considering Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 I think the prices are a bit high...Compared to what store? I read about the high prices before moving into the area so I also checked out the Kroger on West Gray and found that on some of the staples (milk and bread) they were about the same. Is there a significantly lower priced grocery store nearby? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonmacbro Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 Compared to what store? I read about the high prices before moving into the area so I also checked out the Kroger on West Gray and found that on some of the staples (milk and bread) they were about the same. Is there a significantly lower priced grocery store nearby?Not sure about lower-priced stores in that area, but in the Houston area, yes. I find Kroger to be reasonably priced. I am not saying Randall's is exhorbitant, but it is more expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniepwils Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I did notice that this Randall's is even more expensive than Randall's out in the burbs (The only thing I compared was canned items, as that is all I really buy here anymore)Specs and Rice Ep. have better produce than Randall's nowadays.I did get in the mail a coupon/flyer announcing the re-grand opening of Randall's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
considering Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Specs and Rice Ep. have better produce than Randall's nowadays.Are you basing this on recent findings? I ask as it sounds like the quality of food (including produce, of course) is what they aimed to improve upon as part of this grand re-opening. Things might have changed. I don't have enough experience with Specs/Rice Ep. to say anything about them but I can say that I thought the produce at Randall's looked pretty good to me--a person with a suburban HEB background. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSOM Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Are you basing this on recent findings? I ask as it sounds like the quality of food (including produce, of course) is what they aimed to improve upon as part of this grand re-opening. Things might have changed. I don't have enough experience with Specs/Rice Ep. to say anything about them but I can say that I thought the produce at Randall's looked pretty good to me--a person with a suburban HEB background.They have expanded their organic produce section, other than that I haven't noticed much of a difference in the "new" Randalls.But, since all the money they sunk into it, I guess the rumor that they were in trouble (I was the one to start the thread) looks pretty much dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniepwils Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Are you basing this on recent findings? I ask as it sounds like the quality of food (including produce, of course) is what they aimed to improve upon as part of this grand re-opening. Things might have changed. I don't have enough experience with Specs/Rice Ep. to say anything about them but I can say that I thought the produce at Randall's looked pretty good to me--a person with a suburban HEB background.I have not been since the re-grand opening. I will have to try it. I too lived in the suburbs and have always liked Randall's but for some reason this one was always sub par. I will go take a look this week and check it out. (I hope they are as good as you say! I can stop going all the way to Wesleyan for groceries now) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
considering Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 I have not been since the re-grand opening. I will have to try it. I too lived in the suburbs and have always liked Randall's but for some reason this one was always sub par. I will go take a look this week and check it out. (I hope they are as good as you say! I can stop going all the way to Wesleyan for groceries now)Cool. Let me know what you think because I never got the 'before' experience and I'm curious to see if the grand re-opening really was an improvement or just a marketing ploy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 've been shoppong there since it opened, and it definitely loks better now. They rearranged the shelves, changed some of the flooring, and it looks like htey upgraded the fresh stuff a bit. the meat looks better, and there's a good variety. The produce section is good - I haven't noticed anything I've wanted not being there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barracuda Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 The produce section is much nicer and the store looks cleaner than before. The only bad thing is they scattered some product categories around the store, so it's hard to find some things if you're used to the old layout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disastro Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 Randall's prices have always been ridiculous. I think they are only doing well in areas where there isn't an HEB or WalMart around...so, that leaves them with few locations.I do agree the stores are nice and the meat and produce sections have always been top-notch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midtownuser Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 is there anyway we can just kill this topic? i think we all can agree that randall's is not going anywhere right now. and frankly, i hate logging in to haif and checking out the midtown section so i can hear about how fresh the produce is. isn't there any other news here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disastro Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 I especially LOVE the PASTA SECTION!!!MAN, Randall's has the greatest selection of PASTA in the city!!! GREAT STUFF!!!! MMMMMM!!!!!However, I've had trouble finding the NOSE HAIR CLIPPERS in there! I think they should make finding the NOSE HAIR CLIPPERS a piece of cake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 I recently read that Safeway was pulling out of the Chicago market, effectively ending the Dominick's name (though I believe that the name will survive). However, I'm concerned about Randalls, which was acquired at about the same time, and hasn't been doing too great in Houston as of late. Is it possible that Safeway will get rid of Randall's and leave the Houston market? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Vik Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 (edited) Randall's tends to be the most expensive out of grocery stores, besides Rice Epicurean and specialty markets like Whole Foods and Central Market. Edited October 15, 2013 by Slick Vik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 I recently read that Safeway was pulling out of the Chicago market, effectively ending the Dominick's name (though I believe that the name will survive). However, I'm concerned about Randalls, which was acquired at about the same time, and hasn't been doing too great in Houston as of late. Is it possible that Safeway will get rid of Randall's and leave the Houston market? Yeah, I would not be at all surprised to see Safeway do the same with Randall's. They seemingly have not been paying much attention to the chain. I wonder how Safeway stays in business... It seems they repeatedly go into markets, fail, pull out, wait a few years, buy their way back in, fail, pull out... Doesn't strike me as a prize-winning business model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 I'd like to see Randall's become an independent supermarket again, which is entirely possible, but so much damage has been done it will take years to undo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 I wouldn't be surprised if they left the Houston market. There was another chain they bought on the east coast (Genardi?) where they made the same mistake and ended up pulling out. I think at one point Randalls was the first or second largest chain in Houston, but Safeway managed to drive away most of their market share at the same time that competitors like HEB were entering the market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 Kroger's continued dominance (it picked up old Safeway/AppleTree stores, and later some Albertsons) and the rise of the Supercenter didn't help either. It also didn't help that Safeway tends to do a "one size fits all" approach, which screwed the chain as a whole over, while H-E-B, Kroger, and Fiesta wisely pick their merchandise mix accordingly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 A nice HEB is higher quality, more fresh store-made foods, and way way cheaper than Randall's. Randall's is rightly going the way of the Dodo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KinkaidAlum Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 The best part about my college days in Upstate NY? Wegman's. That was an awesome grocery store chain. Houston needs a Wegman's! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 Could happen...depends on how far it stretches. About five years ago, when I was with my cousins following the passing of our grandfather, my Florida-turned-Northeastern based cousin who spent some time at Rice regretted that there were no Trader Joe's in Texas. Of course, that's different now, since her sister-in-law takes somewhat regular trips up to the former Alabama Theatre with her husband (who stayed in Houston after Rice), and with at least two TJ's in town now surely must put an additional (but major) strain on Randall's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aarosurf Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 At least for the one at Shepherd and Westheimer, I've never seen more than one register open and I've never seen more than a handful of people in the store. Not sure how it has stayed in business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 (edited) At least for the one at Shepherd and Westheimer, I've never seen more than one register open and I've never seen more than a handful of people in the store. Not sure how it has stayed in business. And that's the one that's a block down from the Trader Joe's. Edited October 16, 2013 by IronTiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Could happen...depends on how far it stretches. About five years ago, when I was with my cousins following the passing of our grandfather, my Florida-turned-Northeastern based cousin who spent some time at Rice regretted that there were no Trader Joe's in Texas. Of course, that's different now, since her sister-in-law takes somewhat regular trips up to the former Alabama Theatre with her husband (who stayed in Houston after Rice), and with at least two TJ's in town now surely must put an additional (but major) strain on Randall's. I would think a closer competitor to Trader Joe's is Whole Foods. TJ's almost feels like a Whole Foods light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Samuel L. Jackson has released a statement in response to the news that Randall's is struggling. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMGMZsKXz94#t=0m25s 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 At least for the one at Shepherd and Westheimer, I've never seen more than one register open and I've never seen more than a handful of people in the store. Not sure how it has stayed in business. Which is sad, because when that location first opened it was very much the inner-loop grocery destination. I had friends on Stella Link near South Loop and from the Heights that made the trip especially to shop there. Last time I was there you could have rolled bowling balls down the aisles and not hit a soul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Whole Foods has been in Houston since the AppleTree days, but I'm more concerned on the future of Randalls. The most plausible scenario is having the brand hacked to pieces, with the remaining Houston grocery stores (Fiesta, Kroger, H-E-B, Whole Foods, and the no-name GSC supplied groceries) feasting on the remains. That's not to say there won't be one or maybe two Randalls leftover, but they'll be GSC supplied as well. However, at the way things are going, that's not guaranteed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Why do you keep using the word 'concern'? What's worth keeping about Randall's? Randall's has been surpassed in quality by various stores, and has always been expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Well, maybe "concern" is not the right word, and for all intents and purposes Randalls has been dead for years, but to me, it still represents "Houston" to me (after all, it still has a visible presence off of 290) and still a piece (albeit a shrinking one) of Houston's competitive but interesting grocery market. Maybe I'm just nostalgic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Randall's has always been way more expensive. Good riddance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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