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#1
Grocery Stores/Supermarkets / Re: Grand Union
Last post by Retail Regents - Yesterday at 08:59:12 PMAlso, when I was looking at extras from my Sherrill set, take note of the cheese signs. Those are of the original red dot logo!
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#2
Grocery Stores/Supermarkets / Re: Giant Eagle
Last post by TheFugitive - Yesterday at 11:52:18 AMLast week I went to check on some property I own in Somerset County, PA and was stunned to see that the local Giant Eagle store nearby had closed.
According to this article the location was franchised and the franchise holder decided to retire.
https://www.dailyamerican.com/story/news/local/2024/02/15/glades-pike-giant-eagle-to-close-somerset-county-grocery-stores/72611995007/
This is disappointing as now the nearest full-service grocery store is another Giant Eagle on the other side of Somerset. In order to reach that one you have to go through the center of town and deal with all of that restaurant and hotel traffic getting on and off of the turnpike.
I had no idea the store was franchised. The only other franchised Giant Eagle I'd ever heard of was in the Pittsburgh suburb of Castle Shannon, and a family member who worked there told me the company bought out the franchise holder and closed the store because he was not adhering to company standards. That building was drastically remodeled and is now a service center for a large auto dealership.
When my dad first bought this property in the 80's there was a Jamesway store in the plaza next to Giant Eagle. Now the entire plaza is empty.
According to this article the location was franchised and the franchise holder decided to retire.
https://www.dailyamerican.com/story/news/local/2024/02/15/glades-pike-giant-eagle-to-close-somerset-county-grocery-stores/72611995007/
This is disappointing as now the nearest full-service grocery store is another Giant Eagle on the other side of Somerset. In order to reach that one you have to go through the center of town and deal with all of that restaurant and hotel traffic getting on and off of the turnpike.
I had no idea the store was franchised. The only other franchised Giant Eagle I'd ever heard of was in the Pittsburgh suburb of Castle Shannon, and a family member who worked there told me the company bought out the franchise holder and closed the store because he was not adhering to company standards. That building was drastically remodeled and is now a service center for a large auto dealership.
When my dad first bought this property in the 80's there was a Jamesway store in the plaza next to Giant Eagle. Now the entire plaza is empty.
#3
Retail and Restaurant Bashing / Re: McDonald's bashing
Last post by TheFugitive - April 10, 2024, 01:30:13 PMI had to run an errand at lunchtime and decided to swing thru the drive-thru on my way back to the office. Both lanes were severely backed-up so I decided to go inside and order instead. This store has been remodeled and you could only order from the kiosk. I did not have any problems with my order but there was an older lady using the kiosk next to me who was having a very difficult time. She was totally confused by the screens which frankly were throwing way too many choices at her. I had to go over and walk her through screen-by-screen in order to help her place her order. Screens that were selling add-on items, asking for charitable donations, etc. particularly seemed to be flustering her.
I finally got her to the payment screen and explained to her what to do next. She said "Thank you, young man" (though I'm probably not nearly as much younger than her as she thinks I am). McDonalds really needs to revisit the workflow of their kiosk screens as they are too confusing for older customers and other non-techie types. I think I may have walked her through as many as eleven screens to get her to the payment. That is just too much for most people to want to have to deal with. People basically want to make their selections, pay, take their food, and go. McDonalds has a pretty loyal senior citizen customer base and they shouldn't be alienating them with ill-conceived technology.
I finally got her to the payment screen and explained to her what to do next. She said "Thank you, young man" (though I'm probably not nearly as much younger than her as she thinks I am). McDonalds really needs to revisit the workflow of their kiosk screens as they are too confusing for older customers and other non-techie types. I think I may have walked her through as many as eleven screens to get her to the payment. That is just too much for most people to want to have to deal with. People basically want to make their selections, pay, take their food, and go. McDonalds has a pretty loyal senior citizen customer base and they shouldn't be alienating them with ill-conceived technology.
#4
Current Restaurants / Re: Tilted Kilt
Last post by TheFugitive - April 09, 2024, 03:57:50 PMThe former Tilted Kilt in Robinson Town Center is now a Chick-fil-A. One of the largest ones you'll find.
Chick-fil-A's old location down by Costco has become a Taco Bell.
Up the hill Twin Peaks has opened which is more or less the same concept as Tilted Kilt.
Chick-fil-A's old location down by Costco has become a Taco Bell.
Up the hill Twin Peaks has opened which is more or less the same concept as Tilted Kilt.
#5
Stores Shutting Down This Year....2024 / Harvey's Pet, heating business...
Last post by Retail Regents - April 06, 2024, 08:16:22 PMAnother local business bites the dust.
https://www.dailygazette.com/leader_herald/news/harveys-pet-johnstown/article_72c133ea-f059-11ee-a48e-636ce3a4d898.html
https://www.dailygazette.com/leader_herald/news/harveys-pet-johnstown/article_72c133ea-f059-11ee-a48e-636ce3a4d898.html
#6
Stores Shutting Down This Year....2024 / 99 Cent Stores closing all 371...
Last post by TheFugitive - April 05, 2024, 08:39:58 AMThis chain does not get a lot of mention here as they are based on the West Coast and an Ames board naturally has an East Coast focus. But the news is significant. 99 Cent Stores announced yesterday that they are initiating "an orderly wind-down of our business" that will see them close all 371 locations.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2024/04/05/99-cents-only-stores-announces-plans-to-wind-down-operations/
One can assume that resurgent inflation has made it impossible for them to continue to meet the price point. Also increasing regulations on employment in West Coast states (particularly California) have a lot of companies rethinking whether they want to try and do business there at all. (see this week's news stories about what is happening to fast food in California now that the state has set a $20/hr. minimum wage).
Most of us who live "back east" know the 99 Cent Stores primarily from the skits Jay Leno did as host of The Tonight Show where he'd go out periodically and bring back the strangest things you could find in these stores for a show-and-tell.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2024/04/05/99-cents-only-stores-announces-plans-to-wind-down-operations/
One can assume that resurgent inflation has made it impossible for them to continue to meet the price point. Also increasing regulations on employment in West Coast states (particularly California) have a lot of companies rethinking whether they want to try and do business there at all. (see this week's news stories about what is happening to fast food in California now that the state has set a $20/hr. minimum wage).
Most of us who live "back east" know the 99 Cent Stores primarily from the skits Jay Leno did as host of The Tonight Show where he'd go out periodically and bring back the strangest things you could find in these stores for a show-and-tell.
#7
Current Restaurants / Re: Ground Round
Last post by BillyGr - April 04, 2024, 06:34:25 PMQuote from: Zayre88 on April 03, 2024, 07:46:29 PMWell Ground Round is almost defunct. Bangor Maine's locations has closed lately. Augusta has dropped the Ground Round name.
Ground Round'S website no longer exists.
There could be only 3 locations left in ND and Ohio.
Yes, the Bismark & Minot ND restaurants are still operational, their site (mygroundround.com) works and the associated Facebook page has a post from 5 hours ago (on 4/4).
Sad to hear of the one in Bangor, since that was kind of a spot for the (original) company, being also the last Howard Johnson lodging and restaurant to exist a few years back before the restaurant closed and then having the subsidiary spin off Ground Round still right down the street as well, long beyond when many places had neither restaurant, and maybe not even a hotel left.
#8
Department Stores / Re: Big Lots
Last post by Retail Regents - April 04, 2024, 08:04:04 AMKnowing Big Lots has ordered carts with the Odd Lots name as late as 1999, I cannot say for certain that this basket is actually that old!
P.S. This store actually used to have late 1990s Big Lots/Odd Lots US&W carts. It appears that co-branding lasted until the exclamation point era.
P.S. This store actually used to have late 1990s Big Lots/Odd Lots US&W carts. It appears that co-branding lasted until the exclamation point era.
#9
Current Restaurants / Re: Ground Round
Last post by Zayre88 - April 03, 2024, 07:46:29 PMWell Ground Round is almost defunct. Bangor Maine's locations has closed lately. Augusta has dropped the Ground Round name.
Ground Round'S website no longer exists.
There could be only 3 locations left in ND and Ohio.
Ground Round'S website no longer exists.
There could be only 3 locations left in ND and Ohio.
#10
Department Stores / Re: Big Lots
Last post by BillyGr - April 03, 2024, 07:02:55 PMQuote from: Retail Regents on April 03, 2024, 03:27:38 PMFound these baskets in the Amsterdam, NY store. Not sure where they came from, but they appeared fairly recently. A little bit on the plain side too.
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Odd Lots was their original name back in the 1980's (they began around Columbus, OH) and they only used the name for a time and only in that area (since other Odd Lots chains existed elsewhere).
So likely a really old basket that somehow wandered from OH to NY State :)