Safeway has decided to make over a few of its Northern Virginia stores to be a little more upscale. They’ve changed the lighting to be a bit more subdued, added more color, occasional hardwood floorings, and changed the way that their checkout stands look. Their target is Wegman’s, whose grocery experience is the gold standard for shopping. Stores are stylish, comfortable and cavernous and staffed with people who actually like their jobs (it’s the #2 company in the US to work for)
Sadly, the new Safeway on Route 7 just doesn’t measure up. When I went to pick up a few things, I was surprised at how long the lines were for the checkout. Sure, it was 7pm, prime shopping time, but the new Safeway only had three registers open, and about 30 people in line.
Guys. You can put lipstick on the pig, you can dress it up, but until you make the investment in good staff, and more of them, people are going to be pissed off because they had to wait to buy some OJ and cat food.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.
