Cleveland Retail Economic News: My Grocery Store Rant - What are They Thinking?
I'm not my usual positive self; been sitting on this issue for two days and finally have to blog about it. The PD will tell you more but....... Giant Eagle is planning on a store on W. 117th at the new Target location. On face value, everyone might say great! Here's some food for thought:
1. Lorain at Rocky River Drive: Rego's Market replete with Corbo's bakery
2. Lakewood Heights Blvd at Lewis: Rego's Market at first Rego's location ever
3. Lorain Road at W. 139th: Giant Eagle Super Market
4. Lorain Road at W. 104th: Giant Eagle Super Market
5. Montrose at Warren Road: Giant Eagle Super Market
All five stores reside in areas heavily populated with homes. All are within I bet, two miles of each other. Yes, there are some residential streets close to the new Target on W. 117th but wouldn't different types of retail be better there? If I am going to Target, I'm NOT going to the grocery store! Yes, I know, private ownership and all. But really guys! Put a retail operation there that will bring more retail jobs to the neighborhoods, NOT robots!
And my pet peeve: Giant Eagle cannot keep cash registers open at the stores they already have. This was a conversation I had last evening at the one on Lorain Road...ten people in line, one cashier. It makes no difference what time of the day you go, there are NEVER enough people cashiering at a Giant Eagle. At least not any of the ones I have mentioned. And they are moving towards the self-scanning machines anyway (which are never manned either I might add). Let's put more people out of business and just have us do our own check out - kind of like having to pump your own gas only with groceries.
Why spend money on a new store when you can't even service the ones you have?
Closing down more grocery stores in our neighborhoods while promoting driving a car to one on W. 117th seems like insanity to me.
Someone explain to me why this is getting a go ahead. The people who make these decisions must not shop at local grocery stores. Someone please explain to me why this is a good idea!
Bah humbug. Peace Out - 3C
8 comments:
Got here via link on Colleen's AR post. Glad we did. Cleveland is a cool place... did a few projects some years ago with Rock Hall.
This is great information for your real estate market. Everybody should check it out.
Hi Richard and thank you so much for stopping by, and for alerting me about Colleen's post! I'm going to check out your blog as well.
Hi Carol-
You forgot one... the Giant Eagle at Clifton and W.117th. It's funny - funny-ironic, not funny-haha - because just a couple days ago I was weighing the walkability merits of various Cleveland neighborhoods, and I felt really sketchy about the possibility of living at Edgewater because I've long felt that Giant Eagle wasn't going to be around much longer - it's always had the air of neglect. I recalled coming across a few articles about it a few years ago... that they were planning on building a super-GE and tearing down the building that currently houses the Giant Eagle on Clifton (to put up some kind of "mixed use" building - though I really don't trust that to include a supermarket.) Talk about tearing the heart out of the neighborhood. I'd really love to see that dirty, nasty GE go, though, and a Dave's move in....
You are right, I did forget that one Christine! And there is another one on 117th called Sappell's or something like that - have to admit I have not been there. You make the point well! Why do we want to encourage a company to put up a store when their track record on the ones they have is so bad. A Dave's would be a great store on Clifton. Sometimes I think this City is very narrow visioned - duh! lol
I think under staffing is used to manage the bottom line. Bottom line comes first, followed by service. The business could argue that they are being fiscally conservative.
I'm sure you are correct Desi, I thank you for commenting. I would then argue that opening new stores is bad for a bottom line that can't support good customer service. And I just returned from Rego's (since I am at home and not near a Dave's) - where I am sure I pay a bit more but at least get good customer service. There were a lot of people in the store, at least six cashiers and I was in and out in no time.
Hi, Carole. Interesting take on Giant Eagle. They came into our market a few years ago. I consistently shop at the one on the way home. It not at all like the ones you describe. I love their produce, fish, deli, and there's never more than 3 people in line at the check-outs. It seems to do a very good business.
Hi Elaine, interesting to hear they are in the Columbus area now. 'Back in the Day' they were as you describe them. For all I know, in the 'burbs, some of them may still be like that. But not here! Thank you for your comment.
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