"Albertsons Market"

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pseudo3d
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"Albertsons Market"

Post by pseudo3d »

Quick background: we should know that Albertsons Inc. broke into two companies in 2006, one "Albertsons LLC" (owned by Cerberus under "AB Acquisitions LLC" and "New Albertsons Inc." (owned by SuperValu, had what were considered to be the stronger divisions).

At some point in the past, Albertsons LLC began to create a new brand "Albertsons Market", which I remember was prominently featured in ads and marketing. However, did any stores actually get branded as such? It's worth noting that in 2011, Albertsons opened a new store in Denham Springs, LA, but it got rebranded as simply Albertsons (but no "Sav-on Pharmacy") either. And of course, Albertsons Market was chucked entirely when AB Acquisitions bought New Albertsons from SuperValu, putting both in the same corporate umbrella.

1. When was "Albertsons Market", the logo, introduced? 2006?
2. Were any stores actually rebranded as such?
wnetmacman
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Re: "Albertsons Market"

Post by wnetmacman »

When the big split happened in 2006, part of the agreement stated that the LLC was only licensing the Albertsons name from Supervalu, who purchased the name. Initially, the two were supposed to share marketing strategies and branding.

Initially, the LLC was capitalizing on the sale of property, so this wasn't a big deal. They essentially leeched off Supervalu.

After the LLC finished closing stores, something amazing happened: they began to make money. Around 2011 or so, they decided that they would get serious about the grocery business. Part of that was deciding to shed the 'old Albertsons model' of being a high end grocer. In the areas where they were becoming successful (like Dallas, Lafayette and Baton Rouge), they began opening new stores. Not only did they open a new store in an old Winn-Dixie in Denham Springs, they also re-purchased a Sav-A-Center store in Mandeville that had been built by the failed Jitney Jungle/Delchamps combo as a Delchamps Premier. This store, when JJ/Delchamps failed, became Albertsons in 2000, but was sold to A&P/Sav-A-Center when Albertsons pulled out of New Orleans. Rouses passed on this one owing to the fact that there were three of their stores already close by when they purchased the SAC stores from A&P.

Getting back on track; around that time, the LLC introduced the Albertsons Market name to begin differentiating themselves from the original company. Store remodels were highly successful, even though they have been described as somewhat plain. At that point, the LLC stores were actually newer looking and making more money than most of the old company; pricing was better and it was just an overall better experience.

Albertsons Market was dropped when the two came back together again.
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pseudo3d
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Re: "Albertsons Market"

Post by pseudo3d »

I was told that the Albertsons that were the three stragglers (Kerrville, New Braunfels, and College Station) all in markets far removed from Dallas-Fort Worth or Baton Rouge were all huge losers (Kerrville was the one H-E-B wanted but had to take the other two, and decided to close both). 2011 makes sense--I remember seeing on an Albertsons ad in BR that it was "Albertsons Market" but I don't remember the CS one EVER being branded that way.

So if it was 2011, why was the new Albertsons in Denham Springs built as an Albertsons and not an Albertsons Market?

As for being upmarket, I don't remember Albertsons being particularly upmarket--it always seemed like a more expensive version of Kroger to me, and it (pre-2006, which is when a lot of the closings started to happen) had stores in many middle-class areas (Bristol Farms, on the other hand, was a fancy store), and as for actually gaining money, they're still clearly afraid of H-E-B, they've pulled out of the markets where they compete (and in B.R., don't even Kroger to worry about).
pseudo3d
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Re: "Albertsons Market"

Post by pseudo3d »

Looks like they're using Albertsons Market in Albertsons stores moving to the United division in Texas and New Mexico now. I've never heard of a company recycling nameplates...
pseudo3d
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Re: "Albertsons Market"

Post by pseudo3d »

According to Archive.org, it didn't seem that Albertsons Market wasn't used for Albertsons LLC until 2012. That said, I remember circulars being for "Albertsons Market" in May 2011, and that Denham Springs store opened as Albertsons.

That said, I've found some photos on Flickr that have Albertsons Market inside and out in décor (at least inside).

So, with AlbertsonsMarket.com now used for exclusively for the United family, does that mean the Louisiana (or Dallas) stores that got that package have to get it stripped and return to being Albertsons?
wnetmacman
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Re: "Albertsons Market"

Post by wnetmacman »

pseudo3d wrote:So, with AlbertsonsMarket.com now used for exclusively for the United family, does that mean the Louisiana (or Dallas) stores that got that package have to get it stripped and return to being Albertsons?
The 4 stores that were remodeled in Lafayette, LA didn't get Albertsons Market signage. Just Albertsons. Seems that Albertsons LLC wasn't sure that the name was going to stay, and now with good reason.
Scott Greer
pseudo3d
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Re: "Albertsons Market"

Post by pseudo3d »

Some Google Maps evidence shows that at least one Dallas store shows up as "Albertsons Market", but that was because the whole chain was being "Market"ed as that at the time (My apologies for the pun).

I remember that when New Albertsons Inc. was sold back to AB Acquisition LLC, they had done some consumer testing if they wanted to keep Albertsons or Albertsons Market for the store name (guess the winning name). I wonder what the end-game plan for it is now though, because as it is, the Dallas market will have the South division (Albertsons in that region, plus the Louisiana stores), Houston division (Tom Thumb), and United (United and their store brands, plus Albertsons Market).

I wonder if AB Acquisition (new name pending)'s ultimate game plan is to clear off enough stores to not be accused of a grocery monopoly, convert all the Dallas Albertsons to Albertsons Market in the United division, add Tom Thumb to the United division, put all the Louisiana stores into the Houston division as some sort of "Gulf Coast" division, and eliminate the South division.

Or if they did separate them to kill off the Houston division, which still has 30 Randalls in Houston (plus Austin) but has been shrinking for years like Dominick's. But I digress.

If no stores were actually branded as Albertsons Market, then the Albertsons stores converted to Albertsons Market in the United division would be the first, right?
pseudo3d
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Re: "Albertsons Market"

Post by pseudo3d »

wnetmacman wrote:When the big split happened in 2006, part of the agreement stated that the LLC was only licensing the Albertsons name from Supervalu, who purchased the name. Initially, the two were supposed to share marketing strategies and branding.

Initially, the LLC was capitalizing on the sale of property, so this wasn't a big deal. They essentially leeched off Supervalu.

After the LLC finished closing stores, something amazing happened: they began to make money. Around 2011 or so, they decided that they would get serious about the grocery business. Part of that was deciding to shed the 'old Albertsons model' of being a high end grocer. In the areas where they were becoming successful (like Dallas, Lafayette and Baton Rouge), they began opening new stores. Not only did they open a new store in an old Winn-Dixie in Denham Springs, they also re-purchased a Sav-A-Center store in Mandeville that had been built by the failed Jitney Jungle/Delchamps combo as a Delchamps Premier. This store, when JJ/Delchamps failed, became Albertsons in 2000, but was sold to A&P/Sav-A-Center when Albertsons pulled out of New Orleans. Rouses passed on this one owing to the fact that there were three of their stores already close by when they purchased the SAC stores from A&P.

Getting back on track; around that time, the LLC introduced the Albertsons Market name to begin differentiating themselves from the original company. Store remodels were highly successful, even though they have been described as somewhat plain. At that point, the LLC stores were actually newer looking and making more money than most of the old company; pricing was better and it was just an overall better experience.

Albertsons Market was dropped when the two came back together again.
According to Google Earth, by February 1998, the Delchamps hadn't been built yet. The Delchamps Premier obviously didn't last long for however long it lasted, but it was probably one of their best-looking stores. So both Delchamps and Albertsons (first time) never lasted more than two years, since they pulled out of NOLA in 2002 (didn't they?). So far, it seems like Albertsons 2nd time is the longest running grocery store in that spot, presumably opening in late 2007 and remaining open to this day.
wnetmacman
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Re: "Albertsons Market"

Post by wnetmacman »

pseudo3d wrote:According to Google Earth, by February 1998, the Delchamps hadn't been built yet. The Delchamps Premier obviously didn't last long for however long it lasted, but it was probably one of their best-looking stores. So both Delchamps and Albertsons (first time) never lasted more than two years, since they pulled out of NOLA in 2002 (didn't they?). So far, it seems like Albertsons 2nd time is the longest running grocery store in that spot, presumably opening in late 2007 and remaining open to this day.
There were a handful of Jitney and Delchamps Premier stores built between 1997 and the end in late 2000. I know of two Delchamps Premier stores for sure, Denham Springs (a former Kmart) and the Mandeville store. That one was built in late 1999 as a part of a larger shopping center. It was Delchamps for less than a year when JJ/Delchamps failed. It became Albertsons at that time. When Albertsons left, it was a part of the group of stores that A&P/S-A-C bought. However, it was just down the street from another S-A-C that had been there for some time. Essentially, the other one ran this one out. It sat empty for a few years (it didn't survive to the Rouses sale like its counterpart) before Albertsons made it the second 'new' store in Louisiana.
Scott Greer
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Re: "Albertsons Market"

Post by Super S »

pseudo3d wrote:Quick background: we should know that Albertsons Inc. broke into two companies in 2006, one "Albertsons LLC" (owned by Cerberus under "AB Acquisitions LLC" and "New Albertsons Inc." (owned by SuperValu, had what were considered to be the stronger divisions).

At some point in the past, Albertsons LLC began to create a new brand "Albertsons Market", which I remember was prominently featured in ads and marketing. However, did any stores actually get branded as such? It's worth noting that in 2011, Albertsons opened a new store in Denham Springs, LA, but it got rebranded as simply Albertsons (but no "Sav-on Pharmacy") either. And of course, Albertsons Market was chucked entirely when AB Acquisitions bought New Albertsons from SuperValu, putting both in the same corporate umbrella.

1. When was "Albertsons Market", the logo, introduced? 2006?
2. Were any stores actually rebranded as such?
For what it's worth, on my last visit to Boise, Idaho in 2009, the Albertsons on Broadway Ave. had signage on the front of the store next to the Albertsons logo that simply read "Broadway Market". I am not sure when the store was remodeled into that format, but can say that it was remodeled at least once since the mid-1980s. This is the oldest Albertsons in Boise, and my understanding is that the interior package was unique to this store. I am not sure if this was simply a "test run" of the Albertsons Market name, or if this was unrelated to the later stores. Keep in mind that Albertsons opened a Maxx Food & Drug store in Boise in the 1980s, which was later renamed Max Foods. They abandoned that format in Boise (That particular location closed) but used it in other markets.

I have no idea what the plans are at this location, but there were hints of a possible redevelopment on my last visit, which would not surprise me given the store's age.
pseudo3d
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Re: "Albertsons Market"

Post by pseudo3d »

The Albertsons Market signage and décor was unique to Albertsons LLC prior to the buyback of New Albertsons (of which the AlbertsonsMarket.com name was retired until being revived for United Family owned Albertsons stores), but any Idaho stores would've been New Albertsons, which was part of SVU from 2006-2012.

My guess is that it was a long dead unrelated concept.
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Re: "Albertsons Market"

Post by Super S »

pseudo3d wrote:The Albertsons Market signage and décor was unique to Albertsons LLC prior to the buyback of New Albertsons (of which the AlbertsonsMarket.com name was retired until being revived for United Family owned Albertsons stores), but any Idaho stores would've been New Albertsons, which was part of SVU from 2006-2012.

My guess is that it was a long dead unrelated concept.
I guess I forgot to mention that the "Broadway Market" signage predated this by at least five years, as I remember it having that signage on another visit back in 2001. Here is a discussion about it from some time ago:

http://www.groceteria.com/board/viewtop ... f=21&t=342

On my last visit in 2009, the road sign had been replaced by a regular "Albertsons/Sav-On" sign, however, the store itself still retained the "Broadway Market" signage.

Here is a link to a picture (not mine) of the Broadway store with the "Broadway Market" signage:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Alberts ... B640%3B480
pseudo3d
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Re: "Albertsons Market"

Post by pseudo3d »

Exactly. It definitely well pre-dates the Cerberus spin-off and the desire to brand the stores as "Albertsons Market" anyway, and it's a completely different font as well, meaning that Albertsons LLC (probably) didn't go grubbing through defunct trademarks to name it as such.

One thing that is different than when I started this thread is that the United Supermarkets-run Albertsons (north Texas and some New Mexico, even a new-build going up) ARE being actually branded as "Albertsons Market".
klkla
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Re: "Albertsons Market"

Post by klkla »

The font of the logo from the Boise store is different from the Albertsons LLC version.

The logo from the Albertsons LLC version can still be seen at http://www.albertsonsmarket.com/
pseudo3d
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Re: "Albertsons Market"

Post by pseudo3d »

Yeah, the Albertsons Market page was relaunched for the United division of Albertsons, which compared to the old Albertsons Inc. of old plays fast and loose, carrying differentiated product mixes to stores. Its worth noting that I remember reading that when United took over some NM stores, they dropped the prices on a lot of items by substantial amounts (up to 75, 80 cents) to be more competitive...something that the rest of Albertsons should take into account.

From what I'm hearing, part of the idea was to increase the Safeway/Albertsons buying power, which means that once the company starts to get well-organized with lower prices, it could be a serious Kroger competitor for once (especially if they continue to dump card shopping, which puts them a leg up on Kroger). The other less spoken reason was probably because Albertsons wanted to get their hands on Safeway's brand names, since it more or less lost theirs to SVU.
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