RIP Randall’s and Tom Thumb? (Dallas, San Antonio: appliances, buy, prices)

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

I thought Tom Thumb had done been gone for 10 or 20 years. I can't remember the last time I seen a Tom Thumb or Tom Thumb Page. Randall's is just too expensive for the average family who comparetively shops. It was the most expensive grocery store in Houston when I lived there back in the mid 1970's.

The busiest Randall's in South Austin are at least 2 miles to the nearest HEB. The Randall's on Wm Cannon and MoPac that closed, it was right down the road from an HEB, and it was rarely busy. Mostly overflow customers from the super busy HEB and for customer convenience to the strip center it was located in, and customers needing only a few items, quick in and out. I doubt Kroger or any other out of state grocery chain can successfully compete against HEB. HEB competes pretty good with Whole Foods and Sprouts, and even Central Market, which is HEB's own.

[PhinneyWalker]

Originally Posted by tcualum

Not in Fort Worth. I have no idea where the nearest Kroger is. The closest store is an Albertsons but I usually bypass it to shop at Tom Thumb. I'd love to have an HEB but the nearest one is more than 20 minutes away.

What part of Fort Worth are you located? The only Krogers I am aware of is just off S. University and Bellaire Drive by TCU.

[tcualum]

Southwest of Hulen Mall but just East of Benbrook Lake.

[PhinneyWalker]

^^^ I have only the vaguest idea where that is. I know where is Benbrook, but I am not sure about the lake. It sounds like the Krogers on Bellaire and S. University would be the closest to you.

There used to be a Krogers just off of Hulen near Granbury Road for many years, but it closed quite some time ago after the Albertsons on Bellaire at S. University lost its lease. Kroger swooped in and secured the lease on the property there. Albertsons had a store there for many, many years, and I heard speculation at the time that someone was paid off to forget to renew the lease. I have no idea if that is pure speculation or not, but after Albertsons lost the lease, they moved to nearby Alton Road. The store on Alton had been used as a Minyards and a few other groceries over the years, but none of them seemed to thrive there. I personally prefer that location as it is so much more peaceful.

By the way, what ever happened to Minyards?? Who owned them?? Anyone know the story there?

[crone]

There's always Brookshire bros. for you Dallas people.

The Kroger close to me stopped putting their flyer on the internet. It's not in the paper, rarely comes in the mail along with all the other ads. They do e mail me the check out our ad 3-4 times a week. It's for Bed Bath and Beyond. I have contacted corporate twice. They just say sorry, here's a $10 credit.

Screw them. From now on it's Costco and HEB. They understand customer service.

[Dallaz]

Originally Posted by PhinneyWalker

^^^ I have only the vaguest idea where that is. I know where is Benbrook, but I am not sure about the lake. It sounds like the Krogers on Bellaire and S. University would be the closest to you.

There used to be a Krogers just off of Hulen near Granbury Road for many years, but it closed quite some time ago after the Albertsons on Bellaire at S. University lost its lease. Kroger swooped in and secured the lease on the property there. Albertsons had a store there for many, many years, and I heard speculation at the time that someone was paid off to forget to renew the lease. I have no idea if that is pure speculation or not, but after Albertsons lost the lease, they moved to nearby Alton Road. The store on Alton had been used as a Minyards and a few other groceries over the years, but none of them seemed to thrive there. I personally prefer that location as it is so much more peaceful.

By the way, what ever happened to Minyards?? Who owned them?? Anyone know the story there?

Minyard’s was a locally owned chain in Dallas that was owned by the Minyard Family until 2004. Once they sold the company, the chain slowly declined. After multiple ownership changes, they end up selling the remaining stores to Fiesta and converted the other stores to Cash Saver.

Minyard’s use to be a very big chain here in Dallas, including their other banners like Sack N Save and Carnival.

[Dallaz]

Originally Posted by Ivory Lee Spurlock

I thought Tom Thumb had done been gone for 10 or 20 years. I can't remember the last time I seen a Tom Thumb or Tom Thumb Page. Randall's is just too expensive for the average family who comparetively shops. It was the most expensive grocery store in Houston when I lived there back in the mid 1970's.

The busiest Randall's in South Austin are at least 2 miles to the nearest HEB. The Randall's on Wm Cannon and MoPac that closed, it was right down the road from an HEB, and it was rarely busy. Mostly overflow customers from the super busy HEB and for customer convenience to the strip center it was located in, and customers needing only a few items, quick in and out. I doubt Kroger or any other out of state grocery chain can successfully compete against HEB. HEB competes pretty good with Whole Foods and Sprouts, and even Central Market, which is HEB's own.

Tom Thumb is originally from Dallas. When Randall’s bought Tom Thumb in the 90s, they renamed the Austin stores Randall’s. The Tom Thumb name is still alive and well in the DFW area. They have about 60 Tom Thumb branded stores in North Texas. A few new Tom Thumb stores opened in the downtown area in the last few years.

[rabbit33]

Originally Posted by crone

There's always Brookshire bros. for you Dallas people.

The Kroger close to me stopped putting their flyer on the internet. It's not in the paper, rarely comes in the mail along with all the other ads. They do e mail me the check out our ad 3-4 times a week. It's for Bed Bath and Beyond. I have contacted corporate twice. They just say sorry, here's a $10 credit.

Screw them. From now on it's Costco and HEB. They understand customer service.

Very very few Brookshire's in Dallas. Maybe in the suburbs and exurbs.

[rabbit33]

Originally Posted by Dallaz

Minyard’s was a locally owned chain in Dallas that was owned by the Minyard Family until 2004. Once they sold the company, the chain slowly declined. After multiple ownership changes, they end up selling the remaining stores to Fiesta and converted the other stores to Cash Saver.

Minyard’s use to be a very big chain here in Dallas, including their other banners like Sack N Save and Carnival.

In the 60s and 70s Minyard's was a suburban chain, very average in quality, like Affiliated or such. When Safeway left Dallas, Minyard's bought up a bunch of Safeway stores and converted them to high-end Minyard's. They had a pretty good run - maybe 20 years - but with Whole Foods, Tom Thumb, and eventually Central Market playing in that high-end market, they couldn't keep up.

[rabbit33]

Originally Posted by Dallaz

Tom Thumb is originally from Dallas. When Randall’s bought Tom Thumb in the 90s, they renamed the Austin stores Randall’s. The Tom Thumb name is still alive and well in the DFW area. They have about 60 Tom Thumb branded stores in North Texas. A few new Tom Thumb stores opened in the downtown area in the last few years.

We'll see what happens: the Tom Thumb stores, even in their 2020's enormous design, are still closer to being neighborhood stores than the gargantuan elephantine Kroger stores with their two variations of any product, only available in "First Army Mess Hall" sizes. On the other hand it doesn't seem, what with the razor thin margins of the grocery business, that Kroger-Albertsons would keep competing stores so close to each other. I guess the last human-scaled Tom Thumbs in Snider Plaza and Preston Center are doomed.

I wonder if anyone's ever going to open a chain of normal-sized grocery stores again.