Checking out the new Albany ShopRite
We can safely report: it's a modern supermarket.
The new Albany ShopRite opens this Thursday. If the opening of the Niskayuna location is any indication, the scene will probably be a zoo. Such is the product of the Capital Region's apparent supermarket obsession.
We were invited to check out the new Albany store today, and went for two reasons: 1) to gawk at perfectly stocked aisles and 2) to maybe find out why ShopRite has decided to build four stores in the Albany area -- and why now.
If you just want to see photos of the store, they're in large format above -- scroll all the way up.
ShopRite is betting big on the Capital Region. The Albany location will be its second store here. There's also an in-construction store in Slingerlands, and a fourth store planned for the village of Colonie.
The supermarket business is notoriously tough -- profit margins are something on the order of one percent. Chains make money by doing volume, and lots of it. So a company doesn't invest millions of dollars on a cluster of stores in a new area unless it thinks it can make significant dent in the market there.
So, what did ShopRite see in the Capital Region?
"We felt there was a great opportunity here. ... Based on the demographics and the excitement [for new options], it seemed like the right time," said Tom Urtz, ShopRite's VP of human resources and community affairs, to us today while store employees unpacked and arranged produce around us.
Urtz said the company has been looking to expand in recent years, and it's had success in the Hudson Valley. That prompted it to research the Capital Region, a process that included focus groups. And what did people in the focus groups want? "People were looking for competition and friendly service."
ShopRite locations -- open, in construction, or planned -- (yellow) and nearby Price Chopper locations (blue)
ShopRite is aiming to bring significant levels of both those things. Its choice of locations in the Capital Region has indicated an apparent desire to mix it up with the established players here, Price Chopper above all:
+ The Niskayuna store is down Balltown Road from a Price Chopper, and essentially right in the Golub Corp's backyard.
+ The Albany location is just down the street from the Westgate Chopper (and a Hannaford).
+ The Colonie location is down the road from the "green"/"kosher" Chopper.
+ And the Slingerlands location is literally right across the street from the Chopper there.
ShopRite officials went out of their way today to emphasize they that their strategy isn't necessarily aimed at going right after Price Chopper. But it's hard to see the locations as a coincidence.
Differentiation
ShopRite is also hoping customer service will help make it stand out from the competition. "The point of differentiation is [our] associates," Urtz said today, explaining that the company's training has focused on creating a positive and accommodating customer experience.
Another effort toward customer service: ShopRite from Home, its personal shopping service for pickup or delivery (see Craig's experience using it). Urtz said the service has been very popular in Niskayuna -- "exceeded expectations" -- and the company has been able to fold some of the lessons it's learned there in to the Albany store. The new location's design aims to highlight the service and make it easier to get in and out -- there's a separate entrance on the side of the building, and covered parking.
The personal shopping service is a good example of how the competition from ShopRite is already changing the market. Price Chopper introduced a similar service -- Shops4U -- at its Niskayuna store shortly after the arrival of ShopRite. And it recently expanded the service to... yep, you guessed it... its Westgate location. It'll be interesting to see how the competition continues to play out.
Urtz said today that ShopRite's current plan for the Capital Region is four stores. But they're always "exploring opportunities."
Old is new?
Sort of. As a lot of people probably remember, this isn't the first time the ShopRite brand has had a presence in the Capital Region. There were a few stores here that closed in the 1980s. ShopRite officials told us today those earlier stores were owned by a member of the cooperative that backs ShopRite stores. These new stores are owned by the corporation itself.
Store gawking
After poking around the store's various departments and browsing its aisles, we can safely report the Albany ShopRite is a modern supermarket. Sure, it's all shiny and new, but there's nothing significantly different about this store compared to any recent Hannaford/Price Chopper/whatever. That said, it is nice.
The Albany location is 65,000 square feet -- about 10,000 square feet larger than the Niskayuna location.
There are a bunch of large-format photos at the top of this page -- scroll all the way up.
Earlier
Daniel shopped the Niskayuna location the day it opened last October -- a lot of what he saw will probably apply to the Albany location.
Also: Where the supermarkets are -- and aren't -- in the Capital Region.
Find It
ShopRite Albany
711 Central Ave
Albany, NY 12206
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Comments
Thanks for this. The background info is much more interesting than the typical "Oooh, look at the stuff they let us sample!" reports that I'm sure they were aiming for. Great investigative work.
... said B on Apr 24, 2012 at 4:10 PM | link
It's an OCD paradise!
... said Pam on Apr 24, 2012 at 4:14 PM | link
they had me with remote ordering for the deli. that is the most time-consuming, irritating part of grocery shopping for me.
... said kobe on Apr 24, 2012 at 4:20 PM | link
But how are the prices? That's the first thing I want to know about any grocery store -- are they cheaper than/more expensive than Price Chopper or Hannaford? And do they operate on the Hannaford keep-all-of-the-prices-low model, or the Price Chopper jack-up-the-prices-but-have-a-few-cheap-things-with-a-loyalty-card model?
... said KB @ Home-Baked Happiness on Apr 24, 2012 at 4:25 PM | link
I'm originally from the Newburgh/Poughkeepsie area and there are usually two or more supermarkets within 2 miles of each other, which has lead to crazy double and triple coupon deals and some great sales. When I moved to Albany, this completely changed as Price Chopper basically has a monopoly on the market. For the most part I think that Hannaford aims at a different demographic, kind of our region's Wegmans (and a poor excuse at that.) Hopefully in a few months we'll see the results of this competition as ShopRites start opening up.
... said Jeremy on Apr 24, 2012 at 4:47 PM | link
the timing, location and quantity of Shop Rites arriving in the Capital District can only mean one thing:
Wegmans is coming.
Crazy, you say? Is it a new thing that people in this area are looking for "competition and friendly service"?
um. yeah. no.
There must be some buzz in the "Grocer's Monthly" trade journal that Wegmans is sniffing around and SR wants to gain some customer loyalty while the gaining is good.
don't be surprised....
... said Rebecca on Apr 24, 2012 at 4:56 PM | link
scene will probably be a zoo
Wait till you see Trader Joe's opening
... said Lu on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:14 PM | link
Great coverage as usual!
Heard they will have Boar's Head deli.
I don't care for it.
That means my favorite Sara lee will be shut out, love their Bavarian, honey baked ham.
Didn't care for the slippery floors, or lights with glare.
... said mg on Apr 24, 2012 at 10:21 PM | link
I really didn't care about this store opening (except for all the extra traffic it will cause me to drive through on my way home) untiiiiill seeing that remote deli station thing. HELLO DREAM STORE!
... said Paul on Apr 24, 2012 at 10:45 PM | link
Also: if Shop Rite wants to open a store to compete with / ideally replace the Delaware Ave Albany Price Chopper, that would be greeeeat.
... said Paul on Apr 24, 2012 at 10:47 PM | link
Observing flyers SR generally cheaper then PC and close to Hannaford I notice they do 3 for or 5 for...
The hype around Shop Rite is amazing remember they walked away from the capital region. Certainly Shop Rite will take away customers from PC but PC does that well on their own. Don't think Hannaford, or speciality markets will lose after the inital grand opening.
... said Jenna on Apr 25, 2012 at 10:31 AM | link
ShopRite should open in Defreestville at Route 4 & 43. There's a creepy shopping-center like parking lot with no retail -- "all dressed up and nowhere to go."
... said Bob on Apr 25, 2012 at 11:48 AM | link
I will probably check out the store, but I really do love my Hannaford. I think the only thing that could really keep me coming back to Shop Rite consistently is if they were to stock Palermo's Biscuits and Gravy breakfast pizza (http://www.palermospizza.com/breakfast-pizza/biscuits-and-gravy.aspx)...something impossible to find in this area. Although, like the other commenter noted, that deli order screen is a brilliant idea...that might be worthy of repeat visits from me as well.
... said Valerae on Apr 25, 2012 at 3:23 PM | link
The store is fresh and beautiful now but there are some real floor plan problems. To exit the store at the left end of the registers you have to make a sharp right turn into a doorway, then another immediate right turn in a tight space to exit through the door. Who designs a U-turn to be negotiated by loaded shopping carts?
... said Eric Scheirer Stott on Apr 29, 2012 at 4:16 PM | link
I hope you build a store up in SARATOGA!!! that would be so nice!!!
... said mark on Apr 29, 2012 at 9:08 PM | link
It is pretty clear the the ShopRite parent company WANTS Price Chopper in the co-op or as a purchase. This is why they are putting pressue on the chain by building stores near or across the street. Also note that the Shop Rite stores are slightly smaller which would make them easier to close in case of a merger. Price Chopper has been tough to go it alone against WalMart and Food Lion but this can't go on forever. I am guessing that PC will be part of Wakefern within 5 years.
... said StephenZ on Apr 30, 2012 at 5:31 PM | link
@Eric Scheirer thats because it wasnt designed for customers to exit through that door..they were put there for Loss Prevention..whose office is the door next to it
... said Gaza on May 18, 2012 at 7:53 AM | link
I'm still sticking with Honest Weight for most everything, but will use the new SR for those things that HW doesn't carry. SR is unionized, which means it's my new #2 after HW.
... said Barryct on May 18, 2012 at 9:27 AM | link
Thanks Gaza...but the floor plan still stinks. Since they built the whole store from the ground up why did they have to make it so tight and cramped- was there a restriction on the size?
... said Eric Scheirer Stott on May 18, 2012 at 10:05 AM | link
I am very excited to see ShopRite stores returning to the Albany region of NYS for the first time since the late 1980s. With Grand Union totally out of the picture, and with the ways ShopRite has improved the way they operate, Niskayuna, Albany, Slingerlands, and Colonie for locations is not enough. I hope ShopRite will open stores in East-North Greenbush, Latham, Scotia-Glenville, Clifton Park, Ballston Spa-Malta, Saratoga Springs-Wilton, Queensbury, Amsterdam, even areas like North Troy and Menands. There are more people living in the Albany region than in the 1970s and 1980s. ShopRite should hit these locations later this decade through next decade at the latest!!! More supermarkets like these mean more jobs and store variety!!! So far, so great!!
... said Mark Mattus on Sep 14, 2012 at 8:24 PM | link