Why are Seattle area grocery stores always out of stock on things? (Redmond: shops, money)

[elkotronics]

Do you guys have any Aldi's stores in Western Washington? They were all over the Kansas City area. Started by a guy who is the brother of the guy who started Trader Joe's. Nice variety of items, plenty of sweets, cheeses and meats. Crackers and chips galore.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by annonymous0381

If Sprouts,pcc or trader joes opened in the northgate mall they would do very well now.

Sprouts would be a good idea. There was another thread about how they're looking for a place to open a store in Seattle.

The N'gate mall QFC closed around 2000, maybe a little earlier. Just before those storefronts across the street from the mall's north entrance were remodeled or torn down & replaced w/big fancy storefronts, and Target went in. How is that area handling the huge increase in traffic, btw? That used to be a relatively sleepy area, no congestion. Then a multiplex theater went in, then Target & the others.

[annonymous0381]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Sprouts would be a good idea. There was another thread about how they're looking for a place to open a store in Seattle.

The N'gate mall QFC closed around 2000, maybe a little earlier. Just before those storefronts across the street from the mall's north entrance were remodeled or torn down & replaced w/big fancy storefronts, and Target went in. How is that area handling the huge increase in traffic, btw? That used to be a relatively sleepy area, no congestion. Then a multiplex theater went in, then Target & the others.

During weekends traffic near the Target can be a big mess.

Whats is qfcs current northgate mall space?? So the qfc that opened on Roosevelt and Northgate way is only 17 or 18 years old??

With everything near the northhate mall leased up i cant picture where Sprouts would go??

[annonymous0381]

Even though this is off the thread topic i wouldnt mind the Northgate mall getting better restuarants. Northgate mall could use a Cheesecake factory or PF Changs.

Panera bread at Northgate mall closed down a few weeks ago.

If Cactus mexican food would replace Azteca at the Northgate mall that would be great.

An outback steakhouse also would he a nice addition to the Northgate Mall.

I heard that olive garden and macaroni grill closed their northgate locations. Both olive garden and macaroni grill are no great loss because the food at those restuarants was mediocre.

There was a great little Italian restaurant on Roosevelt way on the east side near ace hardware but they closed down which it too bad.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Grocery stores, as well as some drugstores and variety stores, don't keep much stock in back. Most stores switched to an inventory/delivery system called "Just In Time", decades ago. It cuts way down on the need for storage space, and is considered more efficient. It cuts down on stocking costs. Sounds like it's not working for the Northgate QFC.

I think the real problem is they don't want to hire sufficient re-stockers to keep the shelves stocked, especially with items in demand. Older smaller stores exacerbate the problem by having less shelf space and, thus, higher shelf turnover, but less personnel. They've won if they can get you to come in for a sale item, even if it is not actually available - you can ask for a rain ticket, but few do.

Whole Foods and PCC don't have the same problem because they price based on putative "quality" (QFC used to do something similar), rather than luring in shoppers in search of "steals".

[arleigh]

Sad fact of the matter is some business use leverage in city council to keep competition out .

[annonymous0381]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

I think the real problem is they don't want to hire sufficient re-stockers to keep the shelves stocked, especially with items in demand. Older smaller stores exacerbate the problem by having less shelf space and, thus, higher shelf turnover, but less personnel. They've won if they can get you to come in for a sale item, even if it is not actually available - you can ask for a rain ticket, but few do.

Whole Foods and PCC don't have the same problem because they price based on putative "quality" (QFC used to do something similar), rather than luring in shoppers in search of "steals".

The qfc northgate isn't that small of a store.

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by elkotronics

Do you guys have any Aldi's stores in Western Washington? They were all over the Kansas City area. Started by a guy who is the brother of the guy who started Trader Joe's. Nice variety of items, plenty of sweets, cheeses and meats. Crackers and chips galore.

No, but I read that they're looking to open 800 more stores in the US, so maybe we'll get lucky.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by annonymous0381

During weekends traffic near the Target can be a big mess.

Whats is qfcs current northgate mall space?? So the qfc that opened on Roosevelt and Northgate way is only 17 or 18 years old??

With everything near the northhate mall leased up i cant picture where Sprouts would go??

Yeah, it's new for QFC. It used to be a discount grocer, I forget the name. But they bought the property and tore it down, and bought the adjacent property, with the creek, and cleaned up the creek and made it a picnic spot. And built a whole new store, closer to the street.

I don't know what's in their old space at N'gate. It's probably changed hands at least once, since someone moved into it. I think it was a drugstore for awhile. it had an entrance from the east parking lot, on the side of the mall, kind of in a corner out in the lot.

haha, you sound frustrated. Yeah, if they'd had a crystal ball, it would've been worth it to retain the mall location. But it changed hands from Fred Meyer to Kroger, and Kroger probably didn't care, they may have made them sell it. The management at that point, became Kroger.

Back when it was part of Fred Meyer, the Fred Meyer company allowed QFC to keep their original managers, the ones that came up with the brilliant idea of re-organizing the stores, and renting out space to other concessions. (And building the new big store on N'gate Way.) That reorganization/updating really drew in a lot of new customers, and was very successful. Fred Meyer was smart to keep the original management. But Kroger got rid of them, so the store started a gradual slide downhill. The last time I was in a QFC, maybe about 8 years ago, it was sloppy, with disorganized shelves, and low on inventory, like you said. Their bakery dept. had changed, too; the recipes were different, and not as good.

[annonymous0381]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Yeah, it's new for QFC. It used to be a discount grocer, I forget the name. But they bought the property and tore it down, and bought the adjacent property, with the creek, and cleaned up the creek and made it a picnic spot. And built a whole new store, closer to the street.

I don't know what's in their old space at N'gate. It's probably changed hands at least once, since someone moved into it. I think it was a drugstore for awhile. it had an entrance from the east parking lot, on the side of the mall, kind of in a corner out in the lot.

haha, you sound frustrated. Yeah, if they'd had a crystal ball, it would've been worth it to retain the mall location. But it changed hands from Fred Meyer to Kroger, and Kroger probably didn't care, they may have made them sell it. The management at that point, became Kroger.

Back when it was part of Fred Meyer, the Fred Meyer company allowed QFC to keep their original managers, the ones that came up with the brilliant idea of re-organizing the stores, and renting out space to other concessions. (And building the new big store on N'gate Way.) That reorganization/updating really drew in a lot of new customers, and was very successful. Fred Meyer was smart to keep the original management. But Kroger got rid of them, so the store started a gradual slide downhill. The last time I was in a QFC, maybe about 8 years ago, it was sloppy, with disorganized shelves, and low on inventory, like you said. Their bakery dept. had changed, too; the recipes were different, and not as good.

Kroger wants most of their stores around the country like Ralphs,QFC,Fred Meyer,Smiths to be very much the same on the inside and with the products that they carry.

When i visit my parents in southern California and go into Ralphs the store on the inside is identical to qfc.

Ralphs and qfc both have murrays cheese shops and boars head deli meats.

But qfc shouldnt be out of basic items that people need.

In the LA southern California area kroger has spent tons of money building new ralphs stores and renovating older ralphs stores.