It’s not likely that we’ll see any changes immediately, but Crain’s Chicago Business is already theorizing that Cerberus may turn around and sell Jewel-Osco to another buyer shortly after acquiring it – possibly to Kroger:
…most knowledgeable observers think the group will keep the Albertsons business and sell the others, including Jewel.
Grocery chain Kroger Co. is a possible taker of Jewel-Osco, the biggest local grocery chain, with some 180 stores, the vast majority in the Chicago area. By comparison, Dominick’s has 73 stores in the Chicago area.
“Kroger is the only logical buyer,” said Bill Bishop, a veteran retail food consultant in Barrington.
If Cerberus does keep Jewel-Osco, CouponsInTheNews.com has some interesting (and rather disturbing) information on how Cerberus-acquired Albertson’s stores have been operated:)
Cerberus instituted a number of changes in its stores that are worth noting, as it may make similar moves once it absorbs Supervalu’s Albertsons… Under Cerberus, Albertsons Markets did away with their loyalty card and also did away with a chain-wide coupon policy. “We want to offer all of our customers the best deals every week, and that means marketing EACH store as if it were our only store,” the Albertsons Market “coupon policy” reads. “We don’t have a blanket policy that fits every store and every market area, because your store, just like your community, is unique. Even our weekly ads are specific to your store. We’re part of your community, not a chain that tries to make ‘one size fit all.’”
Compare that to Supervalu’s Albertsons stores, which have one consistent coupon policy. And a generous one at that, including occasional “twice the value” doubled coupons, and any overage can be applied to your purchase (though you can’t get cash back). Albertsons Markets’ policies vary widely – some may offer double or triple coupons, some may take competitor coupons, some may issue and accept store coupons, and some may do all or none of that. So it can be awfully hard to find accurate policies, ads and coupon matchups for Albertsons Markets stores in a particular area. If you shop at a Supervalu Albertsons store, prepare for possible coupon policy chaos if Cerberus institutes its “no coupon policy” policy throughout the entire reunited Albertsons chain.
That sounds like absolute chaos to me..! I cannot imagine having completely different policies, sales, and promotions at two Jewel-Osco locations that are mere miles apart. Consistency between stores is a customer-service plus, not a minus.
When the dust settles and the new owners take operations over (whoever the new owners ultimately are) we’ll have to see what happens…
