Monday, January 11, 2016

BREAKING NEWS>>>>>SAFEWAY FLORIDA CONFIRMED!!!!!!!

Thanks Pseudo3D for catching that article for me! The Orlando Business Journal and Tampa Bay Business Journal have articles on the conversions, which you can read here and here respectively. I'll write a more detailed post later this week, but for now, here it is, that hard evidence you all craved so much. Thank you original source! Also, the original post I released back in November about the conversions has been reinstated and updated for everyone to read once again below. Also, expect a Safeway Florida store list to appear on the blog sometime in the future.

AFB

17 comments:

  1. I wonder what the policy will be for card shopping or lack thereof? Could really hurt the stores (or, greater, the chain)

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    1. If the other Safeways do it, then I would assume they would do it here. Winn-Dixie has a club card, so the concept wouldn't seem too out of place if they did use it.

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    2. OK, it looks like for the "Big Book of Savings" for Southwest, the ads for Safeway and Albertsons were combined with no mention of the card. Safeway FL may be in the clear!

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  2. Looking forward to your continued coverage of this! Glad we get to see Albertsons staying alive in Florida, albeit under a different name.

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    1. It's a sad yet happy change for Albertsons Florida. I hope this may lead into something bigger for Albertsons/Safeway in the future in Florida. I'll keep watching for updates.

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  3. Supermarket news has an article about the conversions also

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    1. They had a very good write up on the conversions. I linked to it in the new post.

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  4. I go by the Largo store at least a couple times a week and was even looking for "Safeway Coming Soon" signage to go up. I guess we now have proof for what we saw coming. Like you I'm sad to see the Albertsons name leave Florida, but I'm excited to see the changes that Safeway will bring to the store. As always, I'll keep you posted with what I find out.

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    1. Now that they made their public announcement, I wouldn't be surprised if a banner or some other official acknowledgement of Safeway will be put up in/on the store. It's going to be very interesting seeing what the stores will look like when the renovations are done, and what Safeway's future plans are for Florida. Thanks for your updates!

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  5. are their any old Albertsons buildings that they still hold a lease on or own in Florida? If so those might reopen soon as Safeway too.

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    1. For a while, Albertsons held onto the lease for 4466, but eventually gave it up to Walmart. As for other locations, it's possible but those that do tend to be out of date.

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    2. There are a few, but I just found out two of the remaining empty stores that Albertsons owned (both of which closed in 2012) were recently sold to new owners. The empty Vero Beach store is going to become a Walmart Neighborhood Market also, and the former Valrico store is going to become a natural food grocer (which I believe is going to be Whole Foods, but am no 100% certain about). Both of these sales just happened recently, but there are still a few other empty Albertsons out there (including some stores built in the 90's and 2000's). It would be nice to see any remaining ones reopen as Safeway.

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  6. I wonder if they'll close the stores for a few days or just use banners one morning.

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    1. I think they'll just use banners, or just leave the Albertsons signs up until the new Safeway ones are made and installed (depending on the timing of the completion of the remodels).

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  7. Anyone know if the original Clearwater location will become a Safeway. It still sits empty.

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    1. Unlikely at best. I think it's far more likely that Albertsons will pick up some Winn-Dixie locations.

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    2. I doubt it very much as well. I think the reason the Clearwater store was closed was because it would have been too expensive to remodel that store due to the fact it hasn't had much done to it since the 80's, and possibly some other issues we don't know about.

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