18 Replies to "Admiral Safeway: Looking ahead at its future"

• PSPS February 29, 2008 (7:02 pm)

  Let me guess. They want to expand the store and put in mood lighting like they did at Jefferson Square. May as well add a few floors of condos above, too.

  One of the least attractive aspects of West Seattle is the scourge that is Safeway.

• Iridius February 29, 2008 (7:25 pm)

  I like Safeway, the people at the Jefferson Square store are always nice and help out the community with their food drives for needy families!

• BGH February 29, 2008 (7:44 pm)

  Its safeway. What is there to like???????

• JanS February 29, 2008 (8:18 pm)

  PSPS…yes, unfortunately, you’re probably right. The manager of the store told me at least a year ago, that they would like to see what happens in the area before deciding, but that they might totally redo the store and perhaps build condos/apartments above. They do not lease the store, they own all of the property outright, he told me, so feel the need to expand to keep up with other stores in the area. Unfortunately for me, I live across the street, just east of the store, and if they build up, well, it will probably shut off the wonderful sunsets that I can now see from my deck over their roof ( not even talking about the disruption to the immediate neighbors during construction)

• JKB February 29, 2008 (9:30 pm)

  There’s not much to like for sure.
  I work in the Admiral district and went into the Admiral Safeway late this morning to deposit my paycheck and buy an Odwalla. At the check-out the cashier put my Odwalla (the only thing I was buying) into a bag (without asking me). I politely responded, “I don’t need a bag. Thanks though.” She stopped, looked at me and replied, “Everything needs to leave the store in a bag.” I was shocked at the abruptness of her response and confused. I asked her when this became the case as I had never had to take a bag before. She didn’t really respond, I took my receipt and went back to work. Five minutes later my co-worker went in to see if she would have the same experience from the same cashier. She was not forced to take a bag. So I called the store and told the manager about my experience. He asked me if he could ask me a personal question and asked me how old I am. I told him (22). He told me that if I hadn’t noticed, when I was in there the high schoolers were on their lunch. They have had problems with the students stealing from them, so they are requiring that every “young looking person” take a bag through the door with purchased items during their lunch hour and the cashier must’ve just thought that I was a “young person”. I let him know that I thought that’s what receipts were for and I REALLY didn’t want to take a bag. He responded with, “Then we would be checking 300 receipts”. I asked him if he thought this was age discrimination, that if there was such a theft problem at this time, why not ask everyone to take a bag or just check receipts at the door for 45 minutes? He said no, that they were just protecting their assets. He then said “I recommend next time you come in and really don’t want a bag, tell the cashier you’re not in high school,” and abruptly ended the conversation with me.
  Am I going to get carded now, just so I don’t have to take a bag???
  I wonder if Safeway’s response the theft would be the same if they found that a certain race or gender stole more? Would they make every hispanic person take a bag? Or all men, but not women?
  Is ageism really so different from racism or sexism???
  I have lived and worked in the community since I turned 18. I volunteer in my community, always pay my bills on time, have rescued 3 animals, keep a clean house and vote. By every definition, I am an upstanding citizen, great neighbor and responsible adult. I was appalled to be treated this way by a “member of the community”.
  Needless to say, I’m never stopping there to buy an Odwalla again. I’d rather go to PCC or Trader Joe’s anyday.

• Denny February 29, 2008 (9:33 pm)

  I hope they add a Trader Joes!

• JanS February 29, 2008 (10:34 pm)

  JKB…I sympathize. I also sympathize with the store. And I’ve learned to not go into the store during the highschool lunch hour…about 10:40am to about 11:30am. They used to ban the highschoolers from going into the store at their lunchtime, but…that’s discrimination , too. They are totally inundated with highschool kids…quite a few of which feel that shoplifting is no problem. I think Jack in the Box has banned students during school hours…sad, but sometimes has to be done.

  I’m sorry that your experience was so negative….

• JKB March 1, 2008 (4:16 am)

  Thank you, JanS. :)

• Sue March 1, 2008 (7:57 am)

  I’ve shopped at the Admiral Safeway for almost 30 years, spent tens of thousands of dollars and surely they recognize me as a regular customer. But I can’t make it though the store without being hounded by the same robotic question, over and over: “Are you finding everything you need?” Of course when you really DO need help, there’s not a person to be found, or they don’t have it, or have never heard of it. In all those years, I can remember asking for two things, tahini and semolima flour. The response was a great big HUH? Go Trader Joes!

• Paul March 1, 2008 (8:46 am)

  Unfortunately when there is a High School with an open campus policy in a neighborhood, there is always going to be a problem. Yes, Jack in the Box does not allow students in their location from 9 to 3, its clearly posted on the door. I actually do not mind this as I was in a Jack in the Box in Kent last week about lunch time and it was horrible. The students were anything but nice and I admit I swear but every other word was the f word. Back to WS, I agree, they should have a person at the door checking receipts just like Costco. I would think that would better protect their assets. Or, why not have a no backpack policy? John’s Deli has a rule, its either 1 or 2 kids in the store at a time, no exception. I think its working out pretty well for him. JKB, its nice to hear that someone young like you is such a responsible neighbor!

• A.M. March 1, 2008 (9:21 am)

  I’ve done most of my grocery shopping at the Admiral Way Safeway for the last 40 years, and I will continue to do so. Yes, there are times when I will go to the Metro Market for something special and Target to stock up on certain things but most of my groceries come from Safeway. It is a very competitive business and Safeway has the right to do whatever is needed to continue. For everyone that doesn’t like it, there are many other places in West Seattle to do your shopping.

• JenV March 1, 2008 (10:00 am)

  Sheesh- there are so many grocery stores going up in WS right now people are going to start calling WS “The Grocery District”

• Jo March 1, 2008 (10:51 am)

  Recently I was in the Admiral Safeway helping my 96-year old neighbor do her weekly shopping. We, unfortunately, went during the lunch hour when the WSHS students were in there. Since the aisles were so crowded with kids, and they were totally oblivious to anyone trying to get through with carts, and to the fact that an elderly person was trying to sloooowwwwly blaze her way through the crowds, I went ahead of her pulling her cart and just kept repeating, “We need to get through, please.” Over-and-over-and-over. The kids were generally well-behaved, but there were just too many of them.
  I also noticed that quite a few store employees were ‘stationed’ near the aisles where the kids were congregating ‘front-facing’ the merchandise. I’ve worked grocery stores, and it was very obvious that they were really there to keep an eye on things, i.e., shoplifting, rowdiness, etc.
  So, in all fairness, Admiral Safeway is more-or-less addressing the problem. I don’t shop at Safeway much, but if I do again I sure won’t go during the weekday lunch hour.

• JanS March 1, 2008 (10:55 am)

  JenV….I often think, because of all the grocery stores and restaurants (new ones opening all the time), that we must be the “eatingest” community for miles around – lol…what a reputation….

• Jo March 1, 2008 (2:18 pm)

  Jo: “I also noticed that quite a few store employees were ’stationed’ near the aisles where the kids were congregating ‘front-facing’ the merchandise.”
  I meant,” …store employees were ‘front-facing’ the merchandise on the aisles where the kids were congregating.”
  Yikes!

• Jerald March 1, 2008 (3:12 pm)

  Sue — You’ve hit upon one of my great irritations, and it’s apparently Safeway’s chain-wide policy. Every employee within earshot is obliged to ask if they can help you. I’ve written on their comment cards several times, asking them to use common sense and leave people alone unless they look like they actually need help. Most recently, at the Jefferson Sq. Safeway, I was flagged down by a checker and asked if I wanted to check out — and I’d just come in the door and had an empty cart! Ay yi yi.

• DWW March 3, 2008 (8:07 am)

  What a bunch of whiners, especially JKB. Safeway obviously has a much bigger problem than your little inconvenience with a bag; so recycle it or take your own. And instesd of spending all your time blogging and finding ways to complain, may do something to help solve the problem that is obviously more than just a problem for Safeway, it is a community problem.

• GB March 4, 2008 (7:31 am)

  So here are the ‘problems’ I’m seeing in these posts
  •Safeway employees are instantly supposed to recognize an upstanding citizen, and suspend a policy they explained was due to shoplifting.
  •some are opposed to plastic bags, but don’t bring their own.
  •some are offended by a stores attempt to provide service, and can’t just say ‘no thank you’
  •some complain there are too many places to shop. Hmm. many in the country don’t have anywhere to get food.
  If this is what are considered problems, we are truly blessed…which we are.
  Shoplifting is a community problem, sadly more so at high school lunch times. Shoplifting affects business and prices and therefore all of us. That’s the issue, not Safeway.

Sorry, comment time is over.