34 former Albertsons now 'Fresh Market' stores

Associated Food Stores Inc. has a sweet deal to entice customers inside the 34 former Albertsons that the company reopened Monday under the name "Fresh Market."

Customers bringing in their Albertsons loyalty card to any Fresh Market will receive a free five-pound bag of sugar, said Dick King, Associated Foods vice president, who will be in charge of the new stores.

King on Monday announced the completion of the deal between Minneapolis-based Supervalu Inc., which had owned the stores, and Associated Foods. The stores opened with the new branding beginning at noon, with some stores opening earlier.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

At midnight Friday, Associated Foods told Albertsons store directors the game plan for turning the stores into Fresh Markets.

"We had crews of people arrive at 6 p.m. Sunday night," when the Albertsons were closed, said King, who has worked for Associated Foods since retiring from Albertsons after 36 years. The crews wrote orders for fresh and perishable items, which were brought in from Associated Foods' warehouse in Farr West, Weber County. On Monday, new bakery, service deli, meat and produce items had Fresh Market labels.

Store employees had a meeting with store directors Sunday at 9 p.m., and some stayed all night to get the stores ready. Throughout the night, they built new displays, hung banners and began stocking Associated Foods' private label, Western Family, on shelves.

All stores have "Fresh Market" banners across the front. Electronic signs won't go up until the beginning of the year, except for two stores in Park City, were Associated Foods will rebrand this month, before ski season. The remaining stores will have final rebranding next year, so that construction will not interfere with holiday shopping, which King described as an important part of sales.

"We want to make sure we're out of the way for customers," King said.

Customers interviewed at the downtown store, 370 E. 200 South, like Eduardo Simon of Salt Lake City, had a wait-and-see attitude toward the change. "This is my first time shopping with the new name," Simon said. "I don't know what changes are coming along with it."

Debbie Wood of Salt Lake City hopes prices will be low. She has usually shopped at Smith's and Albertsons.

"I usually look at their ads," she said. "And I usually shop at both."

Mirene Culp of Salt Lake City tends to avoid the downtown store, which she wishes would be remodeled. She prefers to shop at Smith's on 400 South.

"I think (the change) will be fine," she said. "I'll still come here as often as I did before."

Associated Foods spokesman Rand Mickelson said prices are going to be lower than they were at Albertsons.