I chose to shop Smith's/ Kroger. My store is an older one but it's always clean and their meats are good too. Actually them closing stores does not surprise me at all....

 

[Reasonable Rascal]

The Basha's in Needles, CA is closing in April because of landlord issues. That will leave them without a grocery of any size - small or large - within 10 miles, and that one is a Hispanic store over in AZ. People will have to drive 20+ miles to find a decent store.

RR

 

[lectrickitty]

I forgot to mention that the chicken processing plant just laid off another 75 people. They are down to a skeleton crew due to the lack of demand for their processed chickens. Sounds like the stores are cutting back on their orders.

 

[Knoxville's Joker]

Our local IGA is doing so much business that most of the time, you have to wait to get a parking place!!

When the insanly busy stores start closing. That is when we really need to start getting concerned.

 

[PCViking]

and the aisles are getting bigger and wider, (less inventory) in the "other" kind of grocerie stores, such as Target, Walmart, KMart
whereas,
the 'five&dimes' such as Dollar General and Family Dollar are dropping durable goods inventory to add grocery shelf aisles. Manager there, told me they cant WAIT to accept the EBT Food Stamps which will double their grocery business!

We've started going to the local dollar stores, and at one of them (who really does keep their prices at a dollar), it can seem like holiday shopping... having to walk around people in the aisles and wait at the register. This is all getting to feeling like the twilight zone; I used to shop at Nordstroms, now I shop at Dollar Stores, but only in extreme cases do I pass thru the doors at Walmart (they've just been too tough on small local businesses).

 

[catskinner]

I find it very interesting that stores are closing. Around here the stores seem to have seen a major increase in customers. The Wal-Mart always has a full parking lot until around 9pm. The same is true of the local Kroger now. Kroger traffic has at least doubled in the last year. I asked the manager why that was and she said that business had really increased since Wal-Mart reduced their inventory. Seems to me that wal-Mart shot themselves in the foot with that move, not that you can tell it by the number of cars in their parking lot. Sure can tell by the number of cars in other parking lots though.
catskinner

 

[fredkc]

We're noticing products disappearing off the shelves... less stores with even less choices... our stores are going to look like pictures from the old USSR.

Same here in Southern California.

The store closings aren't too bad, yet; but both variety and depth have gone to hell due to the combination of:
fewer brands to increase quantity they buy, and
JIT shelf management to keep the supply as centralized for as long as they can.
(JIT = Just In Time)
(The longer it sits in the warehouse, the higher the chances it won't) be sitting in the "wrong store" requiring them to truck it twice.)

Fred

 

[MadMax]

Wally-world ruined the business of Piggly wiggly, winn dixie, and safeway in the two nearest towns and now their in store stock is shrinking and somethings already gone.

 

[Sligo]

I shop mainly at a Giant grocery store here in east central PA. There is another locally owned store called Weis. I shop Giant because they are very responsive to my gluten-free needs; I ask for a product, it's there the next week. They've increased the number of organic products in every section, not just produce and milk. Shelves are amply stocked all the time. Same as Weis. Weis purchases their produce and meat locally as much as possible in season, which is great. I don't shop Wal-Mart, so I can't report on them. We do have a local outlet grocery called Amelia's, which does great business (watch expiration dates), and Aldi and Save-Alot going strong, strong, strong. Price-Rite sits in the middle of the ghetto, but if you go with a buddy, prices are awesome. Then we have this odd little place called BRL - a real grocery "outlet". I do insanely great in there with first aid items like ace bandages, bandaids, etc. Expired food, mostly, but non-food stuff is at almost give-away prices. Ace bandages for $1.00!! 4x4" gauze sponge bandage, damaged box, $0.50! Can't beat that with a stick. Would never buy food there. I purchase a lot of store brand items at Giant anyway - they have their own organic store brand. And a new Food Lion is going in just down the road. This area seems to be doing well so far, grocery wise.