Homeland Grocery Stores

[AP]

There are rumors that the 18th and Classen Homeland may be slated for closure. Can anybody confirm or deny that? If so, it's beyond mindboggling being that it is such an underserved yet growing part of the city. The store is unsuccessful because its run down and filthy, not because there isn't a market for a grocery store in the area. It's sad that most people I know who live downtown either drive to the Belle Isle Wal-Mart or the S 104th and May Crest to do their grocery shopping. Anybody who thinks downtown OKC has arrived needs to wrap their minds around that.

Where did you hear that rumour?

[bchris02]

Where did you hear that rumour?

A friend of mine told me about it so I am not sure if there is actually truth to the rumor or of its just hear-say. The store is in such bad shape that if it doesn't get upgraded, it won't be long for the world if Uptown Grocery opens a Midtown location in a few years like is rumored. It would be awesome if Homeland would simply bulldoze it and build a new store but that's dreaming.

[zachj7]

I may be wrong, but I believe Safeway and Albertsons used to be in many of the Homelands in the OKC metro? Safeway and Albertsons may have been crappy back in the 80s but if you visit their stores on the west coast, they are pushing for quality. Once Homeland moved in, their quality has continued to deteriorate. Getting grocery stores in inner city locations has always been tough. Most cities in the midwest have had issues pulling in grocery stores closer in.

[Pete]

This particular location was a Safeway before a local group spun off all those stores to become Homeland.

It was absolutely the worst thing that could have ever happened to the OKC grocery scene, as the Homeland group became an stagnant island while the rest of the world moved forward with redesigns and new concepts. Then Walmart stepped into the void and here we are.

[bombermwc]

For all of its life, Homeland has made every possible wrong decision. They've gone bankrupt how many times now? It's amazing that they are still around because anything they built has closed. It seems like most of the stores still open, are ones they bought from someone else...ie 29th/Sunnylane (was a new Albertson's). Buy For Less is slightly better, but they tend to let things fall too, like the newish Albertsons at 15th/Post.

Margins are incredibly tight with grocers, but when you have poor management, you're doomed. If you can't compete in a price war with WalMart and Crest, you're not going to make it. Homeland's are typically little piece of crap stores too that don't have enough room to hold enough variety to make them worth going in the doors.

[bchris02]

I would say Albertson's leaving the market was another severe blow. Had they remained it's very possible they could have upgraded many of their stores by now. Homeland seems to be content in letting them die slow deaths like the one at NW Expressway and MacArthur did. A national chain, even one with problems like Albertson's had in the mid 2000s when they pulled out of the market, would be better than Homeland.

I haven't seen any other city with as low quality grocery stores as OKC. Tulsa at least has Reasor's, a quality local chain that is growing and competing. One thing that could fix the situation here is for Homeland to be bought out but I have no idea what the chances are of that happening. One would think that national players may see opportunity in OKC. Maybe alcohol sales is the issue? Many here reluctantly shop at Wal-Mart and would be open to going elsewhere if they had another option.

As for the inner city, a quality grocery chain be it Reasor's or one of the nationals would be jumping on the opportunity that is the 18th and Classen store rather than letting it rot.

[traxx]

This particular location was a Safeway before a local group spun off all those stores to become Homeland.

...the Homeland group became an stagnant island while the rest of the world moved forward with redesigns and new concepts.

Why does this always happen to OKC? This and 7-11 and it seems like there's one other example of this that I'm forgetting right now.

[Pete]

Fortunately, both Homeland and 7-11 are being worked around now by enterprising competitors.

OnCue is getting much more aggressive and basically stepping into the QuickTrip void.

Other grocery stores are starting to do the same.

[zachj7]

Thank goodness. Crest continues to step it up however which is great. Homeland is destined to fail and they don't seem to be doing much about it. Do they not care?

With homeland falling apart (hopefully) there seems to be a unique opportunity for a national chain to come in.

I wonder if Walmart neighborhood market will make an attempt to be at that location... eventually.

[WenDragon]

Heard a rumor that the Homeland at 23rd and Rockwell in Bethany is changing the name to Cost Plus Market? I see they're undergoing a renovation...anyone else heard this?

[Roger S]

Nope but Cost Plus has to be the worst wording for a grocery store name I've ever heard...... I guess maybe they might have been going for truth in advertising.

[Pete]

Just learned they will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday and reopen Thursday as Cash Saver.

The store is still owned and operated by Homeland, but it's a cut-price concept where they supposedly sell everything at 'cost'.

They have done only some slight remodeling but claim the prices will be lower.

[Martin]

Nope but Cost Plus has to be the worst wording for a grocery store name I've ever heard...... I guess maybe they might have been going for truth in advertising.

in the early 90's there was a grocery on sw 89th & western that used exactly the same name. the idea was that every item was marked as "cost" and at the register you paid cost plus 10%... it was probably the worst grocery store concept i've ever seen. hopefully this store in bethany won't be doing the same thing. -M

[bchris02]

They did the same thing with the 39th and Penn store before it eventually went out of business. I would say that store's days are numbered. Cash Saver has failed at every other location that they've tried it.

[Pete]

It may be just an exit strategy they use when a store is on its last legs.

[mkjeeves]

I hate to see it but I'm not surprised. They are never busy. I've been using their pharmacy for nearly 40 years and do some grocery shopping there. They have lots of competition.

[bchris02]

I hate to see it but I'm not surprised. They are never busy. I've been using their pharmacy for nearly 40 years and do some grocery shopping there. They have lots of competition.

That Homeland is far enough away from the nearby Crest that it should be able to survive. The Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market that was nearby is now shuttered. I think the issue is not competition but the fact that part of town is in serious decline. That area really reminds me a lot of Del City.

[mkjeeves]

That Homeland is far enough away from the nearby Crest that it should be able to survive. The Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market that was nearby is now shuttered. I think the issue is not competition but the fact that part of town is in serious decline. That area really reminds me a lot of Del City.

Since I moved to this neighborhood and shopped there regularly, here's a few stores that have been built and compete with their business: Walmart was built a mile down the road, first at 23rd at Mac and now at Reno and Mac. So the supercenter is less than 2 miles away. That took the main toll. Buy for Less at 36th and Mac. Family Dollar next door just opened. Dollar General on every corner, two I can think of within a mile, Walgreens across the street, Aldi at 23rd near Mac less than a mile. Slightly farther and new since it was built, Sams at I-40 east of Mac, and Target at NW highway and Rockwell, more recently entering the food market. Most of that isn't real new, but the store has been in trouble for a long time the best I can tell.

There appears to be plenty of groceries being sold in the area, and lots of places to buy them, much more than before. However, I don't shop at most of the places I just listed. Buy for Less at 23rd and Council is the closest store to me and I do go there some but Homeland is better. Crest at 23rd and Meridian is better still by far and I sometimes shop there, so yes, it does affect their business.

[bchris02]

Homeland could survive in that location if they would up their game, but they don't appear interested at all in actually competing with more than just a few stores. In cities other than OKC, its rare to have to drive more than a mile or two to a grocery store and usually there are several stores. This Homeland, while there are other options within a 4 mile radius, is far enough from other grocers that it should be able to survive. It's failing for the same reason the NW Expressway and MacArthur location failed; they ran it into the ground after taking over from Albertson's.

[mkjeeves]

I forgot about the two Braums in the area that were built since this store's heyday, one a half mile east and one a couple of miles away at Council at Reno.

Here's what the area looks like. If you lived next door to the Homeland, you would have 4 full stores within two miles, a Walmart supercenter another mile away, and a bunch of places to pick up some household goods. As I said, most of that didn't exist when that store was built and thriving. (Not to mention at least 6 convenience stores in the area, which have always been around in some form.)

[mkjeeves]

I stopped in to pick up a couple of things this afternoon around 4PM and they were packed. I don't know what promotional stuff they have been doing but it seems to have worked this week.

[Pete]

I stopped in to pick up a couple of things this afternoon around 4PM and they were packed. I don't know what promotional stuff they have been doing but it seems to have worked this week.

Notice much change?

How were the prices?

[mkjeeves]

They started moving stuff around a couple of weeks before so there wasn't a lot of new change this trip but there are some small changes. Nothing earth shattering, overall, seemed like less stock and more of the warehouse grocery look, cans in boxes on shelves, rather than cans on shelves. Some produce has been moved to stands made to look like crates. (I am of course annoyed about 8 of the 12 or so items I buy regularly there are in different spots, but I'll learn.) There are a handful of tables and chairs by the deli where they formerly had flowers. Not sure if the flowers are still there or elsewhere. Good idea, I think, and similar to other stores with delis where you can eat in and shop. Prices I'm not sure I can comment on. I bought maybe five things and the prices were about the same as before I think but I'm not real price conscious, other than I know I pay more for soda there than if I get at Buy for Less,did before and still do, like 20% more, but Buy for Less doesn't carry some of the regular items I buy at this store, coffee brand for one. And I was picking up a prescription. Did not care for the mind game of having to mark up the shelf price 10% to know what I was paying. Lot of energy it seemed though. Lots of shoppers, staff moving around, registers open. Prices may indeed be cheaper and/or they may make a shift in perception of their shoppers of who they are and get some market share back.

[metro]

Yeah, I don't think it's so much as the area is in a "decline", it's just that Homeland sucks and refuses to have modern standards.

[bchris02]

Yeah, I don't think it's so much as the area is in a "decline", it's just that Homeland sucks and refuses to have modern standards.

I wish another grocer would seriously take on Homeland with a modern store like OnCue is targeting 7/11. That is really what is needed if OKC's grocery store scene is to ever improve.