Does it make sense for City Grocers to move over to the stalled Georgian Development (Walgreens) on Lafayette or compete against Schnucks?
Dredger wrote:Does it make sense for City Grocers to move over to the stalled Georgian Development (Walgreens) on Lafayette or compete against Schnucks?
Either there or somewhere on Washington west of Tucker. (Eli Walker, Ventana, Tudor Bldg etc.
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Does Heller own anything west towards Grand? There's a lot of growth there and SLU students/staff may shop there instead of the Lindell Schnuck's - currently the closest grocery.
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Grover wrote:Does Heller own anything west towards Grand? There's a lot of growth there and SLU students/staff may shop there instead of the Lindell Schnuck's - currently the closest grocery.
From what I can tell, he's concentrating only on the CBD.
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^ and proving a little better at it than his former business partner. 
Schnucks Culinaria Downtown moving along nicely.
City Grocers Downtown still going strong.
Washington Avenue Market Downtown moving along nicely and looks to open anytime.
Now, today, Kroger CityMarket and Walgreens Downtown South / Lafayette Square has surveyors and construction trucks on site. Looks like ground breaking will come shortly.
City Grocers Downtown still going strong.
Washington Avenue Market Downtown moving along nicely and looks to open anytime.
Now, today, Kroger CityMarket and Walgreens Downtown South / Lafayette Square has surveyors and construction trucks on site. Looks like ground breaking will come shortly.
Dredger wrote:Does it make sense for City Grocers to move over to the stalled Georgian Development (Walgreens) on Lafayette or compete against Schnucks?
They could move in to the building on Park & Vail in Lafayette Square, or the ~5000 sq ft location in the new Union Club building on Jefferson and Lafayette. I'd be happy with either.
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^^ you're talking about the bohemian hill walgreen's, right? has anyone seen final renderings? are they going to make an attempt at an urban design? haven't seen/heard anything about it recently...
sorry to get off topic - i'll go check the appropriate thread.
sorry to get off topic - i'll go check the appropriate thread.
I patronize CG a lot. I think it's a very positive thing to have downtown, so I'm not all hating on them or anything. But they really have got to get their act together. Every day around lunchtime is a complete trainwreck. It's been gradually getting worse for some time. It's like they're completely unprepared and taken aback when people begin showing up to, you know, order things. They're always shuffling things around, taking stuff out of (and then putting it back into) the refrigerators for no reason, and generally just shocked that there's a line of people waiting for even one person to come to the counter to take orders. Forget about getting served from the deli counter.
And, not to fuel the fires any more, but they have really gotten totally out of hand on pricing. A tiny little package of Fig Newtons for almost $6? (more with tax)? Five dollars for a jar of peanut butter? A dollar for a cup of yogurt (even Dierberg's sells it for 69 cents off-sale)? I expect higher prices but I've stopped grabbing things on my way home because they're so out of line.
And, not to fuel the fires any more, but they have really gotten totally out of hand on pricing. A tiny little package of Fig Newtons for almost $6? (more with tax)? Five dollars for a jar of peanut butter? A dollar for a cup of yogurt (even Dierberg's sells it for 69 cents off-sale)? I expect higher prices but I've stopped grabbing things on my way home because they're so out of line.
Really? Those prices don't seem that high. My usual grocery store was selling yogurt for $1 this week and the large JIF peanut butter is usually $5. Of course, the high yogurt price is why you buy the stuff at target instead. Then again I pay NJ prices.
bprop wrote:I patronize CG a lot. I think it's a very positive thing to have downtown, so I'm not all hating on them or anything. But they really have got to get their act together. Every day around lunchtime is a complete trainwreck. It's been gradually getting worse for some time. It's like they're completely unprepared and taken aback when people begin showing up to, you know, order things. They're always shuffling things around, taking stuff out of (and then putting it back into) the refrigerators for no reason, and generally just shocked that there's a line of people waiting for even one person to come to the counter to take orders. Forget about getting served from the deli counter.
And, not to fuel the fires any more, but they have really gotten totally out of hand on pricing. A tiny little package of Fig Newtons for almost $6? (more with tax)? Five dollars for a jar of peanut butter? A dollar for a cup of yogurt (even Dierberg's sells it for 69 cents off-sale)? I expect higher prices but I've stopped grabbing things on my way home because they're so out of line.
Agreed on the price issue, the last time I was there 5-6mo ago I was picking up some luch and I went to the deli counter and ordered a chicken quarter (leg&thigh still connected). I proceeded to go to checkout to and the total was 5.50ish. Way overpriced for some cold chicken, also noticed the prices on everything else were pretty high also. I understand that they need to keep prices up to keep riffraff out but this also keeps away some of the general public also. Catch 22 I guess.
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bprop wrote:I patronize CG a lot. I think it's a very positive thing to have downtown, so I'm not all hating on them or anything. But they really have got to get their act together. Every day around lunchtime is a complete trainwreck. It's been gradually getting worse for some time. It's like they're completely unprepared and taken aback when people begin showing up to, you know, order things. They're always shuffling things around, taking stuff out of (and then putting it back into) the refrigerators for no reason, and generally just shocked that there's a line of people waiting for even one person to come to the counter to take orders. Forget about getting served from the deli counter.
And, not to fuel the fires any more, but they have really gotten totally out of hand on pricing. A tiny little package of Fig Newtons for almost $6? (more with tax)? Five dollars for a jar of peanut butter? A dollar for a cup of yogurt (even Dierberg's sells it for 69 cents off-sale)? I expect higher prices but I've stopped grabbing things on my way home because they're so out of line.
I've noticed these things at CG as well. It's going to be really interesting to see what changes are made when Schnucks opens literally yards away.
No sh*t about prices there, you can't get a six pack for under $8-9.00. Bussone's across the street sells some of the same beer for dollars cheaper. I guess they are trying to squeeze the last bit of profit out before their monopoly is broken. Not hating, just sayin.
You are all kidding yourselves if you think that Culinaria is going to be any cheaper. Talk to any small grocer and you will learn the very unfair economics of the grocery business. Schnucks is not going to be stocking Culinaria with inexpensive items. It is going to be a boutique grocer. You won't be finding any schucks plain label goods.
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^ This Schnucks will not be priced competitively nor should it. Anyone who thinks different is straight up ignant. This is a downtown store, and it will have downtown prices.
JMedwick wrote:Really? Those prices don't seem that high. My usual grocery store was selling yogurt for $1 this week and the large JIF peanut butter is usually $5. Of course, the high yogurt price is why you buy the stuff at target instead. Then again I pay NJ prices.
There IS yogurt for a dollar, just the kind I was looking at is usually .69, on sale for .50, and that's Dierberg's. And I'm not talking the large JIF. I'm not even sure they stock the large one. The $5 is for the tiny baby JIF. Also, the small can of cashews is $8! I wasn't in the market for cashews; just noticed while I waited for the deli counter to clear the crud off and begin helping customers.
This is why I mainly buy staples / non-perishables at Sam's Club and shop locally for incidentals... For me it's the perfect balance of value and convenience.
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This turn of the thread reminds me of a comment made by a co-worker about City Grocer. Basically he made some snide remark about it being a yuppie market. I asked whether it would have made more sense to put in a Pete's ShurSav.
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when did yuppie turn into a synonym of douche bag? Every time I hear 'yuppie' used these days it's used in a derogatory manor.
I use the term to mean young urban professional or young upwardly mobile professional. I consider myself a yuppie, and I'm not prick.
I use the term to mean young urban professional or young upwardly mobile professional. I consider myself a yuppie, and I'm not prick.
^At the same time that gentrification got a bad name. Neither yuppies nor gentrification are bad in and of themselves.
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^^ I agree, I have heard these terms used as if a young professional who makes a good income are bad for the city. Nothing irritates me like when I read a comment of STLTODAY or hear someone get down on "loft dwellers" as rich people. The truth of the matter is that if we want our city to progress we need all types to move in and if our downtown is to be a cosmopolitan area with high end ammenities we will need some higher income people living downtown. And to top it all off, it is not like the avg loft costs 500,000 which would be in a place like CHI or NY.
MidcoastSTL wrote:^^ I agree, I have heard these terms used as if a young professional who makes a good income are bad for the city. Nothing irritates me like when I read a comment of STLTODAY or hear someone get down on "loft dwellers" as rich people. The truth of the matter is that if we want our city to progress we need all types to move in and if our downtown is to be a cosmopolitan area with high end ammenities we will need some higher income people living downtown. And to top it all off, it is not like the avg loft costs 500,000 which would be in a place like CHI or NY.
Just look at my signature. It's taken from one the news articles about Lucas Park and what some homeless guy said about loft residents.
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Some people are just bothered by economic diversity. They exaggerate those differences to the point where everyone who lives downtown is either ghetto or yuppie. That manifests itself in discussions about a grocery store as well.