The "new" Dominick's

Within the last week, I've gotten a couple of brochures, a dozen coupons, and a free fabric shopping bag from the Dominick's near me (Arlington Heights, in that wedge bounded by Arlington Heights Rd., Rand Rd., and Palatine Rd), along with an invitation to the "grand reopening." Offer me $10 off, and I'll at least visit.

The "new" Dominick's had been completely overhauled. The produce and deli section looks like a high-end European version of Whole Foods. There are scads of organic items, and everything bears a tag noting country of origin. Service everywhere was remarkably enthusiastic -- and not just friendly, actually helpful. Prices were largely reasonable, with sale items being a real bargain (as one expects at "grand" events).

The store had previously been sufficiently dingy to be kind of creepy -- a place I only went occasionally with a friend who liked checking their "clearance" section. But yesterday, I had a great time. It was actually a pleasure being there, and I happily picked up a couple of bags of groceries, though I had arrived with no plans to purchase anything.

So, I'm wondering if this "rebirth" is happen everywhere, or if this is an experiment. Is it driven by a desire for the survival or the organization as a whole, or is it simply a reaction out here in the 'burbs to the fact that there are four grocery stores (including a TJ's) within one block of the Dominick's?

I'd be interested to know where else this might be happening. Also, if you live out in this direction, this store at least is worth checking out.

Cynthia wrote:The "new" Dominick's had been completely overhauled. The produce and deli section looks like a high-end European version of Whole Foods. There are scads of organic items, and everything bears a tag noting country of origin. Service everywhere was remarkably enthusiastic -- and not just friendly, actually helpful. Prices were largely reasonable, with sale items being a real bargain (as one expects at "grand" events).

So, I'm wondering if this "rebirth" is happen everywhere, or if this is an experiment. Is it driven by a desire for the survival or the organization as a whole, or is it simply a reaction out here in the 'burbs to the fact that there are four grocery stores (including a TJ's) within one block of the Dominick's?

I'd be interested to know where else this might be happening. Also, if you live out in this direction, this store at least is worth checking out.

Safeway is really trying upgrade their stores and has been introducing a private label organic program in most of their stores. They have finally, I guess, decided to invest some serious money us certain Dominick's stores after years of neglecting them.

I think that they will roll a few of these stores out in Chicagoland and see what results.

I don’t go to Dominick’s too much since they closed the one here in Round Lake Beach. On occasion I will stop in the one in Gurnee on my way home, and the last time I was in there the place was all torn up with construction. So I’m guessing that this store is getting a facelift as well.

I wonder if that is what is happening to the Dominick's at Dempster and Dodge in Evanston. It was so dingy and in such a decline we assumed it was going to be closed. Now they seem to be remodeling.

I was in a Safeway in Phoenix last summer and they had already rolled out the concept there. It's certainly warmer but te Dominick's near me hasn't really expanded the breadth of their produce. Looks nicer, but it's still the same products.

The irony, of course, is that Dominick's was remodeling all of their stores under the "Fresh Store" concept just prior to the sale to Safeway. The remodeling brought in Seattle's Best coffee shops, extensive deli and bakery sections, expanded meat counters featuring higher end cuts, beautiful produce displays, scads of locally produced specialty items, a focus on "natural" foods, and some very good private label products under the Dominick's banner. They were clearly trying to compete against, and project an image comparable to Sunset Foods best stores.

After the local owners spent tens (probably hundreds) of millions of dollars on the project, Safeway came in and actually spent even more dough in an effort to undo and cheapen the upscale look of the "new" Dominick's. This included the discontinuation of all of Dominick's superior private label items and the removal of more than 50% of the selection leaving the consumer with fewer choices (primarily the big corporate brands, Kraft, General Foods, etc.) and an abundance of Safeway private label items that no one wanted. All of this because these California yahooos were bound and determined to remake our Midwestern groceries in their left coast image regardless of what the local folks wanted.

While this assured drastically reduced patronage for the once great chain, it created a very favorable atmosphere for the growth of smaller family owned groceries, produce markets, and butchers. Caputo's and Shop N Save are two of the primary benefactors of Safeway's arrogant blunder.

So now it appears they are going to spend even more millions to re-remodel the stores in order to to bring them back to the state they were in when Safeway purchased them oh so long ago. If I were a Safeway stock holder I would be demanding the immediate resignation of the entire board of directors with no golden parachute, no silver parachute, in fact, no parachute at all in sight. Let the bastards free fall and crash the same way they did the Dominick's stores.

Not harboring a grudge or anything,

Buddy

P.S. Jewel went through a similar process when Albertson's (another west coast conglomerate) bought them. Now that Supervalu has bought Jewel from Albertson's, I suspect you will start to see some improvements in those stores. In fact, that may be what is motivating the remodeling in the Dominick's stores...

B.

Safeway here in Denver has rolled out the concept. My take on it is that the fish and meats are a relatively good bargain if one uses a Club Card (Whole Paycheck-like if not). Organic Fruits and veggies can be had at a number of other stores including Sunshine Market and whatever Vitamin Cottage's entry into this market is.

It's a great improvement over the old Dominicks in Lakeview that burned to the ground to the cheers of the neighborhood a few years ago.

Cynthia wrote:I'd be interested to know where else this might be happening. Also, if you live out in this direction, this store at least is worth checking out.

The really bad Dominick's on Central & Milwaukee (across from Superdawg) has gone through a similar facelift.

Indeed, both of the Dominick's in my neck of the woods (Fox River Grove, Crystal Lake) have been remodeled and both are marked improvements over the old format. The FRG store, in particular, was harshly-lit and old-school and saw nothing in the way of Fresh Store updates insofar as I could tell.

I really do like the new style. It's just a more inviting store in select areas; aisles are aisles. Recently I needed to go grab a couple of things outside of our normal grocery shopping cycle and I specifically chose Dominick's over Jewel because of the remodel.

The Bannockburn store has just completed a remodeling. The old one was pretty nice, but this is much fancier. They added a pharmacy (since it is next door to walgreens, it definitely needed one!) I havent really gotten a feel for where everything is in the new store, but they must have a more limited selection since the pharmacy area has taken up quite a bit of space. There is definitely a lot more emphasis on organic produce, but they have removed the organic packaged goods section. I have so far been unable to find some of my basics like lundberg rice. They also added self-checkout lanes. By the way, yesterday I bought some ranchers reserve bone-in ribeyes for $5.99 a pound that were among the best steaks I have ever eaten. Like I have mentioned before, you have to pick through a lot of packages to find good ones, but these looked like they could pass for prime, and grilled up perfectly.

-Will

stevez wrote:

Cynthia wrote:I'd be interested to know where else this might be happening. Also, if you live out in this direction, this store at least is worth checking out.

The really bad Dominick's on Central & Milwaukee (across from Superdawg) has gone through a similar facelift.

What that Dominick's really needs is 10 more checkout lanes.

Fujisan wrote:

stevez wrote:

Cynthia wrote:I'd be interested to know where else this might be happening. Also, if you live out in this direction, this store at least is worth checking out.

The really bad Dominick's on Central & Milwaukee (across from Superdawg) has gone through a similar facelift.

What that Dominick's really needs is 10 more checkout lanes.

Or a wrecking ball.

My "new" Dominick's have much better "sale" pricing than they used to, however, they are making up for it with the "must buy 10.00 worth of stuf to get special price" coupons. I can still navigate my way around to get good deals there. The one near where I work however, is pretty spruced up (Dundee and Sanders,) and I, along with a few co-workers have grown pretty fond of their.....
Wait for it..


Sushi.

They have a guy on site making stuf fresh during the lunch hour, and I gotta say, it ain't half bad. As in, sometimes I find myself craving it. I'm talking about the raw stuff, too - not the hipster maki. (Stay away from the "Krab," it ain't real.) I've only gotten the pre-made stuff. Never asked for a special order. I normally do a few spicy tuna rolls, or a spicy tuna / rainbow, or a spicy tuna plus a nigiri asst. Will run close to 15.00, but, it might actually be worth it.

I can't believe I just wrote that.

I haven't followed the winding picaresque journey of the Dominick's-Safeway story too closely, but I remember when the Dominick's orgainic line appeared a few years ago, and I've been very pleased with virtually every item I've tried.
Assuming that it's not all a cynical crock and that the labeling represents some form of documentable reality, I find the flavors very good and the price points Trader Joe's-admirable. Furthermore, at least some of that line is frequently on sale.
I get the various canned beans, the "oreo" style cookies, various chips and many other things.
Living now in Hyde Park, which seems to be some little hellish competition-free micro-economy where groceries are concerned, I'm newly appreciative of even decent grocery pricing. At HP Produce and T.I. (the only options in walking distance) I end up paying absurdly skewed prices on basic commodities like cat litter and detergent. Chips, salsas, and breakfast cereals are also completely off the charts. But I digress.

The Dominick's in Park Ridge was gutted and remodeled about 6 years ago.....and then retooled with expanded deli, produce and bakery departments, and a Starbucks.

I, for one, LOVE this Dominick's. The staff is fantastic, the product selection is great, and they have underground indoor parking.

The prices, however, are on average 5-10% higher than the Jewel a mile away. But, for the quality of service and product, it's well worth it to me.

choppcs wrote:The Dominick's in Park Ridge was gutted and remodeled about 6 years ago.....and then retooled with expanded deli, produce and bakery departments, and a Starbucks.

I, for one, LOVE this Dominick's. The staff is fantastic, the product selection is great, and they have underground indoor parking.

The prices, however, are on average 5-10% higher than the Jewel a mile away. But, for the quality of service and product, it's well worth it to me.

This is "my Dominick's" if there is such a thing, especially since the Dominick's at Harlem / Forest Preserve was demo'd and Circuit City / Staples replaced it (and especially since they accused me of shoplifting there, and the staff was always on edge.)

The Park Ridge Dominick's is beautiful. At one time, say 4 years ago I listed perhaps 12 produce items you would not find in other grocery stores. Alas, most of them are gone, though I blame that, without actual data, on the customers lack of interest.

The staff is top notch, get you through quickly, call you by name, etc.

Still, I only stop by there if I have to for convenience, or they have a specific sale item. The rest is just too expensive. Perhaps I need to try again though, its been a while.

-ramon

Cynthia wrote:Within the last week, I've gotten a couple of brochures, a dozen coupons, and a free fabric shopping bag from the Dominick's near me (Arlington Heights, in that wedge bounded by Arlington Heights Rd., Rand Rd., and Palatine Rd), along with an invitation to the "grand reopening."

The Dominick's on Half Day Road in Buffalo Grove has been similarly remodelled and grandly reopened. There are other Dominick's stores closer to where I live, but I must say, the times I've been to the one on Half Day, I really liked it.

I stop by the Skybridge (Halsted/Madison) location in the West Loop on occasion and noticed the "grand reopening" signs recently. It's only a few years old and did quite well as the only full-line supermarket in that new neighborhood, but perhaps it was time for an update now that Jewel has opened a few blocks up the street.

There had been a tiny store-within-a-store for organic/natural products before, occupying part of the produce section. I thought this was a convenient way to avoid the processed foods elsewhere, but now produce has expanded and natural foods are in with everything else. The bakery now has the full variety of parbaked breads that the newer Chicago Ave. store has. Otherwise, I didn't notice a whole lot that had changed during a quick visit. I'll give the produce a closer look next time I go by.

Cynthia wrote:Within the last week, I've gotten a couple of brochures, a dozen coupons, and a free fabric shopping bag from the Dominick's near me (Arlington Heights, in that wedge bounded by Arlington Heights Rd., Rand Rd., and Palatine Rd), along with an invitation to the "grand reopening." Offer me $10 off, and I'll at least visit.

Dominick's near me (Naper and 75th in Naperville) has been revamped. My husband, who rarely shops, cracked me up when he came home the other day and commented on how he liked their lighting better than Jewel's. I have been in a few times recently because of the $10 off and free item coupons I've been receiving.

There seem to be more staff than shoppers. Customer service has improved greatly at this store. I remember when I first moved to Illinois, I shopped at this store all the time. But they lost me as a regular customer because of the long lines (this was about 16 years ago). Today, if you ask for an item's location, the staff doesn't just point. They will walk you to the product. They always thank me by name, offer to help load my car, etc. It's not as conjested as Jewel, but I don't know how they're making any money because the store always seems empty. This is not my usual shopping place, but I'm a sucker for customer service.

I thought their coupon effort was somehow related to Jewel's marketing efforts. They've been sending me $10 off coupons too. Also, if you buy a $300 Jewel card, they will add $30 onto it when you buy. I've already bought a few. I can't remember the cut-off time to buy them, but I think it's sometime this month.

janeyb wrote:

Cynthia wrote:I thought their coupon effort was somehow related to Jewel's marketing efforts. They've been sending me $10 off coupons too. Also, if you buy a $300 Jewel card, they will add $30 onto it when you buy. I've already bought a few. I can't remember the cut-off time to buy them, but I think it's sometime this month.

i believe it's 4/15/09, and i think a max of $2000 in cards you can buy. maybe LTH needs a hot deals forum.