ronnie_suburban wrote:More north-suburban Mariano's news . . .

Northbrook trustees unanimously gave their approval for a development that is hoped to bring a Mariano's grocery store, a multistory apartment building, a bank, a Panera Bread and other retail space to the eastern part of the village.

Northbrook trustees OK Northshore 770 development

=R=

I also saw the article. Interesting to see if Mariano's does in fact open there as there will be another Mariano's about three miles straight south of there in Northfield.

Dave148 wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:More north-suburban Mariano's news . . .

Northbrook trustees unanimously gave their approval for a development that is hoped to bring a Mariano's grocery store, a multistory apartment building, a bank, a Panera Bread and other retail space to the eastern part of the village.

Northbrook trustees OK Northshore 770 development

=R=

I also saw the article. Interesting to see if Mariano's does in fact open there as there will be another Mariano's about three miles straight south of there in Northfield.

Mariano's apparently feels that the business can support stores in such close proximity. Harwood Heights is two and a half miles from the Park Ridge Dominick's that they purchased. Lawrence and Ravenswood is two and a half miles from Western & Roscoe, but only a mile and a half from Foster & Sheridan ( another Dom's that they purchased )

I can't see Roundy's doing this, if they are in fact taking over the nearly-new Dominick's property at Willow i-94 - a five-minute drive from this project. It's nonsensical planning.

Dave148 wrote:Interesting to see if Mariano's does in fact open there as there will be another Mariano's about three miles straight south of there in Northfield.

No idea if Mariano's is doing this, but offhand I can think of two Jewel stores that are a mile-and-a-half apart. The one at Ashland and Wellington and the one at Western and Roscoe. I'm not vouching for the wisdom of that (I don't know how successful the one at Western and Roscoe is, especially with a Mariano's now its next-door neighbor), but at the very least it shows that a chain having two locations in close proximity is not unprecedented.

It may be as much about having a dominant market-share in a region as it is about individual store profitability. A Mariano's occupying a prime plot of land means a Jewel or Treasure Island not occupying that same plot of land. (Although as we see they can be close by.)

riddlemay wrote:

Dave148 wrote:Interesting to see if Mariano's does in fact open there as there will be another Mariano's about three miles straight south of there in Northfield.

No idea if Mariano's is doing this, but offhand I can think of two Jewel stores that are a mile-and-a-half apart. The one at Ashland and Wellington and the one at Western and Roscoe. I'm not vouching for the wisdom of that (I don't know how successful the one at Western and Roscoe is, especially with a Mariano's now its next-door neighbor), but at the very least it shows that a chain having two locations in close proximity is not unprecedented.

It may be as much about having a dominant market-share in a region as it is about individual store profitability. A Mariano's occupying a prime plot of land means a Jewel or Treasure Island not occupying that same plot of land. (Although as we see they can be close by.)

It's not as if this occurs randomly, they obviously study it in advance. Nobody makes these huge investments without doing some homework.

riddlemay wrote:

Dave148 wrote:Interesting to see if Mariano's does in fact open there as there will be another Mariano's about three miles straight south of there in Northfield.

No idea if Mariano's is doing this, but offhand I can think of two Jewel stores that are a mile-and-a-half apart. The one at Ashland and Wellington and the one at Western and Roscoe. I'm not vouching for the wisdom of that (I don't know how successful the one at Western and Roscoe is, especially with a Mariano's now its next-door neighbor), but at the very least it shows that a chain having two locations in close proximity is not unprecedented.

It may be as much about having a dominant market-share in a region as it is about individual store profitability. A Mariano's occupying a prime plot of land means a Jewel or Treasure Island not occupying that same plot of land. (Although as we see they can be close by.)

It's not as if this occurs randomly, they obviously study it in advance. Nobody makes these huge investments without doing some homework.

Dear Mariano's, is it me? Dominick's wasn't good enough for us, but are we good enough for another grocery?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/ ... 454.column

Dave148 wrote:http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/ct-johnson-grocery-column-talk-1224-20131224,0,1608454.column

FYI, this is inside the Trib's paywall.

BrendanR wrote:

Dave148 wrote:http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/ct-johnson-grocery-column-talk-1224-20131224,0,1608454.column

FYI, this is inside the Trib's paywall.

To beat the paywall just Google the title and use their link. Works every time

This does not make any business sense to me. To open a Mariano's just a few miles north of where they are committed to opening in the former Dominick's/Northfield spot....? I would be very surprised if Mariano's is seriously interested in that location. This is the suburbs, not the city. Furthermore, the stretch between the supposed two Mariano's is loads of vacant land. There is no comparison to that distance and the same distance in a congested, populated city few miles .And any business knows to build along a highway is risky because the highway represents an invisible border that somehow inhibits some people from crossing when deciding where to shop.

jilter wrote:And any business knows to build along a highway is risky because the highway represents an invisible border that somehow inhibits some people from crossing when deciding where to shop.

This is interesting. I never thought about it (nor had reason to, since I live in the city) but it intrigues me. I assume you mean that even if there is a convenient underpass or overpass, so that people don't have to drive any extra distance just to get to the other side, people are still disinclined to drive to the other side.

riddlemay wrote:

jilter wrote:And any business knows to build along a highway is risky because the highway represents an invisible border that somehow inhibits some people from crossing when deciding where to shop.

This is interesting. I never thought about it (nor had reason to, since I live in the city) but it intrigues me. I assume you mean that even if there is a convenient underpass or overpass, so that people don't have to drive any extra distance just to get to the other side, people are still disinclined to drive to the other side.

I'm not sure what "highway" you're referring to. The Northfield location is on Willow - just west of the Edens. Easily accessible from either direction of Willow. The Dominick's at that location did quite well. No nearby competition.

I'm interpreting the Tribune article as Northbrook hoping to score a Mariano's for the new development. I don't see any commitment on Mariano's behalf.

Just a guess based on nothing, but I think the Mariano's in the new development was planned before Mariano's came into the Dominick's store. Ii doubt they will have two identical stores so close together in a suburban location.

From the February issue of Chicago Magazine: Bob Mariano, the CEO of Roundy's, the Wisconsin supermarket company that includes Mariano's stores, was interviewed in a short piece that has quite a few nuggets of interest.

Chgo mag: Add [11 former Dominick's stores] to your 13 current locations, plus five more under construction and you get 29. Three years ago you predicted Mariano's could handle only about 30 Chicago-area stores. Last month you revised that to 50. Why?

Bob Mariano: I think we always just tempered our expectations. We've always though that there's room for 50. Now we've just said it publicly.

There is a graphic with the interview that has some interesting info:
168 Jewel stores
20 Trader Joe's
18 Whole Foods
13 Mariano's

The number of Mariano's is expected to nearly triple by 2015:
2013 13 stores
2014 28 stores
2015 34 stores


The chain's revenue (I assume they mean Mariano's, not Roundy's but the footnote is not clear):
2013 $546 million
2014 $1.07 billion
2015 $1.61 billion

Another nugget was this: Bob Mariano says that revenues from total perishables including in-store dining are 50 percent of total revenues. In most supermarkets it's 30 to 35 percent. The typical Mariano's store "makes" $1 million a week (in revenue not earnings).

Isn't that interesting? We have always tried to figure out how much Jerry's takes in per week or day or year. Given that folks mob Jerry's you would think revenue could be very high but how many times have you gotten in and out of Jerry's with four or five bags of veggies and you only paid $20 or even less. When Jerry's added better dairy and cheeses and especailly when it added meat, the average customer from the neighborhood would probably have raised their expenditure per trip by that $5 package of meat and $3 jug of kefir. I know we did. On a $20 average trip that extra $5 is a 25 percent increase. But still, I now think that Jerry's does not make (revenue, top line) $1 million a week. Mariano's has to have a higher per customer per trip total revenue than Jerry's. You just can't spend that kind of money at Jerry's no matter how you try.

--Joy

Revenues at Mariano's locations are approximately twice the average of grocery stores in the area. In terms of profits it probably means they earn about $6 per store as opposed to $3 (margins in the grocery business suck).

Mariano's has a much larger (and more expensive) meat and fish department, not to mention the huge processed frozen convenience foods selection, paper goods and staples. It's easy to see how customers can potentially spend much more at Mariano's than Jerry's.

Regarding the Bannockburn Dominick's, a friend of mine who works for Jewel heard that Mariano's doesn't want that store because the rent is astronomically high. Supposedly Mariano's may have acquired land across the street next to Beeson's Nursery in anticipation that Beeson's will sell and then Mariano's will have their own property to build on at Route 22 and Waukegan. I have also heard that Bannockburn is trying to woo Fresh Thyme Farmers Market (Phoenix-based chain) to replace Dominick's rather than open in the Cadwell's Corner mall in Deerfield. There is already a lawsuit from nearby homeowners that do not want Fresh Thyme opening right next to their homes in Deerfield.

Hi- The reason why the produce is so cheap at Jerry's is because they buy the reject stuff that the other stores don't want. The last time I was in Jerry's was sometime in 2012, and I hate that store. That parking lot is an accident waiting to happen. I think the store attracts a disproportionate number of seniors that should not be driving any more. In general I found that a lot of the customers were rude the day I was there too. Somebody on Jill Cataldo's site posted kast year, that one day when she was in Jerry's she had a bag of grapes in her cart. This elderly gentleman went up to her cart, and just helped himself to some of her grapes. That would never happen at Mariano's.

Like Steve says, Mariano's has much more meat and seafood and prepared food to choose from, and their produce is much higher quality than Jerry's is. I just find it a much more pleasant shopping experience. It does not surprise me that 50% of Mariano's sales are perishable items. The one time I went to Mariano's all I got was a medium serving of gelato that I paid $2 for. It was fantastic. There were tons of customers sitting in the cafe area, eating something that they had just purchased there. There is nothing like that at Jerry's.

The first of 11 former Dominick's stores acquired by Mariano's is set to reopen under its new banner Tuesday in Park Ridge

Yes - the article is behind the Tribune paywall. Google the text and you can access the article.

Odd thing is why the Whole Foods' takeovers of various Dominick's, like the one at Fullerton and Sheffield and others that have been mentioned in other threads, are apparently not going to happen until 2015 (according to Whole Foods' own signage), when Mariano's can convert a Dominick's in a month and a half.

riddlemay wrote:Odd thing is why the Whole Foods' takeovers of various Dominick's, like the one at Fullerton and Sheffield and others that have been mentioned in other threads, are apparently not going to happen until 2015 (according to Whole Foods' own signage), when Mariano's can convert a Dominick's in a month and a half.

I have heard that the Mariano's conversions of Dominick's are part of a two-phase plan. First they get them up and running fast, and then later have a big remodel to resemble other Mariano's. Northfield location opening next week.

Ram4 wrote:

riddlemay wrote:Odd thing is why the Whole Foods' takeovers of various Dominick's, like the one at Fullerton and Sheffield and others that have been mentioned in other threads, are apparently not going to happen until 2015 (according to Whole Foods' own signage), when Mariano's can convert a Dominick's in a month and a half.

I have heard that the Mariano's conversions of Dominick's are part of a two-phase plan. First they get them up and running fast, and then later have a big remodel to resemble other Mariano's. Northfield location opening next week.

Ah. That sounds smart.

NFriday wrote:Hi- The reason why the produce is so cheap at Jerry's is because they buy the reject stuff that the other stores don't want. The last time I was in Jerry's was sometime in 2012, and I hate that store. That parking lot is an accident waiting to happen. I think the store attracts a disproportionate number of seniors that should not be driving any more. In general I found that a lot of the customers were rude the day I was there too. Somebody on Jill Cataldo's site posted kast year, that one day when she was in Jerry's she had a bag of grapes in her cart. This elderly gentleman went up to her cart, and just helped himself to some of her grapes. That would never happen at Mariano's.

Like Steve says, Mariano's has much more meat and seafood and prepared food to choose from, and their produce is much higher quality than Jerry's is. I just find it a much more pleasant shopping experience. It does not surprise me that 50% of Mariano's sales are perishable items. The one time I went to Mariano's all I got was a medium serving of gelato that I paid $2 for. It was fantastic. There were tons of customers sitting in the cafe area, eating something that they had just purchased there. There is nothing like that at Jerry's.

I don't think comparing Jerry's to Mariano's is a fair comparison. The target consumer for Jerry's is a middle to lower economic class Niles, Skokie, Morton Grove, and surrounding suburban consumer. While Mariano's target is in between whole foods and a Jewel shopper which more likely an middle class to upper economic class shopper.

Jerry's is a good comparison to maybe shop and save or Aldi but not a good 1 to 1 comparison to Mariano's. Jerry's excels at high turnover of produce so most of there stuff is pretty fresh because of the large crowds that shop at the store. Yes some items don't look as pretty as other stores (ie bruised fruits/ vegetables) but for the price there is no comparison to Mariano's. Try walking out of Mariano's with 2 bags full of groceries for $10.

Hi,

I find many of Jerry's clients are immigrants. I find shopping there like going to a bazaar in a foreign country. I like the hustle and bustle from the parking lot and through the store (a nightmare to circle back to get something).

If I am making some middle eastern or middle European recipe, I can always find someone available to discuss the fine points.

Regards,

Roundy's Inc., Mariano's Milwaukee-based parent, has agreed to buy most of the Beeson's Nursery site at the corner of Waukegan Road and Half Day Road, where it would open the store. A Roundy's spokesman confirmed a deal has been in the works for some time and that quiet meetings have already been held to gauge the reaction of neighbors.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... n-chicagos

This should be interesting as Heinen's is taking over the Dominick's across the street.

Dave148 wrote:

Roundy's Inc., Mariano's Milwaukee-based parent, has agreed to buy most of the Beeson's Nursery site at the corner of Waukegan Road and Half Day Road, where it would open the store. A Roundy's spokesman confirmed a deal has been in the works for some time and that quiet meetings have already been held to gauge the reaction of neighbors.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... n-chicagos

This should be interesting as Heinen's is taking over the Dominick's across the street.

Wow! Now instead of one store at that intersection, we're getting Heinen's and a brand new Mariano's too? Awesome. I knew from a friend who works at Jewel that Mariano's was buying land next to Beeson's because the rent at Dominick's was too high.

Hi- I am sure that Mariano's is going to do just fine, as well as Whole Foods, but I wonder about all of the other higher end stores, such as Heinen's, and the store that is opening up in Deerfield, as well as Plum's Market and Mrs. Green's. Look at what happened to Byerly's, and the store that was open for a while in the Glen. I have a hard time believing that Chicago can support so many upscale markets. It seems like all of the Dominick's that are being taken over, are being occupied by either high end grocers or warehouse type grocers.

Hi,

Byerly's leaving was due to new ownership who did not want to expand beyond their home region.

Regards,

The Marianos in Western Springs at 47th and Gilbert is now opened and busy.Did a quick walkthrough and like the layout

There's talk of Mariano's at North Ave and Harlem, sharing space with Sears similar to the Ravenswood location (so I'm told, never been there myself).