Sadly, this is the best picture of the bakery sign I got at this store, though I do have a much better picture from Tacoma. The faded(?) colors in this version certainly look rather unappetizing compared to what this sign normally looks like!
The more I see these signs, the more I'm leaning towards thinking that Fred Meyer purposely designed these signs with muted colors. I suppose we'll see what I think as you show us more of these signs though! Maybe I'll change my thought.
I'm curious as to what you and Retail Retell (if he's reading this post) think about this Kroger in a very wealthy part of Dallas. This Kroger has the Marketplace decor. IMO, it looks very, very good! This is probably my favorite implementation of Marketplace in a store with an open ceiling. This store does have flooring cover like all/most of the wealthy area Krogers in Houston. The more I see wealthy area Krogers with floor covering, the more I think that Kroger is willing to cut corners in lesser areas with the ugly concrete floors. Ugh, Kroger.
Maybe it is the presence of the flooring or the fact that this isn't actually a Marketplace store, but there's something about this implementation of Marketplace that seems a bit different than the average Marketplace store. I'm not really sure what it is, but it looks good. My opinion of Marketplace decor is really quite different when I see it here or in something like the Houston Buffalo Speedway & 59 Kroger. Link: https://goo.gl/maps/aNJPE36oPvE9j6iCA
Oh, and check out the street sign that this Kroger has. Isn't this awesome?! Link: https://goo.gl/maps/Bc8rw7emVbeTxVfMA
In case you're wondering how Safeway is countering this very nice Kroger store, well, here is the nearby Tom Thumb. I'm sure you'll agree that this is a very ordinary Safeway store, but note that it actually has a slightly higher Google user review rating than the very nice Kroger! I don't know if the wealthy in Seattle prefer Safeway to QFC/Fred Meyer, but perhaps the wealthy in Dallas do prefer Tom Thumb to Kroger. This store had Lifestyle v1 until recently, but it appears to have received a recent upgrade to Colorful Lifestyle v2 in the last year or so. You might be surprised to see Colorful Lifestyle v2 being used in a store here in recent times that didn't even have regular Lifestyle v2. It is a bit of an odd choice, but Tom Thumb/Randall's does seem to like Colorful Lifestyle v2. I can't say I blame them! Link: https://goo.gl/maps/YK5pLGEKFUf4ZXGCA
Yeah, it's really a mystery. But I think there's only one more design of cartoon sign we haven't seen yet -- the Marketplace in Tacoma actually has a more complete set of grocery signs than this one (but obviously lacks the general merchandise signs, which is what I was excited for here).
That Kroger does look super nice! But I pretty much always like Banner. I think that might be an earlier variant of Banner, but I'm not great at identifying the different eras of that package. And that could also explain the vinyl floor, if it's true (at least around here, earlier remodels often didn't change the floor).
That Tom Thumb does look generic in the pre-remodel photos, but looks super weird in the two photos with Colorful Lifestyle v2 I saw! It seems to be missing the arches, and it almost looks like they might have reused the lettering from v1. Very weird. Maybe those photos are just during construction or something, but they seem to have been taken a good while apart. Anyway, I had assumed that CL was just a refresh of v2, but I certainly don't have any real knowledge of it, seeing as the closest CL store to me is probably somewhere in California!
And as for Safeway versus QFC, around here, I doubt anyone who's fairly wealthy would set foot in either of those stores! We have lots of expensive natural foods stores around here (Whole Foods plus several local chains) that are extremely popular. Anyway, Safeway is definitely a step below QFC (and also Fred Meyer to a lesser extent) around here, slotting in between them and stores like Walmart. Certainly a different market position than in many other parts of the country!
In most cases, it does seem like Colorful Lifestyle v2 is just an update of regular Lifestyle v2. We've seen quite a number of Lifestyle v2 stores in Austin, Dallas, and Houston that have recently been updated to Colorful Lifestyle v2. That said, it seems that Colorlful Lifestyle v2 is even being implemented in stores that never had Lifestyle v2. That's a bit strange, but I suppose it goes to show the lasting power that Lifestyle v2 decor has.
Here is a brand new urban Tom Thumb in Dallas with the Modern decor. The store itself isn't all that remarkable, but I do like some of the art on the walls in the store. That's kind of neat. Link: https://goo.gl/maps/nord4xuVBsy7q7eS8
Also, check out the street art next to the Tom Thumb gas station there! This is very neat! Link: https://goo.gl/maps/5st9QuY7FMEBRSZ16
Yeah, it's cool how a decor package from the mid-00s is still in use in some form! I still think that Lifestyle v1 and v2 looked reasonably modern by the time Safeway around here finally started remodeling them, but there's no question those stores needed a bit of a refresh since they were looking a bit worn out.
That store looks quite nice -- it's got the fancier version of Modern with shiny black tile for the departments that traditionally would have had either black paint or wood paneling. I don't believe that variation has been used around here at all -- Safeway's Seattle division is much more interested in consistency in decor than other divisions seem to be, and they've standardized on the original version of Modern for the time being. That vintage-style mural is pretty neat too, though it feels super weird to me to see a brand-new gas station right next to a mixed-use grocery store like that! I guess that's just Texas for you. 😉 (Around here, mixed-use grocery stores are only built in areas where higher density and land values mean that building a gas station wouldn't really make sense...)
The more I see these signs, the more I'm leaning towards thinking that Fred Meyer purposely designed these signs with muted colors. I suppose we'll see what I think as you show us more of these signs though! Maybe I'll change my thought.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious as to what you and Retail Retell (if he's reading this post) think about this Kroger in a very wealthy part of Dallas. This Kroger has the Marketplace decor. IMO, it looks very, very good! This is probably my favorite implementation of Marketplace in a store with an open ceiling. This store does have flooring cover like all/most of the wealthy area Krogers in Houston. The more I see wealthy area Krogers with floor covering, the more I think that Kroger is willing to cut corners in lesser areas with the ugly concrete floors. Ugh, Kroger.
Maybe it is the presence of the flooring or the fact that this isn't actually a Marketplace store, but there's something about this implementation of Marketplace that seems a bit different than the average Marketplace store. I'm not really sure what it is, but it looks good. My opinion of Marketplace decor is really quite different when I see it here or in something like the Houston Buffalo Speedway & 59 Kroger. Link: https://goo.gl/maps/aNJPE36oPvE9j6iCA
Oh, and check out the street sign that this Kroger has. Isn't this awesome?! Link: https://goo.gl/maps/Bc8rw7emVbeTxVfMA
In case you're wondering how Safeway is countering this very nice Kroger store, well, here is the nearby Tom Thumb. I'm sure you'll agree that this is a very ordinary Safeway store, but note that it actually has a slightly higher Google user review rating than the very nice Kroger! I don't know if the wealthy in Seattle prefer Safeway to QFC/Fred Meyer, but perhaps the wealthy in Dallas do prefer Tom Thumb to Kroger. This store had Lifestyle v1 until recently, but it appears to have received a recent upgrade to Colorful Lifestyle v2 in the last year or so. You might be surprised to see Colorful Lifestyle v2 being used in a store here in recent times that didn't even have regular Lifestyle v2. It is a bit of an odd choice, but Tom Thumb/Randall's does seem to like Colorful Lifestyle v2. I can't say I blame them! Link: https://goo.gl/maps/YK5pLGEKFUf4ZXGCA
Yeah, it's really a mystery. But I think there's only one more design of cartoon sign we haven't seen yet -- the Marketplace in Tacoma actually has a more complete set of grocery signs than this one (but obviously lacks the general merchandise signs, which is what I was excited for here).
DeleteThat Kroger does look super nice! But I pretty much always like Banner. I think that might be an earlier variant of Banner, but I'm not great at identifying the different eras of that package. And that could also explain the vinyl floor, if it's true (at least around here, earlier remodels often didn't change the floor).
That Tom Thumb does look generic in the pre-remodel photos, but looks super weird in the two photos with Colorful Lifestyle v2 I saw! It seems to be missing the arches, and it almost looks like they might have reused the lettering from v1. Very weird. Maybe those photos are just during construction or something, but they seem to have been taken a good while apart. Anyway, I had assumed that CL was just a refresh of v2, but I certainly don't have any real knowledge of it, seeing as the closest CL store to me is probably somewhere in California!
And as for Safeway versus QFC, around here, I doubt anyone who's fairly wealthy would set foot in either of those stores! We have lots of expensive natural foods stores around here (Whole Foods plus several local chains) that are extremely popular. Anyway, Safeway is definitely a step below QFC (and also Fred Meyer to a lesser extent) around here, slotting in between them and stores like Walmart. Certainly a different market position than in many other parts of the country!
In most cases, it does seem like Colorful Lifestyle v2 is just an update of regular Lifestyle v2. We've seen quite a number of Lifestyle v2 stores in Austin, Dallas, and Houston that have recently been updated to Colorful Lifestyle v2. That said, it seems that Colorlful Lifestyle v2 is even being implemented in stores that never had Lifestyle v2. That's a bit strange, but I suppose it goes to show the lasting power that Lifestyle v2 decor has.
DeleteHere is a brand new urban Tom Thumb in Dallas with the Modern decor. The store itself isn't all that remarkable, but I do like some of the art on the walls in the store. That's kind of neat. Link: https://goo.gl/maps/nord4xuVBsy7q7eS8
Also, check out the street art next to the Tom Thumb gas station there! This is very neat! Link: https://goo.gl/maps/5st9QuY7FMEBRSZ16
Yeah, it's cool how a decor package from the mid-00s is still in use in some form! I still think that Lifestyle v1 and v2 looked reasonably modern by the time Safeway around here finally started remodeling them, but there's no question those stores needed a bit of a refresh since they were looking a bit worn out.
DeleteThat store looks quite nice -- it's got the fancier version of Modern with shiny black tile for the departments that traditionally would have had either black paint or wood paneling. I don't believe that variation has been used around here at all -- Safeway's Seattle division is much more interested in consistency in decor than other divisions seem to be, and they've standardized on the original version of Modern for the time being. That vintage-style mural is pretty neat too, though it feels super weird to me to see a brand-new gas station right next to a mixed-use grocery store like that! I guess that's just Texas for you. 😉 (Around here, mixed-use grocery stores are only built in areas where higher density and land values mean that building a gas station wouldn't really make sense...)
Concerning that Dallas Kroger store, to be honest I've seen Banner décor so often with concrete floors that seeing it with actual flooring materials looks out of place, haha! The décor looks nice, but nothing super special to my eye... although that's probably mostly because Banner looks the same in most applications, to me. I like it generally speaking, and I'm impressed by its longevity and how that speaks to its rather timeless design... but I've just never been in love with it, for some reason. I think maybe it looks too standard between different stores, whereas I normally like to discover variations, which I find fun -- so ha, Kroger doing a very good job of being consistent apparently actually bores me, lol! (Oh, and great classic road sign indeed!)
ReplyDelete