This store has an outside garden center checkout, as is somewhat common... but while I typically talk about how these never seem to be in use (and even though this one was clearly not staffed when I took this picture), I suspect this one might actually see some use! Specifically, it has a brand new plexiglass shield that would have been installed due to COVID (and which looks even sillier than normal in this store!), along with cleaning supplies and impulse merchandise that I can't imagine they would bother stocking at an abandoned register. And on an unrelated note, those hanging fuchsia baskets look like they'd been hanging there for a bit too long -- I'm not sure how you'd get them home without crushing most of the plant!
So, years after the Kroger decor debuted, we finally see the Kroger Garden! Lol. I suspect that it makes sense for Fred Meyer to use the garden center checkout for garden items because, if nothing else, it keeps people from putting potted plants, fertilizers, and stuff like that on the conveyor belt at the main checkouts! I know some shoppers are very picky about the cleanliness of those conveyor belts. I'm usually not too bothered by it. Plus, since this is Fred Meyer, maybe people wouldn't want their new clothing they are buying to be 'dip'ped into some soil, lol.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of specialty department checkouts, I was at my local Randall's a couple of days ago doing some Thanksgiving shopping and I noticed that the floral department checkout was manned with an employee. Thus, I think we can confirm that what's happening with the floral departments at your Safeways in the NW is not happening everywhere else. That's a shame about your stores getting left out, but I suppose Randall's is trying to be a higher end brand.
Here's another oddity from my Randall's trip. My purchases were put into bags with that repetitive "Thank You" design like you'd see at a small, independent retailer. I noticed all the other checkouts had the same bags. It didn't make sense to me why Randall's would be using those generic bags. I thought about it a little more and I thought that maybe Randall's was purposely using that design because the bags are the same tan color that Randall's bags have been for at least the last couple of years. Every once in a while, I see bags with the tan bags with the Albertsons logo at Randall's.
Well, when I got home, I took a closer look at the bags. Below all the thank yous was a message about returning the bags to an Albertsons, Tom Thumb, or Randall's store for recycling! So, yes, I can confirm that Randall's/Albertsons/Safeway is intentionally printing their bags with generic bag design! That's very odd! I'm guessing they're doing this so they can use a single bag design in all their Houston/Austin/Dallas area Randall's/Tom Thumb/Albertsons stores, but it's a bit odd that they those the generic "Thank you" design instead of perhaps putting all three of the Randall's/Tom Thumb/Albertsons logos on the bags. I don't know. I suppose I don't mind the 'Thank You' design, but I never thought I'd see a major grocer using that design!
Whoops, sorry for all the typos in this above post. I meant to say that years after the Kroger 'neon' decor debuted, we finally see The Kroger Garden!
DeleteAs for that line about Albertsons/Randall's bags, I meant to say, "Every once in a while, I see tan bags with the Albertsons logo at Randall's"
Sorry, I hope that clears up any confusion!
Ha! Garden centers are actually a pretty big thing at Fred Meyer, and it's even fairly common for them to have checkouts... just not for the checkouts to be actually in use.
DeleteInteresting to hear that your stores do actually still have staffed floral sections! I guess they aren't cutting staff the way Safeway is around here. But as we discussed a while back, Safeway isn't in any way the high-end brand that Randalls is!
It is interesting to hear that about stores in your area! As far as I know, bags are one of the only things that are still separately branded between Safeway and Albertsons around here, but it's not too weird to see the wrong brand used. But they're probably not too worried about cross-branding because Safeway and Albertsons were pretty similar stores even before the merger, while it sounds like the different brands in your area are fairly different. I suppose it's more like Fred Meyer and QFC around here, where they're pretty strict about not having any cross-branding!