The classy can lights and multi-toned beige ceiling clash with the cheap, poorly-installed white vinyl that has replaced the much nicer tan stuff throughout most of this store. It seems that not a lot of care went into the decor installation here (which is sadly standard for Modern remodels), since the Meats sign goes all the way to the ceiling while the Butcher Block one right next to it doesn't; I guess the installers just weren't sure what to do about the existing trim along the top of the walls.
The recessed can lights do look good here! Of course, they looked good in Lifestyle v1/v2 stores as well, but the problem in some cases was the excessive darkness. That might not have been an issue at this store with it being newer and with it having some natural light. Anyway, it certainly doesn't appear to be an issue now with the bright white floor! The floor does not look as good as the old Lifestyle vinyl tiles, and it does look cheap, but it's still way better than a concrete floor in my book, lol.
ReplyDeleteI really don't understand why Meats and Butcher Block have different designs anyway. Do service counter departments have different signage than ordinary departments in Modern? But, yeah, the different sizes is quite strange.
I came across an article from the Houston Chronicle in 2005 discussing the implementation of Lifestyle v1 in Randall's stores and the question was posed if that would help turn things around for Safeway in Houston. You might like reading it, it's not too often a regular newspaper puts much effort into discussing routine supermarket decor: https://www.chron.com/business/article/Safeway-revamps-Randalls-in-brutal-marketplace-1506356.php
I made an exciting Safeway discovery today! Well, exciting for me at least, I'm sure I'm the only one who would get excited about this, lol. For a few years now, I've been looking for a currently-operating Safeway anywhere in the US that has a pharmacy department behind the produce department the way the late 1970s/early 1980s Safeway Super Stores in Houston were designed. I have never seen one, but that changed today and the store in question is in Washington! Richland, WA to be exact, I'm not sure if you're familiar with it. Check out the remodeled exterior...it still has the 1980s Safeway logo medallions on the columns! Link: https://goo.gl/maps/8M1LhenED6pv5K9R8
The store also has the security catwalk design like we've mentioned before that was so common at Texas Safeways. This one has the Dallas design with individual windows instead of a continuous strip of two-way glass like Houston Safeways and like that 1980s mixed use Safeway you posted some months back.
Here is the pharmacy design I'm talking about: https://goo.gl/maps/7LtJn8Vx8TzGoEMx5
It is important to note that the circa 1980 Safeway design had the produce (and pharmacy) area walled off from the rest of the store which was a pretty common design for produce departments in the 1970s at various grocers. I don't know if this Richland store had that design, but I'm guessing it did and Safeway opened up the wall at some point. Also, in the 1980 design, the pharmacy would extend into the part of the store with the higher ceiling height like this one does so that must also have been a modification.
Down the street from that Safeway in Richland is a McDonald's with a 1970s-1980s McMansard design. It's rare to see a 1990s-2000s era McMansard these days so that is a real relic. The McMansard is next to a Greenhouse Fred Meyer! Link: https://goo.gl/maps/JSZn2PhABTSHu5nu5
Richland might not be Coos Bay, OR in terms of a weird Safeway with a center produce aisle next to that ancient and even weirder Fred Meyer, but there is some interesting Safeway-Kroger retail there! I'm not sure if you've ever been there.
Sorry, I meant to say that in the 1980s design, the pharmacy would NOT extend into the area with the higher ceiling height! You probably knew what I was trying to say anyway, lol.
DeleteYeah, the original version of Modern has three types of department sign backgrounds -- grey paint for non-service departments, woodgrain for service departments (also used for the produce sign, or sometimes the "organic" sign in the produce department instead, and for things that would typically be service departments even in stores that don't have them), and shiny faux tile for the pharmacy, customer service, and (very rarely seen) the in-store cafe area. I feel like this is one of those things that started out with good intentions but quickly fell apart when implemented in real life.
DeleteIt seems like newspapers were much more interested in grocery stores back in those days! Of course, that's probably because they had a lot more money and staff back then to cover all sorts of stuff that gets ignored these days. I know the people on Discord have been able to find tons of articles about Kroger decors of the past!
Interesting! I think I might have actually visited that store once, years ago (before I got into retail photography), but didn't realize the significance. Looking at that picture of the pharmacy, it appears that the area outside of the lowered ceiling is the consultation room that Safeway added to basically all of their pharmacies circa 2010.
That Fred Meyer is a version of their semi-common 80s design, though I'm not sure how common the greenhouse roof was -- I see that store has walled it off on the outside, and I wouldn't be surprised if others removed it entirely. Somehow, I haven't ever visited a store of that type, even though there are quite a few of them around!
And there will be more to come from Coos Bay shortly... not sure if I'll visit the Safeway this time around (I already have dozens of Safeways I'm interested in visiting on this upcoming trip), but I do plan on checking back in on the Fred Meyer now that its slow-motion remodel seems to finally be complete!