Ahold/Delhaize offer 83 stores for sale to satisfy FTC antitrust concerns

[Scrabbleship]

Another Poughkeepsie Journal article on Tops entering the Mid Hudson Valley.

While Tops is quickly making moves, all seems quiet on the Big Y front. The only date revealed so far is North Quincy, now pushed back to 9/16 though they were sending out mailers last week for job opportunities.

[retailisking]

While Tops is quickly making moves, all seems quiet on the Big Y front.

The only date revealed so far is North Quincy, now pushed back to 9/16 though they were sending out mailers last week for job opportunities.

Haggen moved quickly on its Albertsons/Safeway acquisitions out west, which turned out to be a disaster. The acquisitions Tops made are less ambitious but there is merit in taking one's time to ensure that you make a good first impression.

[retailisking]

I find the idea of overriding one's Stop & Shop card with a Tops card to be a bit foolish as Stop & Shop isn't abandoning those areas unless they really want shoppers to forget they existed.

The FTC wants to avoid a repeat of the Haggen disaster out west where an unknown grocer entered new territories and immediately ran into problems retaining customers. A good faith effort to distribute loyalty cards to the previous Stop & Shop customer base demonstrates to regulators that Ahold is adhering to the spirit and not just the letter of the law.

[store215]

I find the idea of overriding one's Stop & Shop card with a Tops card to be a bit foolish as Stop & Shop isn't abandoning those areas unless they really want shoppers to forget they existed.

It seems like Tops must still be using Ahold's systems since they were owned by Ahold back in the day. It would be interesting to test if the new Tops cards also scan at Stop & Shop.

[BillyGr]

I find the idea of overriding one's Stop & Shop card with a Tops card to be a bit foolish as Stop & Shop isn't abandoning those areas unless they really want shoppers to forget they existed.

It seems like Tops must still be using Ahold's systems since they were owned by Ahold back in the day. It would be interesting to test if the new Tops cards also scan at Stop & Shop.

I'd say 99% that it won't work - I remember trying to use a S&S card and a Martins (connected to PA Giant) card at the MD based Giants and that neither worked there so this would be a similar situation.  If anything the Tops & the PA Giant might (since those two were connected when part of Ahold) but even that is doubtful.

Interesting that they chose this week to reopen the stores, especially that one in Rhinebeck (since the Dutchess Fairgrounds are just south of it and this is fair week, which makes it harder for locals to get into the new store but also allows visitors to the fair to see the new name/brand and that they might return if they are reasonably close by).

[retailisking]

Ahold Delhaize intends to shed another ten stores in the hyper-competitive Richmond market
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ahold-delhaize-profit-up-merger-targets-on-track-2016-08-25-54852623

[Scrabbleship]

It seems like Tops must still be using Ahold's systems since they were owned by Ahold back in the day.

This seems like a reasonable explanation since they would only need to procure systems for the ex-Hannaford locations in Carmel and Lagrangeville which on the scale of Tops isn't that much versus the Hannaford to Big Y conversions which are a good addition of 15% to Big Y's store count.

Interesting that they chose this week to reopen the stores, especially that one in Rhinebeck (since the Dutchess Fairgrounds are just south of it and this is fair week, which makes it harder for locals to get into the new store but also allows visitors to the fair to see the new name/brand and that they might return if they are reasonably close by)

I think that they wanted the stores open before the crunch of kids going back to school started. This could also explain Gardner going first, unlike schools in New York that go back on 9/7, Gardner and adjacent towns go back on 8/31.

Another big event that would drive sales at one of the new stores: SUNY New Paltz move-in was this weekend and the elderly ShopRite across the street never could take the huge deluge during the gap between Great American closing and S&S/Tops opening. Given their total lack of brand image in these new markets, being there and open is a bit more of a big deal for them.

[retailisking]

I think that they wanted the stores open before the crunch of kids going back to school started. This could also explain Gardner going first, unlike schools in New York that go back on 9/7, Gardner and adjacent towns go back on 8/31.

Another big event that would drive sales at one of the new stores: SUNY New Paltz move-in was this weekend and the elderly ShopRite across the street never could take the huge deluge during the gap between Great American closing and S&S/Tops opening. Given their total lack of brand image in these new markets, being there and open is a bit more of a big deal for them.

Plus Tops is a run-of-the-mill supermarket chain, so they can't afford to be closed for extensive renovations lest they permanently lose market share to competitors. This is in sharp contrast to the situation in Richmond where Publix will be taking their sweet time with the Martin's locations they're taking over. It's crucial that the Publix locations live up to the company's reputation for quality and service right off the bat.

[BillyGr]

It seems like Tops must still be using Ahold's systems since they were owned by Ahold back in the day.

This seems like a reasonable explanation since they would only need to procure systems for the ex-Hannaford locations in Carmel and Lagrangeville which on the scale of Tops isn't that much versus the Hannaford to Big Y conversions which are a good addition of 15% to Big Y's store count.

Although they (Tops, that is) has some experience in doing conversions of stores in the relatively recent past - they had quite a chunk when they took over the remains of the P&C chain, and also when they switched the last of the Grand Union locations over.  Which of course brings up an interesting thing - the one Grand Union that they DIDN'T take at the time (Millerton, NY) as it was somewhat away from the rest of the stores, but wouldn't be that far now from these new Hudson Valley stores (and certainly not as far as that one MA store).

Another big event that would drive sales at one of the new stores: SUNY New Paltz move-in was this weekend and the elderly ShopRite across the street never could take the huge deluge during the gap between Great American closing and S&S/Tops opening. Given their total lack of brand image in these new markets, being there and open is a bit more of a big deal for them.

Good point - wasn't thinking about that area and the college opening (though I know what you mean about the ShopRite being on the small side - seems they were thought of as a possibility to take the newer larger store as well at one point).

[Scrabbleship]

Which of course brings up an interesting thing - the one Grand Union that they DIDN'T take at the time (Millerton, NY) as it was somewhat away from the rest of the stores, but wouldn't be that far now from these new Hudson Valley stores (and certainly not as far as that one MA store).

The issue in Millerton is a battle over the proposed Hannaford that would be built between the GU and the Connecticut line. Longtime Millerton people are for it, especially since GU even its current state gets a lot of traffic from elsewhere in northern/eastern Dutchess, northwest Connecticut, and southeast Columbia County. A band of independent markets on both the New York and Connecticut sides came out against it but that was three years ago.

At the same time, at some point C&S told Freshtown, owners of the ex-GU in Amenia and formerly in Dover Plains (plus the ex-A&P in Margaretville), that if the Hannaford deal was DOA that Freshtown would get the Millerton GU. The last action on any of this was taken before the Ahold/Delhaize merger so I wonder if now out of brand visibility they'd make it a S&S seeing the closest chain supermarket to Millerton (North Canaan, CT) is under that name.

Good point - wasn't thinking about that area and the college opening (though I know what you mean about the ShopRite being on the small side - seems they were thought of as a possibility to take the newer larger store as well at one point).

IIRC ShopRite wanted the site that became S&S back when it was shuttered after Great American and Ames closed.

On the tangent of another divesture, the former Food Lions going to Weis in the Fredericksburg, VA area will convert in later September into October. I would assume the Maryland/Delaware stores in the same position would be along the same timeframe.

[Scrabbleship]

Dates for the Hannaford to Big Y conversions have been announced.

Easton, Kingston, Milford, and Norwood will close on 9/6 and re-open 9/10. Norwell, Peabody, Quincy, and Saugus will close 9/12 and re-open 9/16.

[MikeRa]

The Giant [MD] in Sailsbury, MD has begun it's conversion to Acme Markets:
http://acmestyleblog.blogspot.com/2016/09/sailsbury-sign-swap.html#comment-form

Thanks to Acme Style for this information

[retailisking]

Apart from the Taste of Inspirations gourmet brand (and the price-impact Cha-Ching brand at Food Lion)

I believe I've seen some of that Cha-Ching at Hannaford also.

Finally saw Cha-Ching in a Hannaford circular - for 1-ply napkins.

[Scrabbleship]

The Boston Globe yesterday had an article on Big Y's entry into Greater Boston. So far, reaction seems to be mixed as there seem to be a LOT more Hannaford loyalists than one would have thought and that some of Big Y'a quirks (gold coins, a store card, Buy 1/Get 2 sales) seem like a step back.

[BillyGr]

The Boston Globe yesterday had an article on Big Y's entry into Greater Boston. So far, reaction seems to be mixed as there seem to be a LOT more Hannaford loyalists than one would have thought and that some of Big Y'a quirks (gold coins, a store card, Buy 1/Get 2 sales) seem like a step back.

Seems like the fact that Hannaford operates on more of an everyday price model where Big Y does the weekly sales and special deals model is making it more difficult where one is used to one setup and suddenly has to change to the other one.

[Scrabbleship]

Tops to close the ex-Stop & Shop in Wappingers Falls, NY as of 2/1/18. This only 17 months after Tops bought its share of the Ahold Delhaize rejects.

Given the state of the market in the Mid-Hudson Valley, who knows what the solution might be. The market really lacks anything on the upper end save for a couple co-ops and Adams Fairacre Farms, perhaps if Price Chopper has the resources and motivation this would be a great spot for a Market32 though if that was an idea wouldn't they have converted their sole Dutchess County location in Poughkeepsie already?

[JJBers]

Tops to close the ex-Stop & Shop in Wappingers Falls, NY as of 2/1/18. This only 17 months after Tops bought its share of the Ahold Delhaize rejects.

Given the state of the market in the Mid-Hudson Valley, who knows what the solution might be. The market really lacks anything on the upper end save for a couple co-ops and Adams Fairacre Farms, perhaps if Price Chopper has the resources and motivation this would be a great spot for a Market32 though if that was an idea wouldn't they have converted their sole Dutchess County location in Poughkeepsie already?

Fixed ya link: http://wpdh.com/hudson-valley-supermarket-closing-laying-off-83-employees/

[BillyGr]

Given the state of the market in the Mid-Hudson Valley, who knows what the solution might be. The market really lacks anything on the upper end save for a couple co-ops and Adams Fairacre Farms, perhaps if Price Chopper has the resources and motivation this would be a great spot for a Market32 though if that was an idea wouldn't they have converted their sole Dutchess County location in Poughkeepsie already?

Price Chopper is (eventually) converting all the stores to the Market 32, but they figured it would take a number of years to do so, and so far they haven't really shown much of a pattern in which stores are getting done when (for instance, they re-did two older and smaller stores right in Albany that were a question if they'd even keep running, but haven't done the other stores within a short distance that are much larger and newer). 
Same as the oddity where they closed the other store down Rt. 9 from the one still there in Dutchess(that is now a ShopRite in South Hills) to leave the one lonely store in the county in the first place.

Aside from that, I don't know - one other that could take over the spot, if they were still interested in adding to their territory as they were a couple years back would be Acme, with those A&P locations they picked up not all that far away (but far enough) and allowing them to tap into the busier corridor along Rt. 9.

[retailisking]

Tops to close the ex-Stop & Shop in Wappingers Falls, NY as of 2/1/18. This only 17 months after Tops bought its share of the Ahold Delhaize rejects.

Given the state of the market in the Mid-Hudson Valley, who knows what the solution might be. The market really lacks anything on the upper end save for a couple co-ops and Adams Fairacre Farms, perhaps if Price Chopper has the resources and motivation this would be a great spot for a Market32 though if that was an idea wouldn't they have converted their sole Dutchess County location in Poughkeepsie already?

Fixed ya link: http://wpdh.com/hudson-valley-supermarket-closing-laying-off-83-employees/

Weird - the photo on that WPDH story is actually a 2003 photo of a Food 4 Less store in Chicago!

[MikeRa]

Will the combined Ahold Delhaize now use the "Giant/Martins/Stop & Shop" Fruit Bowl brands, or will they use the "My Essentials" brand?

Seems like more of the stuff in Hannaford has had their name on it recently, over the My Essentials label - not sure if they went back to that after getting rid of the Bottom $ stores, since the Hannaford and Food Lion brands have a fair split between them so no issue of one supply area having to send to both?

Of course, they could just both use their own labels - unlike the Safeway/Albertsons merger where Albertsons brand stores were losing access to the labels they had from Supervalu, in this case there is no issue with both brands being available (and possibly a way to differentiate in the overlapping areas)?

I have seen on Hannaford website today (12/25/2017) that they are now selling Care One, Etos, and Companion brands that are owned by Ahold USA.  Food Lion is not selling these brands yet.