So today I decided to shop at Safeway. I don't normally go there because it's really not very close to my home. I grew up shopping exclusively at Safeway and never thought much about it. I took Safeway for granted.
Years have passed. Choice is king. Right across the street from me are two well-known grocery stores, housed in purpose-built buildings and both less than a decade old. Their ambience is the same, though. Large, well-lit, fairly wide aisles. When you enter, produce is on your right. Frozen foods are on your left and along the back wall with meats. One does not bag your groceries for you; the other is slightly more expensive but has a limited variety of foods which are mostly the store brand. The second store, the expensive one, also has more self-checkouts than ordinary checkouts with a clerk. The first store, the so-called cheap one, does not. Both stores are always understaffed. Both stores are franchises of larger, well known grocery chains. Little brothers, if you will.
My goal for both of these stores is to get in then get out as fast as possible because their ambience is vanilla. Nada. Niente. It's almost as if they really don't want us to shop there. Why do I say that? Personal service is non existent. Pretty much what you would expect since they are both understaffed. At the cheap store, most of their employees seem as if they might be students with a part time job. At the expensive store, their employees come from a wide variety of ages.
But today, friends, I was in for a treat. A happy shopper am I.
Today I went to Safeway. Before I even entered the store two friendly shoppers stopped to talk to me. They were both helping me with my shopping cart/basket. I walked in the door. Low and behold, produce was on the left (yay for differentiation). Another friendly shopper stopped to chat there.
I was feeling friendly and I had only taken ten steps inside the door. As I traversed the store from aisle to aisle I was greeted by so many employees who were stocking the shelves, checking the shelves, tidying the shelves. Without exaggeration, an employee engaged me in pleasant conversation in virtually every aisle. Some asked if I needed help (I didn't). Some asked if I had found what I was looking for (pretty much yes). Some just asked how I was (better and better as I let this new grocery-shopping ambience wash over me!). The clerk at the checkout was also very friendly and extremely helpful.
Why did I ever stop shopping at Safeway? I totally have no clue but I do know one thing. I'm going back in a few days and afterwards, frequently again.
Shopping at Safeway was just SUCH a great time. The store felt cozy and not overwhelmingly bright-white-in-your-face. It was so friendly. The employees are obviously trained in customer appreciation and they all seemed happy at their jobs. It's well known that Safeway is an equal-opportunity employer with many types of people working there. Oh, and one more thing. It was so wonderful to have so many choices and varieties of goods throughout the store. I have missed that soooooooo much while shopping at my neighborhood grocery stores (the one where you get the smart price and the one where you get extra). Both those stores are sterile and just horrible in comparison. Lack of choice. Lack of product. I could go on. The bottom line is ambience and choice. Choice is king.
I choose Safeway from now on. So happy! (Thank you Google Maps for the pic.)
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