Another Bay Area Bell history.

Uh...California.

Moderator: Groceteria

Post Reply
storeliker
Contributor
Posts: 59
Joined: 17 Dec 2005 20:48

Another Bay Area Bell history.

Post by storeliker »

The Marinwood Bell closed last Thursday. I think the housing development across the freeway at the Catholic orphanage farmland didn't get approved. From what I understand it started as a Lee Brothers in the mid sixties I was told by a checker one time. She said it did good business and the rent was cheap but Kroger just doesn't see the needs of people living in the most expensive place in the USA. Ignacio store closed last year, after they tore down acres of one story military housing for dense two stories. For some reason they didn't want to see if new housing would draw people and closed it before housing was available. Supposedly the Fairfax Bell (an old independent Jolly grocery) will become an independent soon. Will be interesting what happens two the two in Tiburon and the two in Novato. People really seem to be to be flocking to the new Safeway redos and for the cheaper vegatables they are getting from Southern hemisphere. Wish Kroger would have given lower prices for produce and other goods being a big grocer. I guess they just dont understand our area as much. Small stores are fine with me and think alot of people will miss any other Bells that get sold or closed for there small size and good quality.
User avatar
storewanderer
Veteran
Posts: 569
Joined: 07 Nov 2005 03:24
Location: Western United States
Contact:

Post by storewanderer »

Unfortunate, but not all that surprising to hear about Marinwood. No excuse for these stores not being able to perform. I really wonder about the small location in Tiburon that is close to the highway; it has an older interior. Most of the other Marin County Bell Markets had the same interior decor package which appears to be something from the mid to late 1990's, as I've seen similar flooring patterns in some of the 1999-mid 2000 era remodeled Ralphs but completely different wall graphics.

Maybe a bit off topic, but I'm with you in thinking that pricing has played a big part in the demise of these stores (and Ralphs NorCal). Their #1 problem, from my observation.

A smaller store is not a bad store.
storeliker
Contributor
Posts: 59
Joined: 17 Dec 2005 20:48

Bell/Cala

Post by storeliker »

I think pricing had alot to do with it. FoodsCo is owned by Kroger and are now adversising in FoodCo ads that they are 11 percent lower then Safeway and 13 percent lowe then Albertsons (or vice versa) Foodco is much larger and very few in bay Area. I think if Kroger would have priced the Bell/Cala stores with same price as Foodco then they would have done much better and wouldnt really have to compete against each other since Bell/Calas are more nieghborhood type stores and not a big wherehouse. Bell/Cala circular is now only half of a page folded in half, so really limited to what is advertsised.
me
norcalraclerk

Post by norcalraclerk »

Speaking of Cala/Bell closures,Geary/4th in Frisco has shuttered as well,possibly at the same time as Marinwood...
storeliker
Contributor
Posts: 59
Joined: 17 Dec 2005 20:48

On no

Post by storeliker »

Is that the former car dealership? The one that doesn't havea parking lot?
A real end of an era if that one has closed. Safeway has the nig presense in the Bay Area. It is hard even to find an Albertsons in San Francisco and areas north. Its too obad big time Kroger didn't look at markets and relationship to neighborhoods. As small as Marinwood one was alot of people relied on it in area for there is only a Safeway a few miles down. One by one they seem to be closing. I am guessing the strange hanger type one in Tiburon next since it already has one and also unfortunelty the old Roger Wilco at end of Novato Blvd before you leave the suburbs to the country since Novato had just recently lost the Ignacio area one and this one is far in the depths of the suburbs unlike the more centralized old Alpha Beta in Novato.
me
User avatar
Groceteria
Great Pumpkin
Posts: 1927
Joined: 04 Nov 2005 12:13
Location: In the breakroom
Contact:

Re: On no

Post by Groceteria »

storeliker wrote:Is that the former car dealership? The one that doesn't havea parking lot?
Yup. It does have a small lot, though.
storeliker wrote:It is hard even to find an Albertsons in San Francisco and areas north.
Actually, Alberstons has had a bit of a renaissance in SF proper; there are four stores there now, three of which have opened in the past three years. Of course, all three were planned by Lucky before the merger.
Post Reply