WRRB/Telegram District City Council Forum 10/18
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This forum is for all district council candidates; all candidates are here
today. Format: 14 total questions, 4 questions across districts (for all
candida...
6 months ago
13 comments:
You predicted this a good year ago. Shaw's in Auburn and Webster Square on life support?
Harry T
Worcester,MA
Building 19 of Grafton St closing - says they "lost their lease". What's the deal?
technically I believe Big Y's lease is ending also. If you are not making any money, makes no sense to renew lease.
Maybe this is what is happening to Building 19. Harry rumor is Shaw's Webster Square is next. Have you been in there? Way too f---- big.
Now imagine if the gov't ran the supermarkets. Under performing stores (services) would be kept on taxpayer life support so all the hacks didnt lose their jobs. Think Post Office. Think Masspike toll takers.
I was amazed for about 12 years starting in the late 90's as new supermarket after new supermarket was erected in Worceter. Some merely replacement for nearby outlets....others being new on the scene. I think I counted maybe 10 of them over that time span. It finally came full circle when the Shaws on Grafton St bit the dust.
So......that begs the question, whats going at Diamond Chev, if anything? Completely phased out? Used car outlet. Combo new & used? DeMoooula's????? Who remembers when Mr K was allegedly trying to site a Stop & Shop at Park and Chandler and as I recall zoning had to be "tweaked" and for whatever reason, obvioulsy it naever happeend?
My thoughts go out to Air Forceman Broduer and his family of Auburn as he is laid to rest today. He and those like him are todays true heroes. I am tired of seeing the word hero bandied about for many folks who are neither heroes at all or are synthetic heroes or hero wannabes. When it hits close to home, it always seems to hurt a little more
The Market Basket rumor still persists on Park Ave.. Drive by and check out the amount of land.
There is a big difference between the 2 scenarios. Big Y decided not to renew at the Route 20/Sunderland Road location due to weak sales numbers. The owners wanted them to stay as an anchor tenant.
Lost your lease usually means that the plaza owners, in this case the owners of the Grafton St. plaza, have decided to not let Building 19 negotiate another lease agreement because they most likely have someone willing to pay more for the location. Perhaps a retailer has approached the owners that not only want the Building 19 location but the adjoining former A.J. Wright. It's a win-win for the ownership of the plaza because they get one for the price of 2 storefronts. And this may not be a bad thing if the retailer they are courting is more upscale than Building 19.
As for the “soon” to be former Diamond Chevrolet location on Park Ave. rumored to be a Market Basket location, I’m not sure that would be the best use for such a visible location unless it involves some ancillary development at the same location. Although I think a Market Basket would do very well in Worcester, why would you want to sacrifice such a visible location for a standalone supermarket with acres & acres of asphalt for parking? IMHO, not very good urban planning and contributing to Worcester becoming more and more like a suburban rather than urban locale.
Folks do you really think that another supermarket could make it in Worcester at the Diamond site? I would tend to think not. Now if Shaws at Webster Sq gets whacked, then maybe the Diamond site becomes more viable as a market?
David I agree, it's a highly visible site, but things like new car dealerships that go for this type of visiblity have just about abandoned Worcester. Then again, how one of those big box used car outlets like Auto Max or whatever they call them. There are 2 or 3 nationwide.
One thing I will say about the Grafton St site is that it's only about a 3/4 mi. to easterly suburbia where there is more disposable income. TJ Maxx Co's are out of there. How about a super duper, 1970's style big box Last Chance Saloon with lotsa big hair :)
Only if it includes the late lamented BJ's Disco! :)
Then are those who recall the Sveden House all u can eat smorgsbord at that site. Talk about the All American Pig Out..........it put The Hometown Buffet to shame.
Drink all day at The Last Chance Saloon then stagger/crawl next door to Sveden House to cure the munchies.
We used to like the Last Chance Saloon when a Friday or Saturday night wasnt going too good...so we'd hit the Last Chance Saloon with a foreign load on (bartenders hate that) just b4 Last Call.
I was speaking to the Dollar Store clerk on Grafton Street. That plaza was sold. Big Lots will be opening where Building 19 and AJ Wright was. Their is also talk about Stop and Shop shutting down there too.
He also mentioned Big Y and he indicated that Market Basket will be opening in it's place. Remember that info came from a clerk so it's a rumor, but damn wouldn't that be awesome!!. I currently drive from Grafton to Oxford to shop there. Big Y is crazy expensive. More expensive then Stop and Shop..but they have a nice magazine. I guess we know why their prices were so costly.
It's not suprising that Big Y's or Show's close. Their service is shoddy, and their prices are high. Market Basket can seem to get away with bad service due to their low prices. What we need in place of these half-baked markets is a Hannafords, or the equivalent. Between Market Basket at the Diamond Chevorlet site and the Wegman's coming in October, these other supermarkets are going to be looking at some hard times, especially with old markets with underwhelming service. Shaw's is a damaged brand and just needs to close all their stores or be purchased by someone with a good track record and a good name.
Rumor is that Big Y in Spencer (Fair Plaza rt 9) declined to renew their lease and is month-to-month. The Aubachon & Hallmark stores left to be replaced by auto parts. The liquor store left last year.
Big Y doesn't have their own distribution warehouses, I believe they use C&S Wholesale. So their costs are higher. Shaws is owned by SuperValu, and is unwilling to lower their prices to be competitive. And I think they sold most of their real estate and lease it back. Stop & Shop will lower their prices so that they are more or less competitive when Market Basket rolls in. Market Basket is privately owned, pinches pennies, and seems to be 10-20% cheaper than S&S or Shaw's. In Watertown / Waltham, there is a Shaws & a S&S a few blocks apart - the Shaws is devoid of customers but S&S is doing okay, so I bet Shaw's will sell off or close most of their MA stores in the next 10 yrs. As for Price-Rite, some of their produce is good, but their meat is low-quality and questionable, the dairy is short-coded as well as half the grocery. Good for bran flake cereal, Mastrioni rolls, Friendly's ice cream, and basil.
Supermarkets love low-inflation like the last 20+ years. They pass along the wholesaler's 1-3% price hikes and tack on an extra 1% that you don't notice. So, their gross profit margins are say ~20% higher than they were in say 1985. Now that inflation is high and wages low, people are pinching pennies and supermarkets will go out of business like they did in the 1970s due to the inflationary cost of oil. Remember First National or A&P?
I heard Walmart is going in at the Old Building 19/AJ wright but the big lots rumer is more likly.
Gone out near me.
Tire Warehouse
Big y
Building 19
Borders
AJ wright
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