You Can Put Lipstick on a Pig…
Safeway has decided to make over a few of its Northern Virginia stores to be a little more upscale. They’ve changed the lighting to be a bit more subdued, added more color, occasional hardwood floorings, and changed the way that their checkout stands look. Their target is Wegman’s, whose grocery experience is the gold standard for shopping. Stores are stylish, comfortable and cavernous and staffed with people who actually like their jobs (it’s the #2 company in the US to work for)
Sadly, the new Safeway on Route 7 just doesn’t measure up. When I went to pick up a few things, I was surprised at how long the lines were for the checkout. Sure, it was 7pm, prime shopping time, but the new Safeway only had three registers open, and about 30 people in line.
Guys. You can put lipstick on the pig, you can dress it up, but until you make the investment in good staff, and more of them, people are going to be pissed off because they had to wait to buy some OJ and cat food.
One of the perks of living out here in the sticks is that my default grocery store is Wegman’s.
When they opened up the new Herndon location, I wasn’t all that impressed. After browsing through the list, I’d give my right arm to work for this company, and applaud them for making it into the Top Ten.
The Safeway here in Silver Spring is pathetic. How do you count cheap? I could go 2 blocks to the Whole Paycheck and get great service, but they go overboard. Who needs rubberbands on every item and bags within bags? There has to be some middle ground, a few more lanes open would do the trick.
The places that multi-bag stuff give me an environmental apoplectic fit. Trying to convince them not to do it is an exercise in frustration as well.
Having grown up in western New York, where Wegman’s is based, I always assumed that’s how supermarkets were supposed to be. Needless to say, I was underwhelmed when I moved down and visited my first Shopper’s Club.