Publix #1331 | Former Albertsons #4413
16950 San Carlos Boulevard
Fort Myers, FL 33908-1224
A Classy Collaboration: A Companion to This Week's Albertsons Florida Blog Post & This Saturday's Sing Oil Blog Post
I didn't think it was fitting to use my Wavy Pastel-style image because Publix #1331 opened on February 5, 2009 and never would have boasted those designs. Instead, I opted to recreate the flavor of Classy Market 2.0 department signage for Meats, Seafood, Dairy, and Produce to serve as this post's branding. I was never familiar with Classy Market 2.0 during its prime, but I've come to appreciate the influence it left behind for only being an active package from 2007-2010. Let's dive in to see how this 52,799 sq. ft. store wound up being so notorious.
Albertsons #4413 began construction in 1994 to serve South Fort Myers and the surrounding beach communities. It is located at the busy intersection of San Carlos Boulevard, which carries traffic south to Fort Myers Beach from Fort Myers proper, and Summerlin Road, which serves as one of the primary routes to the beautiful Sanibel Island.
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| Courtesy Newspapers.com - News-Press - August 30, 1994 |
Fort Myers is home to a rich history and hosted the likes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford as they escaped cold winters up North. Little did Albertsons know that they would continue the rich history of this region when they opened store #4413 on February 1, 1995. This store was the second location for the Idaho chain in Fort Myers, with the first being #4313 which AFB covered a few months ago.
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| Courtesy Newspapers.com - News-Press - February 3, 1995 |
The crowds at the new store only seemed to exasperate existing traffic problems at the popular intersection, leading to a bridge being built across San Carlos Boulevard to allow traffic on Summerlin Road to have faster access to the beaches (and $6+ toll) at Sanibel. The new bridge opened in 2007 which in turn obscured the store from traffic heading toward the popular destination. This must not have bothered Publix too much considering they occupied this building for 13-years after the bridge was completed.
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| Courtesy the Lee County Property Appraiser - Albertsons #4413 - January 1998 |
I may not be as much of an expert on Albertsons' stores as AFB is, but I have gotten a feel for this prototype from the two other Publixsons of this design I have visited (here is a similar store AFB covered a few years ago). From what I understand, Albertsons used this prototype during the mid-1990's, and Publix happily converted several of these stores to their brand following the 49-store acquisition in 2008. Publix wanted to turn the newer stores around as quickly as they could, and it took the chain seven months to reopen this location after the deal was closed in June. In all honesty, I'm surprised it took Publix that long to reopen this store based on what I saw on my visit; I suppose a 49-store acquisition can be overwhelming for design, permitting, and construction crews to tackle.
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| Courtesy the Lee County Property Appraiser - Albertsons #4413 - February 2007 |
Many in the area were glad to hear that the store would finally reopen on February 5, 2009, but were let down several days later when the News-Press corrected their statement claiming the store would feature a liquor store and a pharmacy. Albertsons #4413 did operate a pharmacy, but Publix was seemingly blocked from opening one of their own due to a pharmacy located in the adjacent shopping center. Interestingly, the current neighboring pharmacy, At Cost Rx, was only registered in the Florida pharmacy database in 2010 which could have been a result of a legal dispute with Publix over who would be granted a license. This pharmacy proved to be a thorn in Publix's side as it is believed to be the primary reason the company delayed this store's demolition until 2022. Allegedly, Publix wasn't going to build a new store on this site until they were granted approval to obtain a pharmacy license, yet they didn't want to remodel this store since they intended to tear it down. These odd circumstances led to a store in-limbo with a décor package that was the last of its kind – for years.
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| Courtesy the Lee County Property Appraiser - Publix #1331 - October 2009 |
I found evidence where Publix spent an estimated $70,000 to remodel this store again in 2013, which surprised me given what we will see below. What is even more strange is how the page lists the money as being used for an "interior remodel". As to what this was used for, your guess is as good as mine. It's quite possible that this went toward a back store room (since the listing mentions the space being 2,760 sq. ft.), but I have no idea what specifically it would have been for. Regardless, I'm sure AFB will fill you in on some other details about this store that I neglected to mention; I've got to write two posts about this store after all! Let's get this party started.
This tour was a special one for me, as it marked my documenting of six of the last seven major décor packages Publix has used: Wavy Pastels, Classy Market 1.0, Classy Market 2.0, Invigorate, Sienna, and Evergreen. I doubt I'll ever make it to a Metallic Marketplace store (considering I don't know any to remain), but I'd say I did pretty good for only beginning my journey just over a year ago!
Since this store was pivotal to my goal, and this was the last of Publix's 1,300+ stores to ever use this décor, I took extensive notes following my trip. We'll see some specific details pop up from me and the person who I managed to drag along with me (I'll just call them my "shopping companion" since I've already used "Sing Oil Sidekick" for a different friend).
My first impression when driving up to Publix #1331 was that it seemed to have a poor location: I had to take an “exit” off Summerlin Road, turn right, then cross traffic to turn left to get in the parking lot. The store also seemed to be in a not-so-nice area based on the surroundings, but I suppose this could've happened after the new interchange was built in 2007.
As I was walking up, I was greeted by a black Infiniti SUV driving around the parking lot with all of its windows down, blaring rap music. Based on the looks of confusion from other patrons leaving the store, this seemed to be out of character for the location!
This store still had the original Albertsons swinging doors, which looked pretty worn out at this point. To make matters worse, it appears that one of the entrance doors wasn't even working! I'm still shocked that these guys have hung around this long, as Publix generally installed their standard sliding doors years ago (I think former #4446 in Jupiter was the second-to-last store to keep its old doors, and it had them swapped a few years ago).
Stepping inside, I realized that this store was built using the same prototype as Former Albertsons #4441 in Pensacola, former Albertsons #4418 in Sebring, this former Albertsons in Ridgeland, MS (Thanks Retail Retell), and this former Albertsons in Houston (Thanks Anonymous in Houston). I've only been to two of those four stores, but I wanted to include that Krogersons in my list for all of its quirks and the Food Town since it provides a rose (or maroon) tinted version of this store's original décor!
It may not be as apparent in these pictures (but maybe I'm just an optimist in that regard, I'm sure Anonymous in Houston will pick up on it), but this store felt tired in person. It's not often that I come across a Publix in need of some TLC either, but I'm sure a large portion of that was due to Albertsons' old strip florescent lights and dropped ceiling remaining in place (14-years longer than they should have).
Although Publix may have not quite known what to do with all of the excess space in this store, we can see two small Mother's Day displays protruding from the floral department to my left. I also happened to buy a Mother's Day card while in this store, so what a fitting coincidence (or maybe it was just because I stopped by this store in May).
Turning to the right, we see the store's checkout lanes and customer service counter. According to Anonymous in Houston, Albertsons also had their photo counter located at the customer service desk, and formerly had their video rental department in the alcove under the American flag, while often using the space where the Redbox machine and scale are for an in-store bank. I'm not sure what they had in this particular store, but the soffit above the customer service counter is 100% a relic left by Albertsons and seems to imply there were rooms of some sort adjacent to either side.
Next up, we'll grab a sip of water (it was a long drive from Naples) while checking out this vintage sign for Publix's carryout service (complete with Classy Market 2.0's signature orange). We also see some of Albertsons' old paneling that has been covered up by white paint.
Just outside of the water fountain hallway, which is just to our right, was the last Classy Market 2.0-style restroom sign to remain in a Publix. Oddly enough, this sign sold at auction for $60, which is $5 more than both water fountains sold for! The hallway we see under the sign leads to the men's and women's restrooms off to the right, in addition to the door we see below opening to the employee breakroom. NEXT up, beer is (obviously) located just to the left.
Turning back around, we see this store's large and eclectic isle of beach gear. The palm trees may be a bit cheesy, but only now did I notice that there is an entire picnic table with a bottle of wine on top of the display!
Instead of having a pharmacy like I've seen elsewhere, the store just had a “Cold Beer Shrine” in the front right corner of the store. This layout is absolutely original to Albertsons, as entailed by the trim work dating back to the chain's Blue and Grey Market interior.
Do these coolers on top of the fridge remind anyone of Winn-Dixie?
If this was indeed the store's Beer Shrine, then all of this water must be the altar for drinkers to repent at. We can really tell that Publix didn't know what to do with this space if they had to fill it with a mountain of water like this! That has to be at least three pallets worth!
Next, we'll turn to our left and look down aisle 16, home to magazines, baby supplies, and a greeting card alcove. You might ask yourself why this store has such an odd configuration over here, especially since the Nine Mile Publixsons didn’t have this (don't worry, you'll get a tour of that store from me soon enough). Well, it turns out that the magazine racks are actually standing in front of Albertsons' old pharmacy window! Since Publix wasn't able to acquire a license for this store, they instead decided to wall off the old box and use it for additional offices (auction lots #408-#419 show the inside of this space).
Wow, this store had so many historic photo collages; if only could get a piece of one of them . . . Specifically, this store had this cluster of old photos hanging above the greeting card section, another cluster above the old pharmacy, another cluster by the meat and seafood counter, and a final few sets in the front of the store (on either side of customer service and next to the bakery). With all of these collages, some of the photos ended up repeating themselves.
I believe that Albertsons used the greeting card alcove to house pharmaceutical products, which makes sense considering the close proximity to the pharmacy. Just off to my right was a door that led to the old pharmacy space.
Walking toward the back right corner of the store, we find some more Classy Market 2.0 signage! The seafood and meat departments in this store are also original to Albertsons (shocker) as Publix would have split these spaces into two with a more thorough remodel. Seafood and meats also got their own historic pictures, similar to the ones we saw before; they had a lot of wall space to fill!
We'll take one last look down aisle 16 and see the old pharmacy box off to the left. You can also see the top of the door to the old pharmacy just over the greeting card display.
Taking a closer look at the aisle signs, the originally white plastic seems to have yellowed over the last 14 years. Interestingly, this hasn't been the case in other Publixes using the same vintage of signs.
Turning the corner toward the rear actionway, we find another surprise: Albertsons' circa 1994 refrigeration units. Had Publix not installed their signs on the wall, painted the molding, or installed their Tetris-themed vinyl flooring, I'd be hard pressed to tell you this wasn't an Albertsons!
Next up, we'll take a look at the meat and seafood counter, along with their corresponding Classy Market 2.0 Signage.
Instead of wood crates, CM 2.0 signs have backings which match the department’s theme colors. I do like this cohesive element of the package!
Oddly enough, this store received an Evergreen-era GreenWise
sign in the meat department.
It did, however, still have all of the original CM 2.0 category markers. These are different from the CM 2.5 versions because they feature a pattern on the edge facing the wall / freezer.
To add to the oddities of this store, Publix managed to keep part of Albertsons' store layout featuring an awkward wine aisle between the meat aisle and the normal grocery aisles on the right side of the store. My “Shopping companion” said “I don’t like stores with these weird layouts, they remind me of Harveys and are confusing.” Y'all have seen a few of my Harveys posts by now, but they often retained odd split-aisle setups which were leftovers from the previous owner. I guess that's what you get when you inherit stores from FoodMax, Winn-Dixie, Piggly Wiggly, and Food Lion (all of which have used split aisle setups of one form or another).
I do think Publix moved their wine department from where Albertsons used to keep it next to the "Beer Shrine".
Even better than that, I believe the endcap toppers we see here date back to the early days of Sienna from sometime around 2011; meanwhile, the wine and pet department secondary signage all hails from the mainstream flavor of Sienna.
Our next peculiarity can be easily noted while looking down aisle 8: the lights. It is possible that Publix rearranged aisles 9-16 but didn't want to spend the money to move the cheese refrigerator. Regardless, the strip lights over this section of the store are turned perpendicular to the ones in the rest of the store.
We'll pop out of aisle 8 to take a quick look at the front end of the store . . .
and a glance at the customer service counter . . .
before we head back to Iceland. Aisle 7 had a freezer door which was out of order, but otherwise looked very neat with its banners! It also seemed to be missing a number of category signs, but I have a feeling that we will solve that mystery a bit later . . . Didn't this picture turn out nice, if I say so myself? Select CM 2.0 stores also received a dedicated "Frozen" department sign, but most locations just received banners similar to the ones here.
Poor freezer door! It looks to me like Publix never bothered to fix it in the 5 months following my tour either. I neglected to notice if there was any product on display behind the cardboard.
Let's take one last look at the Frozen banners (do they remind anybody else of a beach chair?) before we continue on with our journey.
The (liquid) dairy department, which lies between the deli and the meat department, is up next and features a calming color palette of baby blue and soft yellow.
The dairy sign has some corrugated metal plastic which hearkens back to Metallic Marketplace. Just a PSA: that sign is much larger than it appears, ringing in at roughly 12-feet wide! Ceiling tile math to the rescue!
So many pieces of this store may have been vintage, but I do see an Evergreen-era endcap topper next to aisle 2 which also features the most recent Sienna styling on the sides. I also see a "Cool It. Chill Out. Take it Easy." cooler which Publix must have pulled from one of their other stores since it dates back to 2000.
Turing 180°, we'll take one last look at the rear actionway and Fort Myer's own "Mt. Coors" – the fifth tallest peak in the state of Florida! Sadly, based on its un-refrigerated state, this Mt. Coors is neither blue nor "as cold as the Rockies." Little Big Town would be so disappointed!
As usual, I remember there were several people loitering around the deli, but I still managed to get this profile angle of the space. As should be no surprise, the lower section of ceiling dates back to Albertsons.
The Grand Aisle of this store was very large yet felt very empty (even thought it was fully stocked). I'm still shocked at how Publix can manage the space in a 65,000 sq. ft. store that they built, yet they can't wrap their heads around stocking a 53,000 sq. ft. Albertsons.
In other news, you might've noticed that there aren't many people in my pictures. I generally try to avoid photographing other customers, but I didn't really have to worry about that issue in here. My “shopping companion” said “I would love to shop at this
store if I lived near here, because nobody is in here. It is not crowded
at all!” Well, there you have it – a tired old Publixsons doesn't draw the same crowds as a reconstructed 61M standing on the ashes of a Kmartsons.
Standing behind a cooler provides a good place for me to take a picture of the deli! Despite their differences, Classy Market 1.0 and Classy Market 2.0 shared an awfully similar deli sign.
Dang, I took a lot of pictures in this store; it's almost like I knew it was endangered or something. While we waft in the smells of Pub Subs and rotisserie chicken, now would be the perfect time for me to give a shameless plug to my upcoming surprise post! Keep on reading this to get a good understanding of how this Publix looked in its final days but be sure to check out The Sing Oil Blog this Saturday for some exclusive coverage you won't want to miss. Some of you may have guessed what I will cover, but I'll just say that you won't want to miss it if you haven't.
We'll head over to produce next and scope out the space along the left side of the store. I do like how Publix embraced Albertsons' molding throughout the store and painted the insides of the boxes different colors to compliment the décor.
The store may not have been crowded, but the produce was still well-stocked. I'd also like to note that these produce displays only date back to 2014 and must have been installed during Publix's "interior remodel" that I mentioned earlier. Just to note, every other fixture or sign in this shot is no newer than 2009.
I just love the look of the Classy Market 2.0 produce sign and all of the dimension it has! If only it wasn't 12-feet wide too!
It looks like Publix spent the time to remove Albertsons' old checkered accenting before hanging this sign, which adds to my theory that this remodel wasn't as cheap as it could have been.
Those leaves are pretty cool too. At least they aren't quite as large.
Next up, we'll glance over at the bakery which is still in the original position, bearing the original trim work, from Albertsons. Did anybody else notice that the "established" sign below "Bakery" is missing a 7? Or has Publix been baking bread panem since Roman times?
Turning around, we get a nice overview of the left side of the store with the deli and dairy department off in the distance.
Our Classy Market 2.0 tour wouldn't be complete without a photo of Mr. George, or another display of beer (how many places can they stock it in this one building?).
We'll also get a nice overview of the front end of the store and see where the sign for aisle 1 is missing one of its category markers. I wish Publix had advertised "Fresh Subs" on these signs in packages besides Classy Market 2.0!
I'd also like to see if you can zoom in and notice the difference between these two bakery signs: I assure you they are different, but I didn't realize this until weeks after the store had closed. If you really want to find out, be sure to check out my upcoming post this Saturday.
Now we'll get a better look at the floral department and its corresponding signage.
Here we can see more of the collages I mentioned earlier! I believe the one on the right is hung over the former bank space.
We noticed where the aisle
1 sign was missing a category marker on the other side, but this side oddly enough had a Sienna-era
water sign on it. And would you look at that: another beer display!
We'll take one last look at the former bank space to see what Publix has done with it. It appears that they built an office here (psst. the store's safe is inside there) and found a bit more room to tack up some collage photos. We also see something I don't recall seeing anywhere else: a Presto! ATM inside the store. Now you know Publix was being stingy for that to happen!
With that, we'll exit this store for what I thought would be my last time seeing Classy Market 2.0 (spoiler, it wasn't). I'd like for you to note the tinted window located on the other side of the alcove, which happens to lead to a manager's office that overlooks the store.
I didn't manage to stop by the liquor store during this trip, but it was located at the end of this covered walkway just to the right of the store.
I'm not sure why, but the road sign seems to imply that this is "Publix Plaza" (or just "Plaza") rather than "Publix at San Carlos" as the company listed the store on their website. Regardless, this sign dates back to Albertsons' construction of the complex and faces San Carlos Boulevard.
In actuality, Hurricane Ian's trajectory likely prolonged the existence of Classy Market 2.0 by a week or two since Publix initially planned to shutter and demolish this location in September 2022. When I visited #1331 back in May, I asked the cashier when the demolition was planned to take place, and she said September was the intended target. I later found more construction documents supporting this statement and was surprised when September rolled around, and Publix never published a "closing soon" notice on this store's location page. Little did I know, a category 4 Hurricane Ian would set its sights for a landfall only a few miles to the north and devastate the surrounding area. Maybe this was a total matter of coincidence, maybe Publix can mysteriously control the weather, or maybe an employee at Corporate had the idea to postpone this store's closure for a matter of a few days in hopes of collecting an insurance payout for the damages to this 1994 supermarket. The world may never know the true answer, but I'm inclined to think the latter based on the circumstances. This store served its last customers on September 28, 2022, and had an official closure date of September 30, 2022. Publix #1853 is scheduled to replace this store next year.
Here you are, next to me
So much beauty at my feet
All I wanna do is swim
But the waves keep crashing in
No, I'm not afraid to drown
Take me out, take me down
I'm so tired of the shore
Let me in, baby
You're an ocean beautiful and blue
I wanna swim in you
After the thought came around of a hurricane wiping out the last traces of Classy Market 2.0, all I could think of were the lyrics to Lady Antebellum's "Ocean" as sung from the perspective of a seaside Publix department sign. Isn't it just the perfect fit!? When Publix waves goodbye!? AFB tried to one-up me in our last dual-post with his Avril Lavigne spinoff, but I think I have him beat this time around since I didn't even have to warp the lyrics!
I typically would be upset that a storm wiped away the last existence of a supermarket décor, but I find this case amusing (note: I in no way find the devastation and loss of life caused by this storm amusing) because Publix wound up on the right side of luck at San Carlos since they will possibly be paid to tear down the old Albertsons. Hurricane Ian also killed off the last 1980's Winn-Dixie Marketplace, but that store also seemed like it was living on borrowed time and had seen much better days.
I'll leave y'all with this photo, which happens to be one of the last pictures I took inside Publix #1331. Some of you may be able to spot the subtle significance of this shot, but it otherwise serves as a fitting closure for Mr. George Jenkins to have kept watch over the grand aisle of this store for its entire life as a Publix. I'm sure that can't be said about many of the company's stores! Anyway, this is also a sneak preview of my supplementary post scheduled to go live this Saturday over on my blog, so make sure to check it out!
That will wrap up today's coverage of former Albertsons #4413 / Publix #1331, but make sure to check out AFB's post on this store if you haven't done so already, and check back on the 10th for my special surprise post. Happy 9th anniversary to The Albertsons Florida Blog!
Until then,
- The Sing Oil Blogger
Again, great post! As I begin, I'd say this one is more like "Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana" since this is the second crossover you've had with AFB. I didn't know y'all had this location on hand, but I am glad to see it. Other than that, great effort with the graphics and I am surprised that this one was from 1995 - looks a tad older than that.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I guess “Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana” would’ve been more fitting, but you get the point! I’m glad that we both were able to visit this store before (and after) it closed which made for an interesting pairing. It isn’t often that AFB and I overlap in territory, but this store was too special for me not to see. This probably won’t be the last “Classy Collaboration” you come across either. Thanks for the compliments on the graphics too – they may not be perfect, but they still turned out pretty neat. I think it is the strip florescent lighting that really make this store much older than 1995.
DeleteGreat to see. In that case, since more are coming, what will the next one be... "Good Luck Jessie NYC Christmas"?
DeleteTrue, such a design can look more modern, but I would say the wall patterns from Albertsons make it so too.
Haha, maybe I'll keep "Good Luck Jessie: NYC Christmas" in my back pocket for next time!
DeleteThis is some interesting stuff by you and AFB! I'm looking forward to seeing the companion post on your blog. It's also great to see a link to my local Blue & Grey Market (well, maroon and grey now) Albertsons Town! I suppose I won't repeat the comments I made about this store at AFB's blog so be sure to check that out. It's interesting to compare this store to the aforementioned Albertsons Town and also the Krogertsons I mentioned at AFB...one of which I recently linked to at your blog on the Harveys-Dixie post I think.
ReplyDeleteOne interesting note about the strip lights is that when my local Blue & Grey Market Krogertsons got flooded by Hurricane Harvey, they completely stripped the store down including all the ceiling tiles since those were replaced with new tiles. You'd think that Kroger would use that opportunity to upgrade the lighting to the recessed type lighting that Publix uses (I suppose that is the name for them, but I'm not sure), but nope! Kroger kept the strip lights as you can see here: https://goo.gl/maps/sJWM3mfcwrUGPFGn6
The strip lights did give this Publixsons a bit of a dated and downmarket look. My thought on strip lights is that they don't look too bad as long as the drop ceiling is not too low. A vintage Kmart is an example of a store which had/has drop ceilings and strip lights which hang down too low. I don't think these Albertsons have low ceilings, but they are also not as high as the drop ceilings at some other retailers such as 1990s Kroger Signature stores. Those high drop ceilings are my most preferred look as compared to open ceilings and other types of drop ceilings. But, yeah, the typical lights Publix uses look better and more modern, IMO, than these strip lights.
It's funny that you mention that Publix put in a Tetris store here because I always call the Albertsons Blue & Grey Market floor, which is visible in that grand opening newspaper photo and at the Albertsons Town, a Tetris floor! The difference is that Albertsons' Tetris floor just had that annoying 'S' shaped Tetris piece. The Publix Tetris floor looks like a game of Tetris when someone has had too many of those 'S' shape pieces and so the blocks have a bunch of gaps in them! I suppose that is fitting for the evolution of this Publix!
It's kind of funny, but the color scheme of this Publix decor package is not as outdated to me as it might be to others. Safeway (well, Albertsons really) has recently started using the Colorful Lifestyle v2 decor package with their recent renovations at Texas Randall's and Tom Thumb stores. Colorful Lifestyle v2 is interesting because it is basically Safeway's mid-2000s Lifestyle v2 decor package with new colors and added use of local flair. Even with that, the Albertsons Southern Division prefers using that decor package than other newer Safeway decor packages here in current times. The colors of Colorful Lifestyle v2 look fresh to me, but they really aren't much different than this Publix decor package which dates from the same era that the original Lifestyle v2 came out! Here's a post I did about Colorful Lifestyle v2 over at HHR just for reference: https://houstonhistoricretail.com/2022/10/05/south-shore-harbour-randalls-gets-a-colorful-remodel/
If you think Colorful Lifestyle v2 is just a cheap way for Albertsons to renovate original Lifestyle v2 stores, well, that isn't always the case! Albertsons has done Colorful Lifestyle v2 renovations at stores here recently that never even had the original Lifestyle v2!
Thank you! If you haven’t already seen it yet, I published my companion post on this store’s afterlife this morning. I figured you’d appreciate the link to your local store, and I appreciate your help answering some questions for this post (without you knowing it). It is interesting to see how this store compares to your local Krogertsons too, as they share[d] a number of similarities.
DeleteAs we’ve mentioned before, Kroger can be apathetic when it comes to a number of things; it doesn’t surprise me that they left the old strip lights in place. That being said, it’s crazy that they even bothered to replace all of the ceiling tiles but not change out the lights. Strip lights and low dropped ceilings always make me think of a Kmart or an old Walmart and instantly seem to date a store. I think the recessed fixtures definitely help a store look more modern (it’s nice that Publix has used them since at least the 1980’s), as does higher ceilings or at least some higher sections of ceiling like the 42N Publix stores have from the early 1990’s.
I don’t understand why Albertsons decided to put the random “S” patterns in their vinyl floors since they don’t seem to do much. I can see you would call that a Tetris piece, and Publix essentially “losing” the game of Tetris is an appropriate evolution! In all seriousness, I’d think the distracting nature of the Publix “Tetris” floors probably helps to hide dirt, stain, and blemishes while also adding some visual interest to an otherwise dull space during a quick / cheap initial remodel. Most of these floors have held up pretty well for being over 10-years old and are also an easy way to tell when Publix acquired a POB (they used to use a grey and white Tetris pattern or just white tiles before). I’m not a huge fan of the tan vinyl tiles myself, but they could be much worse and are far better than the concrete floors underneath!
I do see some similarities of the colors between the Randall’s and CM 2.0, but something about the Colorful Lifestyle 2.0 package overall makes me think of a cross between Kroger’s Colorful Value and a Walmart Neighborhood Market package – but not in a good way. The color green in the produce department is just atrocious! I don’t think the package would look all that bad if they toned the colors down just a tad, but maybe it looks better in person.
I agree with you that the Kermit the Frog green color used in Colorful Lifestyle v2 is perhaps the worst part of the decor package. That South Shore Harbour Randall's makes that color choice look even worse thanks to the produce department having less local flair than other departments. Having more local flair would have helped cover those otherwise fairly bare walls and it would have made the green more of an accent color rather than the primary color. Also, the choice of satin/semi-gloss paint makes the walls look reflective and that is not a good, classy look. Oh well, aside from issues in the produce department, I do like the Colorful Lifestyle v2 colors. At least they avoided Harvey's yellow!
DeleteA properly maintained vinyl floor can last many, many years. I believe the Briar Forest & Dairy Ashford Blue & Grey Market Krogertsons here in Houston still has the original Albertsons 'S Tetris piece' floor from 1995 and it still looks pretty good (aside from the weird Tetris design!) here almost 30 years later. My local Grocery Palace Krogertsons has Albertsons' original Grocery Palace floor, along with the fake road, letter blocks, and all of that, and the floor looks like it could be brand new even though it is 20+ years old at this point. Here's a post Pseudo3D of the Carbon-izer website did about that store back in 2015...it hasn't changed much outside of the Krogerstons Express gas station (it was demolished and replaced with a normal Kroger gas station) and the signage on the front of the store: https://safewayalbertsonstexas.blogspot.com/2015/04/lets-go-krogering-at-former-houston.html
Gah, could you imagine a store combining the Kermit the Frog green with Yellow Down Down; they could just throw in some Winn-Dixie red for good measure!
DeleteThat floor doesn't look too shabby, and that reminds me of how good most of the 20-year-old vinyl tiles looked in the Pinson, AL Winn-Dixie I went to a few months back.
I visited this store in January 2022 and then you came along for your visit a few months later in May, and it seems in that timeframe that Publix really gave up caring for this building (as the front door wasn't broken during my visit, and the door in frozen foods wasn't broken either). I guess by May Publix's plans for the closure and demolition were already in place, so spending the money to fix things here wasn't their priority. I also find it funny how our tours go through the store in the reverse of each other - mine starting in the grand aisle and yours ending there.
ReplyDeleteI actually didn't find it too difficult getting in and out of the parking lot of this store, however I came in from the north and turned in from San Carlos and exited heading south on San Carlos to get to the ramp for Summerlin northbound. The construction of the ramps just made it harder to access the store from Summerlin Northbound - there used to be a direct turn from Summerlin into the store, but the ramps reconfigured that entrance to only be accessible from the Summerlin southbound on ramp. The area around here isn't bad at all either, I think your experience was just a fluke! The store was just as dead as you described it when I visited, but my trip wasn't during a peak time either. The store must do well enough for Publix to justify replacing it though, even if it is a lower volume operation.
This store has a strange run, and the way that run ended with a hurricane hitting the building was fitting considering all the other oddities of this place! Albertsons #4413 and Publix #1331 is gone now, but it's story will certainly not be forgotten! I'm glad you were able to make it here and see CM 2.0 before it met its demise, and I'm excited to see what tomorrow's post-mortem tour will hold!
I know for a fact that Publix had plans in place for the store’s closure and demolition by the time I visited if they had already told the cashiers! I remember the lady had no hesitation in telling me that the store would close in September, and that timeline seemed to mostly be correct. Even with the demolition pending, I’m still surprised that Publix didn’t bother fixing the freezer door or the front door! I can also tell you why our tours went in reverse order: I had to stop by the restrooms after my drive from and lunch in Naples. By that point, I figured I’d just continue on my tour from there rather than starting back from the grand aisle.
DeleteWe also seemed to come into the parking lot of the store from opposite directions since I exited from Summerlin after my drive up from Naples. I wish I had known to cross over San Carlos and then turn into the store though! I ended up coming from the north and turning in from San Carlos for the auction which was much easier.
Hurricane Ian closing Publix #1331 is about as fitting of an ending as I could imagine for this store! At least we got to document some of its quirks and make sure it certainly won’t be forgotten anytime soon. I think you’ve read my post-mortem tour by now so I hope you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the links/shout-out, and ha, I love the That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana comparison! Not sure it was intentional or not, but I like how your tour of the store walked the reverse direction from AFB's, as that allowed us to get two different perspectives on things. As I commented at his post, it's pretty wild to see just how much was left untouched (or minimally altered) from Albertsons here -- and I also concur that that's a heck of a lot of beer for one building!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! It wasn't intentional at all that I went through this store opposite of AFB, my only reasoning was because I stopped by the restroom shortly after I arrived! I agree that it was wild to see how little Publix did to this store, but the pictures of former #4441 that I shared a few weeks ago show how it is possible for Publix to have done even less!
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