Watched the Edmond planning commission proceedings last night. The grocery store being built at Covel and Kelly is just a upscale Buy for Less. Blah!

why the hell is there another low end grocery store going into Edmond?!?
Why can't a Fresh Market type of store go into Edmond?

Are you saying this grocery store is from the same company as Buy For Less?
Can anyone confirm this?

Are you saying this grocery store is from the same company as Buy For Less?
Can anyone confirm this?

You can watch the proceedings from the Edmond planning council to confirm....its totally true....

It's an upscale grocery modeled on Whole Foods and HEB, just owned by the same people as Buy For Less.

Other grocery chains like Buy For Less already have the business model of starting upscale grocery stores that are focused on high margin items. It allows them to capture another market segment and see increased revenue and profit. Moving to this model has doubled the size of United Grocers based out of Lubbock in just a few years.

Buy for Less is probably looking at this trend and seeing their own opportunity.

Are you saying this grocery store is from the same company as Buy For Less?
Can anyone confirm this?

newsok.com: Edmond is getting new grocery store (http://newsok.com/edmond-is-getting-new-grocery-store/article/3556003?custom_click=pod_headline_edmond-news)

A new grocery store, specializing in organic and natural foods, will likely be built near Kelly Avenue and Covell Road in Edmond. Plans are to open Uptown Grocery Co. in February 2012.

BY DIANA BALDWIN dbaldwin@opubco.com
Published: April 6, 2011

EDMOND — Dirt work is under way at the future site of a new Edmond grocery store that will feature natural and organic foods.

Uptown Grocery Co. is being built near the southwest corner of Kelly Avenue and Covell Road.

Planning commissioners this week approved a site plan for the 50,000-square-foot grocery store. The developer said the store will mirror aspects of Whole Foods Market and H-E-B, a food retailer with stores in Texas.

City council members will make a final decision April 25, but plans call for the grocery store to open in February 2012.

The project is to include an additional 20,000 square feet of retail space.

“There is nothing like it in the Oklahoma market,” said Hank Binkowski, owner and president of the proposed Uptown Grocery and of the metro-area Buy For Less food store chain.

In addition to specialty and organic foods, Binkowski said, there will be meats, seafood, sushi and a large selection of exotic cheeses, plus concierge service, cooking shows, live entertainment, event planning and an on-site master florist.

“All of this is wrapped up in a more intimately-sized, shopper-friendly store,” Binkowski said.

About 25 percent of store inventory will be prepared foods. There will be places where people can eat at the store or take the food out.

“We believe that this store will be a destination location. Busy moms will be able get in and out quickly if necessary,” Binkowski said. “Families can pick up a meal and take it with them to Mitch Park for baseball practice. It will still be the store that stocks all the staple items that families need everyday.”

Susan Binkowski, the project's developer and wife of Hank Binkowski, said three to four years of research has gone into the project, which is designed specifically for Edmond.

The building is designed like those found in a New York warehouse district, she said.

The main entrance to the grocery store will be off Covell Road, across the street from Cheyenne Middle School.

Moving to this model has doubled the size of United Grocers based out of Lubbock in just a few years.

United, I believe, actually started in Altus and had several throughout southwest Oklahoma before they split ties with the Texas locations. The Oklahoma ones are now owned by Homeland, and it is sad that they never implemented the quality of the Texas stores.

I'm wondering why we have two threads talking about the same thing. This exact same store has been discussed here for several days.

http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=24460&page=2

As to my knowlege United in Texas was never the exact same company as the ones in Oklahoma. One Snell brother owned and operated the Texas stores, while the other Snell brother operated the Oklahoma United stores independantly. The Texas Uniteds had a totally different operating model. The Oklahoma Uniteds never had their own warehouse and every invoice was paid in full. Oklahoma Uniteds operated on Zero credit, everything paid up front. Incredible for this day and age up to 2008 or so when they sold to AWG who owns Homeland in Oklahoma. Texas Uniteds are going strong (last time I heard anyway) but run more modernly on credit, own their own warehouse/distro and upgrade regularly. Sadly the OKlahoma Uniteds were inheirited by a son that didn't know what he was doing, rarely upgraded or remodeled, had health issues and sold it. Their saleI is a huge loss to Oklahoma. Homeland (AWG) does not operate the stores anywhere near the integrity level the Snell family did. I beleive All United's in Oklahoma have to keep the United name untill the name reaches it's 100th anneversary, then they can legally be turned into "Homelands", which unfortunately they sadly already are.

It's an upscale grocery modeled on Whole Foods and HEB, just owned by the same people as Buy For Less.

So does that make it a... "Buy For More" ?? Lol

So does that make it a... "Buy For More" ?? Lol

I thought that was Homleands slogan. lol

The buy for less on i-35 and s. 44thchaaanged their name to smart saver anybody know the reasoning

The buy for less on i-35 and s. 44thchaaanged their name to smart saver anybody know the reasoning

Same with the one on NE 23rd and MLK, whats the deal? Also how does this affect the Kings Crossings development that was supposed to bring an Uptown Grocery to NE 23rd and MLK?

Watch for more changes....I hear that all the regular Buy For Less stores are going to Smart Saver banner. All the Hispanic Super Mercado stores are supposedly staying as is.
Only question is the store on NW EXP and Portland. I hear they are trying to decide if they are going to change it to Smart Saver or invest a bunch of money into it to make it an Uptown Grocery.

Smart Saver is way better than the Buy for Less that it replaced that we go to. Nothing fancy but way more clean and good prices.

Not to rag on the OP but that upscale buy for less (Uptown) and Covell and Kelly turned out to be pretty awesome :p

I would like to know this as well.

That NWE and Portland store is my favorite grocery store in the city. Incredibly helpful staff and great deli.

On a somewhat related note, I receive the Buyer's Edge newspaper and the Uptown Grocery flyer has a notice posted at the bottom of their flyer stating that effective 10/11/2016 they will cease all advertisements in newspapers and to go to the Uptown Grocery website to sign up for electronic promotions.

I heard over the weekend that Buy 4 less at 23rd and Penn is closing. wondering if just like the others it is just changing banners over to the Smart Saver.

Yeah they've changed a lot of their underperforming locations it seems. I wonder if the Buy For Less stores in Bethany will change over as well.

The "cost plus" business model seems to be the new fad in grocery. It seems like they (Best Buy) are splitting their stores... taking stores where it's appropriate more "upscale" and stores that cater to a more value conscious demographic to the "cost plus" model. The funny thing is, the "cost plus" model doesn't necessarily make things cheaper for consumers. But it does give that appearance.

23rd and Penn is permanently closing. I heard OCU is interested in the land. Penn and Hefner is also permanently closing.

23rd and Penn is permanently closing. I heard OCU is interested in the land. Penn and Hefner is also permanently closing.

I'd love to see OCU take the land actually. Anything that would improve that plot would be welcomed!

I'd love to see OCU take the land actually. Anything that would improve that plot would be welcomed!

Agree 100%. Would love to see OCU take it over and make improvements.