Two weeks into its grand
opening after renovations were recently completed, sales for this time of year
are ahead of last year’s totals, according to Armondo Pulido, manager at
Albertsons on Highway 246 in Buellton.
“That’s really good news for
us,” he said. “Usually the week after Thanksgiving is the slowest week for
grocers.”
The store underwent a
complete remodeling that took several months. “Our customers were very patient,
and now we are hearing it was worth the inconvenience,” he said.
“We’ve had some excellent feedback
and they are telling us they like the way the store has been reconfigured,” he
explained.
Purchased earlier in the
year by Minnesota-based SuperValu, Inc., the nation’s third largest grocery
retailer, the store has more than 95 employees. The remodeling not only gave a
new look to the business, but its new layout “just makes sense,” Pulido
insisted.
“Think about it. What do you
buy when you want chips? You’re usually looking for soft drinks, so we put them
together. It’s the same for crackers and juice. We want our customers to easily
find what they are looking for while shopping,” he said.
Pulido has been manager and
assistant store director of the Buellton outlet for the past two years. Before
that he worked at an Albertsons in San Luis Obispo. The current store director
is Ed Sage. The grand opening featured a ribbon cutting, an outdoor barbecue
and music by the Agin Brothers Band.
The remodeling celebration
will continue through the end of the year, with coupon specials, such as free
eggs, which were offered the first week with a $10 purchase, available
throughout December.