I spent a day driving and photographing my part of So. Cal.

[J-Mac]

... and I'd like to share the results. I've known a few places that are rich in Southern California grocery retail history, but never got around to photographing much... until now.

I don't have my own site, and I don't think I will develop one. Too much time and effort, besides, our host here has a lovely one. I'd rather add to his than try to steal the limelight.

I don't want to load up this board with all of the addresses under separate threads, so I am going to make one one large post. I don't do store interior photography - its just too much for me to pull off... I respect those of you who do... ;)

So here it goes. Comments, corrections, suggestions welcome:

I started with this store today.

Former Lucky, Cerritos: 17202 S. Norwalk Blvd. Lucky Interior.
A couple larger views:
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail/LKS-CER-01.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail/LKS-CER01.jpg

My mom used to shop here regularly when it was a Lucky until the 1999 merger and subsequent divestiture, when she started going to the Stater Bros (which was Albertsons until 1999) a block away. I didn't have a fondness for the Lucky store then, and much of my sentiment for it now is the connection to the younger days. My fondness for the Lucky chain comes from my college days (1994-1999) and shopping at the Lucky store on Foothill Blvd in San Luis Obispo, which was one very well run and organized Lucky store.

Then I was off to Yorba Linda Blvd in Fullerton, CA.

Former Gemco #541, 2920 Yorba Linda Blvd., Fullerton, CA
Other views of this Gemco turned Target:
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... FULB01.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... ULB-03.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... ULB-04.jpg

I spent a lot of time travelling a small stretch of Yorba Linda Blvd. between my birth in 1976 and 1991, when the grandparents moved out of their Placentia home. This Gemco and the following places were all visited at some time or another during that time, more so by my grandparents than by me.


Former K-Mart (90s), Former Lucky, 1930 N. Placentia Ave, Fullerton, CA. (Any other Formers?) New Albertsons interior.
Just up the street from Gemco was K-Mart. I had forgotten about K-Mart until Jeff reminded me of it on http://www.groceteria.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=1180. This is one of the Supervalu remodels.

More views of this property:
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail/ABS-FUL01.jpg (night, not the best)
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail/ABS-03.jpg (with a 76 ball in the background for fans of those)
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail/ABS-FUL-04.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail/ABS-FUL-05.jpg (freestanding sign)
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail/ABS-FUL-06.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail/ABS-FUL-07.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail/ABS-FUL-08.jpg (Supervalu labeled tractor with Albertsons trailer)

Further east on Yorba Linda Blvd. is a former Thrifty, now a Rite Aid, http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail/THY-FUL-01.jpg It shares the center with a Meryns and a Ralphs - http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail/RAL-FUL-01.jpg

Next to the Ralphs is a center with this interesting freestanding sign:
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... FUL-01.jpg
Yes, its 130 E. Yorba Linda Blvd., the former home of an Alpha Beta, and I believe the Sav-on (CVS) goes back to Skaggs. More views of this center:
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... FUL-02.jpg (130, I assume the Alpha Beta, and my apologies for the reflection. Oops.)
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... FUL-03.jpg (Sav-on/CVS)
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... FUL-04.jpg (Ross, what's the history of this location?)

I then decided to take a trip down Imperial Highway. I hadn't really thought of the significance of Imperial Highway, but it has plenty for a Gemco/Latter-Day-Lucky fan like me to enjoy.

First thing I looked at along Imperial was this: http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail/OD-FUL-01.jpg Was this always an Office Depot, or something else? The address is 130 E. Imperial Blvd., Fullerton, CA. (Blvd? I guess its lost its "highway" name.)

Then I swung by the former Gemco #516, 4100 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton, CA. It was converted to a Lucky, now Albertsons with a Lucky interior. Here's some views:
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... FULA01.jpg (an older night shot that kinda sucks)
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... FULA02.jpg (todays view)
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... FULA03.jpg

Just up Harbor from the Gemco -- diagonally across the street actually -- is the former Alpha Beta Distribution Center, which was sold to CVS:
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail/CVS-DC-01.jpg
That is one cool sign, still original to its Alpha Beta Herritage.

I didn't realize that Albertsons had another distribution center a couple blocks away at the intersection of W. Lambert Rd. and Puente St. in Brea. (No photographs -- no interesting signage.) I thought the Brea designation for the trucks was for the Alpha Beta facility, but that's actually La Habra. (The city boundaries meet around this area.)


Former Gemco La Mirada: 12300 La Mirada Blvd. (at Imperial Hwy.)
This location had been discussed on the Gemco Locations thread, but I had not visited the location until today. I'm suprised to find the exterior so Gemco-esque. Here's some more views of this Gemco:
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... ADA-01.jpg (from across the street, more on that in a bit.)
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... ADA-02.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... ADA-03.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... ADA-04.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... ADA-05.jpg (entry area detail)
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... ADA-06.jpg (former Gemco auto center)
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... ADA-07.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... ADA-08.jpg (a rather poor attempt of mine to get a shot of the orange tile that is still present near the entryway, I need later afternoon light)

After Gemco, I headed for home, but only got a block away when I saw the former Safeway that has been discussed elsewhere on this board. Right across La Mirada Blvd from Gemco - as it stands today, former Safeway, intersection of Imperial Highway and Telegraph Road, La Mirada:
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... ADA-01.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... ADA-02.jpg

I then headed for home, right past some other interesting Imperial Highway locales, including the former Alpha Beta at 15825 E. Imperial in La Habra (Still a Savers), and an old Thrifty/Vons center at the intersection of Imperial Blvd. and Valley View with a cool Thrifty freestanding sign that turns (sorry no photo.) One question, there's a Big Lots at Imperial and Loma, was that a former grocery store? It kinda looks like one.

My last stop of the day was at the former Alpha Beta on Firestone Blvd in Norwalk. (Alpha-Beta opened in 1987, Lucky, Albertsons, closed.) Heres what I came away with:
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail/AB-NWK-01.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail/AB-NWK-02.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail/AB-NWK-03.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail/AB-NWK-04.jpg (double labelscar!)

There appears to be some construction work going on here, so anyone know what the deal is?

Well that's it. One day of photography, hope you've enjoyed it. I'm sure I will wind up editing this post a few times, but here's the *first* version.

[TheStranger]

Thanks for the shots!

I like your photo of the gable in La Mirada particularly because it shows the entire front profile, a very asymmetrical gable front that I haven't seen much over in Northern California but which I've seen something like that on the DCGrocery.com collection.

That CVS/ex-AB distribution center: Did it have Albertsons signage in the oval previously?

[GaryED44]

Hi

Is it certain that this was a supermarket at one time?

http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... ADA-01.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~it345/retail ... ADA-02.jpg

it seems to be pretty small

Gary

[runchadrun]

Thanks for the pictures, J-Mac, for those of us who rarely venture behind the Orange Curtain.

Is it certain that this was a supermarket at one time?

It's a former Safeway and is discussed in this thread: http://www.groceteria.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=1177 . The empty round sign on the left is a dead giveaway.

[Dean]

Thanks for the shots!

That CVS/ex-AB distribution center: Did it have Albertsons signage in the oval previously?

Ditto! Great shots/info J-Mac!

DC question: http://www.groceteria.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=988

Yes, indeed, the LUCKY on Foothill in San Luis Obispo was a gem of a store. Shopped there myself when I was a student there.

[J-Mac]

Thanks for the shots!

I like your photo of the gable in La Mirada particularly because it shows the entire front profile, a very asymmetrical gable front that I haven't seen much over in Northern California but which I've seen something like that on the DCGrocery.com collection.

That CVS/ex-AB distribution center: Did it have Albertsons signage in the oval previously?

The Safeway was something I stumbled upon, I was just kinda cruising back toward home - but I recognized the Safeway from the previous discussion and figured I should grab a couple shots. It appears as though someone is keeping the store from being totally destroyed -- there is little graffiti on it and the back area is tightly fenced off.

Yes, the Alpha Beta DC wore an Albertsons/Sav-on sign in the oval. You can still see it if you put Imperial Highway and Harbor Blvd., Fullerton, CA into local.live.com. It was a typical 1999 blue-on-blue sign as seen at most Lucky-Savon locales that became Albertsons-Savon.

[storewanderer]

Photos look great.

[J-Mac]

I found myself out and about with the camera again, so here's a little update - this time closer to home and with plenty of substance....

Lets start with this one:



Yes, its 13321 Artesia Blvd, Cerritos, CA - the intersection of Artesia and Carmenita. This location was an Alpha Beta thru 1994, when it was then divested with the Ralphs merger (there's a Ralphs a short distance away in a former Market Basket at South and Carmenita.) It became a "Hanmi Super Market" (which is visible on the live local shots) and is since changed its name to "California Super Market" - I think they're trying to downplay the whole "ethnic" angle on this one. Unfortunately, I don't think the interior is original to Alpha Beta, though obviously the front is -- it does appear the interior is clean and neat. It might even be tasteful, I need to explore the inside. Here's some larger shots:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7591905@N07/442513151/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7591905@N07/442513133/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7591905@N07/442513153/ -- (mostly to show the interior gable lighting that is intact - the shot itself isn't so great)

Diagonally across the intersection of Artesia and Carmenita is this former Safeway/Thrifty location. This location is shown on the 1976 Safeway map, and I recall also a Food Barn location. Whats the possibility of Thrifty being a former Super S? The grocery store was subdivided into a bank and a Hallmark shop in the mid to late 80s. The Hallmark is now something else, I don't really know what "LA Home Shopping" is.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7591905@N07/442528527/ (Safeway/Food Barn)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7591905@N07/442538365/ (both storefronts)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7591905@N07/442538367/ (Thrifty, now Rite Aid)

Moving on now to Bellflower, CA, its another Alpha Beta Gable store, unfortunately this one has a stucco refront (was this a latter-day act of Alpha Beta or after 1994?) The address here is 16000 Woodruff, at the intersection of Woodruff and Alondra... and it is now a Big Saver Foods - with a ranchero-style interior:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7591905@N07/442513135/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7591905@N07/442513139/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7591905@N07/442513147/

Further west down Alondra at the intersection with Bellflower Blvd. is this:



This location is also on the 1976 Safeway map, and its another Safeway/Thrifty combo - familiar to the Cerritos location. Here's more:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7591905@N07/442528541/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7591905@N07/442528545/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7591905@N07/442528553/

Across Bellflower Blvd. is, I believe, a former Market Basket, now a Ralphs.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7591905@N07/442528533/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7591905@N07/442528537/

Edit 1: Fixed the links for the Bellflower Safeway (helps to upload the appropriate files!) My bad.
Edit 2: Changed all the links to reflect my flickr page. Same content.

[TheStranger]

Nice shots again! But the Safeway Bellflower photos all seem to be 404ing at the moment...edit: just the first two links.

[Jeff]

The Rosemead Big Saver, former Alpha Beta, looks like the Bellflower. Same exterior. This was a remodel that Alpha Beta did not long before the demise.

[Dean]

The Rosemead Big Saver, former Alpha Beta, looks like the Bellflower. Same exterior. This was a remodel that Alpha Beta did not long before the demise.

Ditto with the City of Industry Alpha Beta turned Ralphs turned a couple independents since. It has the same stucco facade.

Great stuff J-Mac!