Albertsons #4312 / Publix #1322
3900 66th Street North, St. Petersburg, FL
Hello everyone and welcome to another new year of AFB! A new year means some new adventures, and what better place to start off the year than Pinellas County? The birthplace of Albertsons' Florida division, Pinellas County was a stronghold for the chain all the way until the end, when Publix finally bought the company's three experimental Safeway stores in 2018 (including a location a few miles north of here in Largo). Boasting 16 Albertsons stores at one time - all 16 of which operated simultaneously, mind you, from 1996 to 2008 - Pinellas County had the most Albertsons stores of any Floridian county (beating out the runner-up, Broward County, by one store, and Broward had a number of Albertsons stores that closed early on too, so all 15 of those never operated simultaneously). I think it's safe to say Pinellas County was Albertsons' best market in Florida, with all those long-lived stores concentrated in one area. The performance of those stores is also reflected in the statistic that 15 of Pinellas' 16 former Albertsons stores were bought by Publix. Publix purchased many of Albertsons' better performing locations throughout Florida in their various deals throughout the years, Publix's gains coming from the weakness of Albertsons in the late 2000's. With all those stores Publix bought, Pinellas County is also home to the highest concentration of Publixsons stores too, and we'll be touring yet another one of those today as we explore former Albertsons #4312 in St. Petersburg:
Albertsons #4312 opened as the third Albertsons store in St. Petersburg, built to serve the western extents of town near the small enclave of Kenneth City. Opening in 1976, this location was built in the typical Skaggs-Albertsons design of the time, operating as Skaggs-Albertsons until the breakup of the partnership a year later in 1977. In 1977, Albertsons took full control of the Floridian stores, changing the landscape of Floridian supermarkets with their large store size and pioneering Food & Drug combination. According to a documentary about Publix I watched a while back, it mentioned that Publix's decision in the late 1980's to build larger stores with an in-store pharmacy was a direct response to Albertsons' growth and success throughout the state. So remember - Albertsons actually played a role in shaping the Publix of today. As much as Albertsons might regret enabling Publix to modernize and copy some of their ideas now, if it weren't for Albertsons entering Florida, Publix would probably be a much different store today.
The best view I was able to get of this store while Albertsons was still here was this awkward shot looking at the corner of the building from a 2007 Google Street View image. During Albertsons' 32 years in this location, the building was never modified too far from its original styling. A late 1990's remodel brought about an expanded and relocated liquor store, a new pharmacy, and the removal of some of the front windows, but otherwise, much of the original Skaggs-era exterior design was preserved.
Publix purchased Albertsons #4312 as part of their deal to buy 49 Floridian Albertsons locations in 2008. Publix's deal to buy those stores from Albertsons closed in September 2008, with this store reopening as Publix #1322 on November 20, 2008 - an approximately 2 month turnaround. As you can see in the image above (which is Publix's official photo of this store on the company's website), not much was done to this place in the initial conversion, which would be expected from such a fast reopening process. I imagine this store got a light remodel with some new flooring and a quick decor swap from Albertsons' Blue and Green Awnings decor to Classy Market 2.0.
However, that image on Publix's website we just saw is horribly outdated, as in mid-2011, Publix decided to dump a lot of money into this store. After three years, the time had come for this building's true "Publixification". In addition to a somewhat thorough remodel to Classy Market 2.5 on the inside, Publix dressed up this store's exterior to make it look a bit more modern compared to the rather plain exterior Albertsons left behind. It wasn't very common for Publix to heavily re-do the exteriors of one of these Albertsons buildings they inherited, with most exterior modifications being minimal, if any.
The modifications Publix made to the exterior were all cosmetic, with the doors and the liquor store all staying in the same places where Albertsons had left those. The bones of the original Skaggs-Albertsons facade are still here, but dressed up a bit with the modern gray paneling and faux-stone accents.
Publix dressed up the facade to make the doors on the right side of the building looks like the main entrance, with the awning and logo all aligned on this side. That being the case, we'll enter from this side of the building, so let's go inside and see what the interior is all about:
As of the time of my visit (and as of January 2023, per Google Images), this store still retained its 2011-installed Classy Market 2.5 decor. Even with this store going on 12 years since its last remodel, it still looks really good, which we'll see more of as we continue our tour.
Anyway, our first interior photo looks across the front of the building toward customer service and the check lanes. Unlike many Publix stores remodeled to Classy Market 2.5, the customer service desk still resides in its original home along the front wall from the Albertsons days, rather than being moved to an island next to the check lanes like Publix had a tendency to do in remodels from this era.
I visited this store shortly after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had their recent Super Bowl win, so there were plenty of displays and products front and center in the store displaying pride for the home team (and a neat neon sign too!).
Captain Fear would approve of these snacks for ye landlubbers to enjoy!
As you'd expect from a 1970's Albertsons store, the deli is located in the front right corner of the building, immediately to the right of the doors. Publix has the deli set up with the main cold cut counter to my right along the building's front wall, with the hot foods and Pub Sub station straight ahead along the side wall.
Here's a closer look at the main deli counter, as well as its accompanying signage on the wall above.
Beyond the deli, we look out into the store's grand aisle. The bakery is to my right, with floral and produce straight ahead.
The bakery was always located here along the right side wall next to the deli, however, Publix rebuilt the bakery during the 2011 remodel to conform it to the typical Publix design of the time. When Albertsons was here, the bakery would have been flush with the rest of the side wall, the curved lower ceiling a new addition by Publix.
I thought this view made for an interesting perspective, looking out toward produce from the under the bakery awning.
The lighting did something funny with this photo, but otherwise, it gives us a good overview of the width of the building and the center grocery aisles.
The bakery had a few tables of product spread out into the grand aisle to fill up space, but otherwise this store didn't feel too oversized for Publix's taste. These 1970's Albertsons stores usually came in around 55,000 square feet in size, which is almost the same size as Publix's most common large-format stores (which are around 54,000 square feet). That being said, these buildings typically don't feel as spaced-out or underutilized like we've seen in some of the larger, 60,000+ square feet later-built Albertsons buildings Publix inherited.
Here's a nice overview of the bakery and the deli in relation to each other.
Walking back a bit, here's a similar perspective to the last one we saw, but taken from further into the produce department. From this angle we get a nice look at the floral island and its signage as well.
Produce occupies the back right corner of the building, with the produce and chilled juice coolers surrounding the displays of fruits and veggies in the center.
While Publix's Classy Market 2.5 remodel was fairly extensive, they did leave behind one small trace of Albertsons in that remodel - the crown molding. We've seen that molding before in other Publixsons stores, a tell-tale reminder that Albertsons' Blue and Green Awnings decor once graced these walls. That Blue and Green Awnings crown molding was a common piece for Publix to leave behind in these store's original remodels to Classy Market 2.0, as well as later Classy Market 2.5 remodels. I don't recall seeing the molding survive a Classy Market 3.0/Sienna remodel or later though, so when this store eventually remodels to Evergreen (and hopefully not be selected for option B), the molding will probably be removed.
Here's a close-up of our Classy Market 2.5 department sign, with our Albertsons decor remnant molding gracing it from behind. According to some research by The Sing Oil Blogger, it turns out that Publix's official internal name for Classy Market 2.5 was "Bamboo". I believe that name derives from the fact the department signs were mounted to a decorative bamboo wood panel (or at the very least, that would be the explanation that makes the most sense, anyway). From what we've learned recently from the research done by The Sing Oil Blogger and GeorgiaPubDude, Publix seems to derive their official decor package (or "interior environments", as Publix likes to call them) names from a random element of the decor's construction - paint colors being a common choice for the package's official name (Classy Market 1.0's official name of "Kiwi" and Classy Market 2.0's "Invigorate" being derived that way). Classy Market 3.0's "Sienna" was named after a type of tile used on the walls, however, all of us are still baffled about what element Publix chose in coming up with the name of the current (not very green) Evergreen decor!
Leaving the grand aisle, here's a look across the store's back wall. The meat coolers are the first thing we encounter back here, with their original CM 2.5 category markers still hanging from above. If you look closely at the old crown molding, you'll notice a break in it about halfway down the back wall. This was done because the window from the upstairs offices got in the way.
Moving further down the back wall, the meat and seafood service counter begins to come into view, as well as each of those department's respective signs. We'll get a closer look at the service counter in a little bit, so for now, let's snake through some of the grocery aisles as we work our way across the rest of the store:
Some nice wide grocery aisles can be found here, like the canned food and crackers aisle seen above.
Like most other 1970's and 1980's Albertsons stores Publix inherited, this location also has the dual front actionway setup, with short aisles of non-foods and health and beauty items in front of the main numbered grocery aisles.
While Publix replaced the floors in this store prior to its reopening in 2008, one thing Publix skimped on in both the original transition remodel and the more thorough 2011 remodel were the lights. The fluorescent tube lights you see above are an Albertsons holdover, as Publix prefers classier recessed fluorescent lights in their stores built with a drop ceiling. If Publix replaced the lighting, they would have installed their usual square lights, that linked example coming from former Albertsons #4332. The replacement of the lights really affects the feel of the store, as the ambience with the slightly dimmer square lights make the store feel more Publix-like, while the original tube lights give off a stronger (and brighter) Albertsons feel.
Poking out from one of the main aisles, here's a look into one of the short aisles at the front of the store. This particular aisle is home to beach toys, towels, and other beach accessories (we're not too far from popular Madeira Beach here), with an fancy endcap of dishware next to all that.
So as long as the dish doesn't run away with the pool noodle, we'll return our attention back to the grocery aisles, as we work our way back to the meat and seafood counter.
The meat sign was placed immediately over the opening that lets shoppers look back into the butcher room, this store's only example of a "stacked" variant of the Classy Market 2.5 signage. The seafood sign was placed further down the wall, over the dedicated Seafood service counter.
The further to the left we go in this store, the narrower the aisles got, oddly enough. However, aisle 5 in the photo above isn't as bad as what I saw in aisle 6:
Aisle 6 was really narrow! I don't know how this happened in such a large store, as Publix is usually pretty good about keeping wide aisles in all their stores (regardless of its lineage). Maybe someone messed up the spacing between the grand aisle and the original placement of Albertsons' coolers, and this is what we were left with? I don't know, but of all the aisles to end up as the claustrophobic one, I guess beer and wine wasn't a bad choice, as a little bit of this stuff and you'll think the walls are closing in on you anyway.
Returning to the back wall, here's a better look at the meat and seafood signage as we get closer to those respective counters. Meats takes center stage here...
…with seafood (and more of our Blue and Green Awnings trim) being the star of this shot. Publix did a good job of making that old trim fit in with the decor, although like we saw at former Albertsons #4413 in Fort Myers, Publix can be clever with incorporating relics from the building's predecessor into their own decor.
Plenty of paper products prepped for purchase by Publix in aisle 9...
…and poking precariously from our new perch at the end of the aisle, a plethora of personal care products are presented in the peripheral.
Preparing to part from my penchant for the letter "p", here's a quick look at the front end from one of the short front aisles. We'll get to see more of this area toward the end of the post though.
Looking toward the pharmacy in the front left corner of the building, both Captain Fear and that lady are staring me down. Glares aside, the pharmacy is still in its original configuration from when Albertsons left, as the old trim is still in place throughout this area. Albertsons moved the pharmacy to this corner from the back of the store during a late 1990's remodel, closing off the building's old side entrance in favor of an expanded liquor store and a larger pharmacy space.
Health and beauty products occupy the front aisles closest to the pharmacy counter, with more grocery items behind.
Chips and snacks for sale here in aisle 11...
…although next door in aisle 12 we find baby care items and the remainder of health and beauty.
Aisles 13 and 14 are the last two aisles of this store. Aisle 13 is home to half of the store's frozen foods, with aisle 14 containing the rest. Like aisle 6, aisle 13 is pretty narrow, however the poles in the middle of aisle 13 make things a little more challenging when two carts try to pass by.
Here's one final look across the store's back wall before we enter aisle 14, the last aisle in the building.
Dairy occupies the back left corner of the store, with the dairy coolers transitioning into frozen foods coolers about halfway down the aisle, which we can see in this next photo:
The wall colors and category markers switch color from yellow to blue where the transition from dairy to frozen occurs. It was a nice little detail how Publix managed to match the color of the category markers match the color of the wall paint too. However, one of the more interesting parts of the frozen food decor in this store would be the banners over the coolers to my left. Those banners (which say "frozen" on the panels) were Publix's primary way of designating the frozen food department in the Classy Market 2.0 decor. While primarily associated with Classy Market 2.0, early Classy Market 2.5 installs also used those banners, which also confirms this store's 2011 remodel date (as CM 2.5 made its debut in 2010). Since this store went from Classy Market 2.0 to 2.5, these were probably Publix's original banners installed when the store opened in late 2008, just left to carry over in the remodel (as in 2011, these would have still been in use with the new decor anyway).
Rounding the corner from the last aisle, here's a closer look at the pharmacy counter. While Publix added new tile to the counter in the CM 2.5 remodel, much of this department was left as it was from the Albertsons days. A small room was also added over here for Publix's BayCare Telehealth examinations, although that was most likely carved out of existing office or backroom space left behind by Albertsons.
Looking the other direction from the last photo, here's an overview of the store's front end.
Before we jump too much deeper into the front end, here's one final look across the inner front actionway, as seen from the pharmacy side of the store.
If I remember right, this store had 10 check lanes (counting the two express ones), a decent number for Publix.
Of course, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to photograph one of the (rapidly declining in number) historic photo collages common with Publix's Classy Market 2.0 and 2.5 decor.
Overall, this was a pretty nice Publixsons. It didn't feel too outdated or depressing inside, and besides that odd aisle spacing, Publix seemed to have a grip on all the space they inherited from Albertsons.
Passing through the check lanes, here's a better look at the customer service desk along the store's front wall. I didn't get a good photo of it, but the alcove immediately to my left (which Publix was using as the home for a few kiosks) appears to have been home to either the former video rental center or the old in-store bank branch from the Albertsons days.
One last look at the photo collage, and it's time to pass through those doors and head outside once again:
From the parking lot, it's now time for one last look toward the entrance as we begin to shift our attention toward the liquor store:
The liquor store is located at the front left corner of the building, moving here from around the corner during the Blue and Green Awnings remodel in the late 1990's.
In order to increase floor space in these 1970's buildings, Albertsons would often build a new liquor store attached to the side of the building, or in some cases where that wasn't possible, move the liquor store to its own building out in the parking lot. This store happened to have the third case, where the liquor store was just carved out of the building's front left corner, the building's original footprint not changing at all.
Turning the corner, we can see the scars from where the liquor store used to be.
On the left side of the building, it's extremely obvious where the old side entrance and original liquor store used to be. The plain stucco panels from where the original doors were located stand out quite a bit from the sections of original 1970's river rock that remain over here, just painted over in gray now.
The side entrance was the larger patch to the right, with the old liquor store entrance to the left. Other than those patches (and the paint color), this side of the building still looks very much like it did when Albertsons first built this store in 1976.
So that's all I have for our main tour, so let's wrap up this post with some satellite imagery, beginning with some Bird's Eye aerial views courtesy of Bing Maps:
Front
Right Side
Back
Left Side
And now for the historic aerial images, courtesy of Google Earth and historicaerials.com:
Former Albertsons #4312 - 2021
Former Albertsons #4312 - 2010 - The building before Publix made their exterior modifications
Albertsons #4312 - 2008
Albertsons #4312 - 2002
Albertsons #4312 - 1998 - Based off those trailers on the side of the building (the bottom of the image), it appears the store was in the middle of its Blue and Green Awnings remodel when this image was taken.
Albertsons #4312 - 1994 - The building in its original form
Albertsons #4312 - 1984
Future Albertsons #4312 - 1969 - A few small buildings on this corner were removed to make way for the new Albertsons store.
With one final look at the exterior, that's all I have to say about former Albertsons #4312. We'll stay in the area for our next post to look at an interesting bonus store, a somewhat timely subject too. What that store is will be revealed next time, so be sure to come back in two weeks for that post!
So until next time,
The Albertsons Florida Blogger
I've never seen Super Bowl championship tortilla chips before! Of course, the idea of the Houston Texans winning a Super Bowl is very far-fetched so I'm not sure how I'd ever see Super Bowl championship chips! I am a New York Giants fan, but I don't know if they ever got commemorative Tostitos when they won their Super Bowls. While I suspect that Florida would have gotten these if they did given the number of Giants fans in Florida, there aren't a ton of New Yorkers here in Texas! Maybe we'd get Dallas Cowboys championship Tostitos if they won a Super Bowl. That's more likely than the Texans ever winning anything, but it's a thought I'd rather not think about, lol.
ReplyDeleteSometimes only seeing a store through photos make a store look a bit different than what someone might gather from a personal visit. With that in mind, I was surprised to hear you say at the end that this store does not look dated! After looking through the photos, my thought was that this is probably not Publix's best effort even compared to other Publixsons! Ok, some of the Publixsons we've seen you and Sing Oil do recently are/were worse, at least at one time, but older Publixsons featured here seemed a bit more modern!
It's hard to tell what exactly is making the store look dated to my eyes. Maybe it is the strip lighting? Probably not, I'm so used to that here in Houston that it doesn't seem that unusual to me. Maybe the colors? Maybe the crown molding? I'm not sure. I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe the store would look better with nEvergreen! Ok, probably not, lol. The store probably does look better in person though, but it's hard to explain why that might be the case.
One thing that might make this store look dated are those school chairs in the pharmacy department! Those look just like the ones we had at my elementary school many years ago when I was a child! Ok, maybe the color is different, but still, lol.
You might have heard me mention this over at NW Retail's blog, but there are rumors that Albertsons is looking to re-enter Oklahoma. It's a part of Oklahoma that isn't far from Texas, and the Dallas area for that matter, but maybe there is hope that Albertsons might decide to re-enter Florida! Of course, it's probably much more likely that Albertsons won't even exist at around this time in 2024 if Kroger does indeed swallow them up. We could talk about Kroger re-entering Florida, but I'm sure Publix would get a hearty laugh at that possibility!
Oh, I recently found my photos from my trip to Florida in 1997. It seems I got those photos developed at an Albertsons here in Houston! At least at that time, I suppose they were my Florida store here in Houston, lol.
This was my first time seeing Super Bowl championship tortilla chips before (and probably will be for a while too, although the Buccaneers are probably the most likely to win the Super Bowl again in the future compared to Miami and Jacksonville - especially Jacksonville). Apparently the Giants did get some love from Tostitos for making it to this year's playoffs though: https://www.ebay.com/itm/325333122360 From the sound of that eBay listing, those bags are only being sold around NYC, but I'm not too sure I would buy Tostitos from eBay! If there are any bags of Dallas Cowboys Tostitos out there, I know a number of people who would take great pleasure in stomping on them!
DeleteMaybe I've just visited so many Publixsons stores I've become numb to what they look like! It's an older building, but it seemed updated enough that I didn't think it felt too dated (especially compared to the Fort Myers Publixsons we saw not too long ago). The strip lights are the one thing that really changes the feel of this store compared to other locations where Publix swapped those out for their usual recessed squares. I've been to a few Evergreen Publixsons stores before (of a similar style to this one) and those have a lot of blank space on the walls. At least the older decor gives the store a little more character!
I didn't even notice the "school chairs" by the pharmacy! We had those exact same style chairs at my elementary school too, so I get the connection! I wonder if Publix brought in those chairs, or if they were left behind by Albertsons.
Yes, I did see you mention that on NW Retail's blog. I heard Albertsons tried to re-enter Oklahoma a few years ago too, but those plans fell apart, so it's interesting that they still want to pursue entering the state. I'm sure this won't be a full-fledged push into Oklahoma, but more of an extension of the Dallas division. Oklahoma (from what I understand) has limited grocery variety, so it's nice to see some variety returning to the state (even in a small amount like this). Of course the merger could change those plans, so we'll have to see.
Of all the places to get those Florida vacation photos developed, Albertsons was certainly the ironic choice!
Anonymous in Houston:
ReplyDeleteThe thought of Albertson's re-entering Oklahoma would be dependent on its proposed acquisition by Kroger. If the acquisition proceeds and is finalized, what banners and stores could be retained?
I only know what was posted at Retail Watchers, but it seems that Albertsons has a letter of intent to construct a store in Ardmore, OK. Talks between the developer and the United division of Albertsons supposedly commenced several years ago to place a Market Street store at the development, but this never happened. Now, the developer is already publishing a site map which has Albertsons at the center with a 50k sq. ft location. Unlike some other 'proposed' retailers at the development, the Albertsons is not listed as being 'proposed'.
DeleteAs for which banner would be used, I would guess it'll be the Albertsons banner if this is run by the Southern division or the Market Street banner if this is run by the United division. Both divisions of Albertsons operate in the DFW area so it really could be either. If I had to guess one, it would probably be the Albertsons banner. I suppose they could use the Tom Thumb name, but I'm guessing Albertsons would prefer to keep that name in Texas to give it Texas exclusivity.
Link: https://woodmont.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/market-street-site-plan.pdf
In other Albertsons expansion news, they are also building a Tom Thumb in Waxahachie, TX. This is a small city south of Dallas. With continued suburban development in DFW, the DFW Metroplex is inching towards Waxahachie. What's interesting about Waxahachie is that until recently, it was the closest HEB market to DFW at least as far as traditional HEB stores go. HEB does very well there and it seems like the kind of town that Albertsons wouldn't dare touch given the success of HEB, but it seems Albertsons is opening across town. They must think there is an unfilled niche there they can fill. Grocers here are very reluctant to take on HEB so it's surprising, if not shocking, to see Albertsons of all companies in expansion mode into HEB territory.
Albertsons is also opening a new store in Irving, TX probably in the next few weeks. It'll be the first new store under the Albertsons banner in Texas in many years. That store is clearly a case of a subsidized store. Government documents already show that the City of Irving is funding that store somewhat. We assume it'll be a more basic store than the average Tom Thumb and so Albertsons is using their own name instead of the more respected Tom Thumb name.
Anyway, back to Oklamhoma, I don't know how the merger may change this. The Southern Division, or at least the DFW part of it, may well have to be part of SpinCo to pass the regulator hurdle given that Albertsons and Kroger are both major players in the market. The government already rejected Kroger's proposed buyout of Winn-Dixie's Texas and Oklahoma stores in around 1999-2000 due to what Kroger's market share would have been in the Dallas area, Arlington and Ft. Worth specifically where Winn-Dixie had a larger presence. Winn-Dixie then left in 2002 and the stores were sold piecemeal with Kroger getting some locations.
This was personally my favorite Publixsons to visit in Pinellas County so far. I do want to see #4338 on East Bay Drive before (option B) happens there. That looks like a store laid out very similar to this one. I also like store #4320 in Seminole, but didn't go inside.
ReplyDeleteFrom for some odd reason, I like the old track lighting, even though it looks outdated. It's probably that strong Albertsons vibe I like so much, even though honestly the square recessed lights are more modern and sleek looking.
Those wide to narrowing aisles are a bit odd. That's the way Albertsons #714 on Hammond, LA was. The main grocery aisles were large, but the beer and wine and frozen foods aisles were narrow. Must have been Albertsons' doing, but you'd have thought Publix would have addressed that issue.
Here's my not-so-extensive recreation photo of this store, the wat it would have looked prior to the Publix takeover:
https://flic.kr/p/2iNnVYu
#4311 was my favorite Pinellas Publixsons to visit, and you probably know why :) Sadly, it looks like "option B" is in play here, per the comment below, so #4312's time will run out before long. Thankfully, #4338 did remodel to Evergreen, so that one has some time left in it (I would think).
DeleteThe strip lighting really helps keep that Albertsons feel alive in here, as Publix's recessed square really change the mood in the store.
Based on your observations in Hammond, I would agree Albertsons probably was responsible for the weird aisle spacing. I'm surprised Publix didn't correct it, but I guess shifting all the aisle around to fix the spacing was too much of a hassle.
That looks about right too with the recreation - Publix didn't change much about this store in those first few years!
I had to think about that one for a second, then I realized GROCERY PALACE! Yep, that #4311 in Seville Square is a pretty neat old Publixsons too. There's still that 1991 video on Youtue by those two students from Eckerd College inside #4311, back when it hold the old 80's Colorful Market wall decor including the wooden borders. I know these successful Albertsons stores are very interesting, but a funny side of me would love to do time travel and in particular visit these early failed Albertsons like 4321, 4340, 4351, 4405 and 4406 to see just what is was that made these stores duds. Was it bad management, excessive crime... I wish I could find more out, but I couldn't justify the continued subscriptions to the newspaper archive sites.
DeleteYou got it - I'm a sucker for anything related to Grocery Palace! I remember you sharing that 1991 video with me too. That was a neat look at the 1980's decor.
DeleteThose early Albertsons closures are pretty fascinating, as many of them have become quite forgotten. The stores that only lasted a handful of years (or just barely a year, like #4406) are really intriguing to me, and would be fun to visit just because of the limited amount of time they were around.
When I saw you were back in Pinellas County, I wondered if we'd be looking at a different, yet very vintage, Publixsons. I just hope you have that store photographed for another time! I'm also intrigued by the other store you have planned for next time and whether or not I've been there.
ReplyDeleteAs for this store, it seems like I remember Publix sprucing up the facade for several other Skaggs-Albertsons stores. I know they made some minor alterations to #1316 in Pensacola, yet it still retains a distinctively Albertsons design. What I'm surprised by is how Publix turned this store around in 2-months! If I thought #1343 had a quick turnaround after 5-months, I can't imagine how bad this store looked when it reopened! It also must have been a high volume store considering how short of a time it was closed and how they are still inhabiting a building from the 1970's.
I first noticed this in your photo of the customer service sign, but that Albertsons crown molding running around the perimeter, which is painted in Sherwin Williams "Windstream" blue, stood out like a sore thumb! I knew that wasn't from Publix!
I'm guessing this store uses the same layout as #4315 did considering it is mirrored from #1316. Also, the photo where you mentioned "The lighting did something funny" just has the wrong white-balance set. You can easily fix that in post-processing by adding more blue back to the temperature. Your phone probably focused directly on one of the florescent lights and got thrown off.
Thanks for the callout! I'm planning to use my short time off to cook up some documentation on what I've learned about Publix's decors: stay tuned! I'm also confused why this store received a "stacked" meat department sign as those are typically reserved for CM 2.5 newbuilds or newbuild CM 2.0 stores remodeled to 2.5. It's especially surprising considering the cheaper feel of this store's remodel.
As usual, your abundant alliteration and dish jokes always give me a chuckle! I love adding Easter eggs like that into my posts!
I agree with Anonymous in Houston that this store looks pretty dated from the pictures. I'd think it is a combination of the strip lighting, crown molding, and especially the lack of Publix's 3D wall elements which convey that appearance. Somewhere deep in my backlog I have pictures of two otherwise identical Pub-Dixies: one with an install of CM 2.5 / Bamboo over a deluxe 2.0 / Invigorate install and the other with a cheap Sienna install over a cheap 2.0 / Invigorate install. The differences are stark!
I think I know which Publixsons you're referring to, and I've been to all 15 of them in Pinellas County, so it will be coming to the blog at some point (and there's some interesting ones in this area). I can assure you you haven't been to the store coming up in my next post either!
DeletePublix has tweaked the exterior at a few of these older 1970's Albertsons buildings they've inherited, but not to the extent of this building. The exterior of this building got a pretty major overhaul, although what it replaced wasn't anything too spectacular, as this store's old facade was pretty bland. I would have loved to see what this store looked like in those first few years to see how cheap the initial remodel was, and how it compared to #1331 and some of the others we thought were cheap.
Publix kept that Albertsons crown molding in a lot of their stores following CM 2.5 remodels, but it usually got yanked out in any later remodels. I'm surprised Publix kept the molding, as it doesn't seem like a piece that would require a lot of effort to remove. #4315 would have looked basically like this in its early days, although it's remodel to Grocery Palace was a little more elaborate than this store's Blue and Green Awnings (as #4315 had more exterior modifications). I probably could have played with the light setting on that photo, but I didn't even think about it at the time.
You're welcome! I'm interested to see what information you found in your recent Publix decor research. The "stacked" CM 2.5 signs seem to show up randomly, so I don't know what caused some stores to receive them, and only in certain departments.
Thanks! My propensity to practice placing a profuse plethora of p's can payoff! :)
As we saw below, Publix feels this store is pretty dated too, and "option B" has been chosen as the corrective action. I guess after going 12 years without a remodel, I shouldn't be too surprised, but I would have liked to see Evergreen appear in here instead! Overall, these 1970's built-Albertsons stores tend to look a bit blank in places when it comes to decor, and the high drop ceilings seem to be a big reason for that, creating a large blank void on the walls above the signage.
Good to know a sizable amount of 2.5s hang on as of 2023. Mentioned in your post is the fact that Albertsons was most prominent in Broward, but had the weakest run just down south in Miami-Dade. I also find it interesting that the remodels from 2.0 had a quick turnaround, but now they're waiting 10+ years to change things up again.
ReplyDeleteI would also like to note that for whatever you think of Evergreen, it has more consistent green than CM 3.0 (primarily on aisle markers, produce, deli, seafood).
I think there were 71 CM 2.5 stores left in the chain as of a few months ago, per the Sing Oil Blogger, but that number will continue to drop. I wouldn't say a store holding onto 2.5 is the kiss of death yet (as I know there's at least one newbuild store out there still hanging onto it, and that certainly isn't a contender for "option B" yet!)
DeleteBroward and Miami-Dade, while they share a border, are very different places demographically. Those demographics are what caused the Miami stores to fail so quick, as Albertsons couldn't figure out how to serve the heavy Hispanic population well (whereas Broward's Hispanic population is much smaller - still decent - but much smaller).
Yes, Evergreen does include those pops of green (like the aisle markers and stripe on the wall), but it's not the primary color (like the name would suggest, as you would think a decor named "Evergreen" would include a heavy emphasis on the color green!).
As far as I'm aware, #1228 in Prattville, AL (opened in 2008 with CM 2.0) and #1427 in Tallahassee (opened in 2014) still have CM 2.5 / Bamboo and I doubt either of those store will close. Regardless, CM 2.5 stores still seem to be dwindling fast!
DeleteAs a Publix insider, this store is slated for a rebuild within the near future, having been delayed to covid.
ReplyDeleteThat would explain the 12 year gap in remodeling here. Thanks for that info. Sad to see this store go, but it seems like a high volume location, and I'm sure corporate wants a more modern store here in its place.
DeleteIt's official: July 27, 2024 will be this store's last day in operation.
DeleteThanks for that update, as sad as it is to hear.
DeleteThis Publix seems to be really cool looking, hope it doesn't go for "Option B" anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteSome of Sing's research on the decor like Kiwi kinda came from me.
Surprised they manage to keep the fluorescent light tubes so I guess 2.5 wasn't so thorough after all.
Edit: This comment was made before the Publix insider was commenting, I was gonna submit it earlier but it kept giving me error.
DeleteTurns out it is going for Option B ._.
You can take more credit than that! You did find that building database, and I think you were the one who first found the document mentioning "Kiwi". Now I do have to take credit for finding the fascinating Metallic Marketplace building plans (still no name though)!
DeleteYes, I was sad to hear that too. Another one down...
DeleteYou and the Sing Oil Blogger make a good Publix research team too!
It’s gone. Closed for demolition July 27th. New store is going to face 38th Ave instead of 66th St.
DeleteGreat introduction a) to this specific post, and b) to the new year in general here on the blog! Seems pretty proper to pick Pinellas County to portray in this paramount post, although perhaps your penchant for P's also played a part in that pronouncement. I'm actually not sure how I feel about Albertsons' old crown moulding staying intact in this store. You know me, normally I'm a sucker for old décor remnants, but for some reason something about that just isn't sitting that well with me this time. That's rather disappointing. I also have to admit I like Publix's modifications to the facade a whole lot better than that outdated picture on their website. That's very unusual for me to say, but at least I still show my true loyalty by being happy to see the old river rock panels on the left side of the building! The facade reminds me a bit of a P01 Target I've visited, whose facade I also quite liked, so that's probably part of why I like it so much. Anyway, perfect post, and I'm pretty pumped for even more pending in the pipeline!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I was pretty proud of the performance by my posting pick in Pinellas, the profound Publixsons portrayal pleasing plenty of people! I think the crown molding blends in much better than the super obvious remains like we saw at the now-demolished Fort Myers Publixsons not too long ago, as I doubt most people would have picked up on the fact that trim wasn't even from Publix. The exterior is a huge improvement from what Albertsons left behind though, as that old facade was pretty dull!
DeleteThis store is being torn down July 27th for a complete rebuild.
ReplyDelete