Homeland Stores

[swake]

I lived behind Sipes at 61st and Yale in the 80's when I was in middle school and high school. I could hop the wall at the back of my yard and would be in Sipes parking lot. I spent too much time playing video games in the entry of that store.


As for Reasors, they will stock anything you ask. My wife likes a particular brand of water cracker and I like a partuclar variety of mexican cheese and they started stocking both at our request. I don't know about what they have in Owasso but they have about everything at the Jenks and Bixby stores I go to. They probably have 90% of what Whole Foods has. I can't imagine going to Walmart or Target for something Reasors doesn't have. Their selection dwarfs the big chain stores. Those two stores are very busy too, maybe that drives some of the selection? The parking lot at the Jenks store on busy shopping days will be completely full with people waiting on spaces.

I agree the bakery isn't the greatest, but they also stock Ferrell Family Bread items in the bakery and that's better than anything any in-store bakery is going to have. My biggest complaint. about Reasors would be that they don't stock Boars Head or an equivalent in the deli section, they do have local Amish cheeses which are very good, but the higher end deli meat brand they carry is pretty meh, I can't recall what that brand is. I also don't care for their prepared foods. The seafood selection also isn't great, but we are in Oklahoma and no where close to the ocean.

Reasors is better than what I have seen of grocery stores elsewhere. I spent a week in San Francisco with my brother a couple months ago and we shopped at two different Safeway stores while I was there. Both were very packed with customers, one that was right on the ocean was actually pretty run down and both were pretty small. Less than half the size of the newer Reasors stores and probably 1/4 of the stores were devoted to liquor and beer. Having that in the store was nice but it also meant that the actual selection of foods was pretty poor comparatively. The bakery and prepared food looked exactly like what Reasors sells and they had far smaller deli, fresh meat and fruit/vegetable sections.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

As a kid growing up in the late 60's early 70's, my mom grocery shopped at the Safeway at Bowman Acres, but some times shopped at the IGA that was where Casa Bonita was, Humpty Dumpty that was at 41st and Yale (NW corner) Oertle's and then Sipe's Food Barn when it opened (that was a cool store then) and then at McCartney's when it opened on Memorial. I think in the early years she went wherever the best S&H Green Stamps deal was. She never shopped the Bud's Thrifty Wise at Mayo Meadow.

Swake, I know of a couple of the Safeway Stores in the SF area, and yeah they are old and small, but they are the old neighborhood stores, where you had them all over the place because they catered to the people within a short distance of the store. If you get out into Fremont/Hayward/Union City/Dublin area it's more like Tulsa than people might think, and they have the larger stores. Last time I was there in September it was really interesting going into the bodega style stores down in the Mission District, or around the Embarcadero area.

Where I live now the population is about 4000 people and we have two stores, Safeway and McKay's (which is a Oregon chain of stores) and they are not much bigger than a large Walgreens or CVS.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Safeway/@43.1748084,-124.1873675,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x54c4879fdf34edad:0x9010e78d572a98d5?hl=en

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mc+Kay's+Market/@43.1780709,-124.1888659,19z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x54c487745cd078c7:0x78e1d7d95500cf26?hl=en

[Conan71]

The Safeway in Leadville, Co. is the only full service supermarket there.  In response to local demand, I notice they have more organic and whole food selections than in other market areas I've been in one in the last five or so years.  It's still as filthy and dated though as the rest.

[swake]

The Safeway stores I went to in SF were both right by Golden Gate Park, but it's not just the stores in the city. It's been a few years but I've been in grocery stores in San Jose as well. A Safeway and another brand that I can't recall who it was. Those stores were larger, probably more like the former Albertson's stores here. Both still kind of run down and very busy. That Safeway shared it's parking lot with Nordstrom's in a very upscale shopping area and it was still run down. It's almost like they have so much business that they have no need to update. Target and Walmart are still pretty rare out there but Whole Foods has locations all over the place. The brand new Target in downtown SF across the street from the Moscone Center looks just exactly like a Target anywhere else inside except it was two stories.

Come to think of it, I was in a Safeway in DC near Chevy Case in the Rock Creek Park area several years ago. It wasn't great either. Maybe it's Safeway that has issues.

[Red Arrow]

Where I live now the population is about 4000 people and we have two stores, Safeway and McKay's (which is a Oregon chain of stores) and they are not much bigger than a large Walgreens or CVS.

Do these "smaller" stores have a good selection but just a smaller quantity of each selection or do they also have a smaller selection?

[dbacksfan 2.0]

Do these "smaller" stores have a good selection but just a smaller quantity of each selection or do they also have a smaller selection?

They have a comparable selection, just smaller quantity (although they do a better job of keeping the shelves stocked compared to Walmart). The Safeway as an example, is about 1/4 to 1/3 the size of the Safeway's in Coos Bay and North Bend.

[Ibanez]

I'd like to have access to a lot of what is carried in the 5 mile radius of stores near you.  However, the type of full-line flagship supermarkets that I'm talking about will carry most if not all of what you note about Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Natural Grocers.  I'll even through in Fresh Market to your mix.  I just don't have the time to traipse 15 - 20 miles all over town to shop at different stores.

I like soy ice cream and cannot find any at a Reasor's in Owasso or Tulsa.  I did find some at Walmart when I moved here, but they stopped carrying it very soon after.  On a recent Reasor's trip, I was unable to find Canadian bacon, fresh spinach, diet iced tea, a very popular old school hot cereal, and shampoo and Combos (yes the over processed snack item) for a friend.  They weren't out of these products, they must have recently stopped carrying them proclaimed the store personnel after they assisted in my futile search.  No promise was made to carry any of these items in the future, but I now know that I can request items and they will try to get them.

I mentioned that the stores lack variety, but perhaps Oklahoma shoppers may differ with my assertion since it is a relative statement.  To clarify, what is lacking is more brands, more choices/ variations of items, more healthier products of all types (if I want chips - offer no-fat and lower fat options), a deli that not only serves processed deli meats but also carves from unprocessed store baked turkeys, hams, and roasts, and a bakery that serves fresh baked goods instead of the bland crap they put out that upon sight makes you retreat quickly to the packaged snacks aisle.

I've forgotten a lot of what I've missed, but it immediately hits me when I go inside a Publix or Wegmans.  But the fact that I'm now forgetting is perhaps a sign that I'm adjusting.  Reasor's may be keeping up with some trends as you noted, but they are behind in others such offering high quality multi-serve meals, quick prep meals international products and ingredients, and other conveniences and amenities for today's changing consumer needs.

For now, I'd just like some soy ice cream but don't want to go to South Tulsa from Owasso to get it.  Otherwise, I can do O.K. with Reasor's.  There was some mention of another market coming here, but the official who made the announcement wouldn't divulge any details as is common practice.  I suspect it could be Sprouts which would be a good addition.

Are you sure you didn't wander into a Kum & Go?

Every item you listed, except for soy ice cream, can be found at the two Reasor's I shop at most frequently. Those stores being the Bixby location where I shop 99% of the time, the other 1% being at the store in Jenks. They may even have soy ice cream but I can't say for sure because I've never looked. Maybe Owassoites, Owassans, Owassistanians, whatever...just don't buy enough of those items to Reasor's to give them shelf space up there.

I didn't even known Combos still existed until a recent trip to Reasor's in Bixby where I noticed them in the checkout lane while I was standing there. From what I remember of them from my junior high days they tasted like what I would imagine sad would taste like if it were palatable.

[Rookie Okie]

It's been a while since I've been to a Safeway in the Bay Area.  I do recall one right near the end of Main near Castro.  Of course it was small and somewhat dated, but not atypical of the very few supermarkets that still operate in the heart of large urbanized cores.  This particular store served a very highly diverse and eclectic demographic mix as you'd expect.  Everything from super successful to struggling professionals of all types, street people, addicts, seniors, juniors, mimes, and what have you.  While not representative of Safeway stores elsewhere, I applaud the chain and any like them that still see fit to operate such stores because they fill significant voids.  Many chains will not operate stores like this stating they don't "fit their business model."  Their philosophy is that while they might not want to, sophisticated downtown residents with the means will get in their cars and drive out to the better stores.  They really don't care much about serving less mobile poor residents (unless they can find their way to the store).  Urban stores can be profitable but they may not be as profitable as the larger suburban counterparts. I don't necessarily agree with this entire premise and know that in time it will have to change.  Indeed as downtown population continues to increase in many cities across the U.S., some of the more forward operating chains will get the jump on their competition to re-pioneer the evolving market opportunities.
I also ventured into Safeway stores out in the East Bay, I think in the Pleasanton or Dublin areas.  Totally different stores for totally different demographics.

[Rookie Okie]

Are you sure you didn't wander into a Kum & Go?

Every item you listed, except for soy ice cream, can be found at the two Reasor's I shop at most frequently. Those stores being the Bixby location where I shop 99% of the time, the other 1% being at the store in Jenks. They may even have soy ice cream but I can't say for sure because I've never looked. Maybe Owassoites, Owassans, Owassistanians, whatever...just don't buy enough of those items to Reasor's to give them shelf space up there.

I didn't even known Combos still existed until a recent trip to Reasor's in Bixby where I noticed them in the checkout lane while I was standing there. From what I remember of them from my junior high days they tasted like what I would imagine sad would taste like if it were palatable.

Well it might as well have been Kum –n Go, because I was in Reasor's again Sunday and pretty much came and went except for picking up just a few items.  No they still don't carry fresh bundled spinach (the rest of the produce looked no better than Walmart's), brewed diet iced tea (only saw that not so good Arizona brand), nor Canadian bacon.  I can get the tea and bacon from Walmart, so NBD.  The meat and seafood counters did not look refreshed at all.   

I miss being able to go to my hometown grocer to get fresh boiled bagels made before your eyes daily, many varieties of freshly ground coffee by the cup, dropping off/ picking up my dry cleaning, getting a fresh made sub or sandwich on artisan breads made in the store, fresh pasta dishes, fresh oven pizza, a very large selection of other freshly prepared items and meals for dinner when I didn't want to cook or go out, and the freshest produce and meats that can be sold in a store.  As I mentioned, I've forgotten a lot of what I missed.  I'm doing my best to adapt and deal here now, but I can't see driving 30 miles or whatever distance it is from Owasso to Bixby/ Jenks to shop at a Reasor's.  Before doing that I'd stop at Fresh Market or Sprouts and get over it.  FWIW, as it was suggested I did put in a request for soy ice cream at Reasor's so hopefully they'll get some in soon.