HomeMy WebLinkAbout1980 12-02 Red Owl's Country Stores expanding DISPATCH M 0 *
4.
,. one inance
The Dispatch Tuesday, Dec. 2, 1980/168
Red w s un tr "ores expanding
B"y WALTER T. MIDDLEBROOK Ave. in Maplewood, and the Duluth Country stores function. Paper bags are available for a small fee.
Business Writer are expected to open later this month. Country Food is often displayed in the same containers it
stores in Brooklyn Center and St. Louis Park are was shipped.
Hopkins based Red Owl Stores Inc. is spreading RED
g
C
expected to open in early 1981.
its country store shopping concept into most of the By cutting overhead, Red Owl tries to offer mer-
grocery departments of the former Zayre's , "That was all that was offered to us,"the spokes- chandise ata lower price than full-service grocery
Shopper City. (R woman said of the six rented spaces, although Red stores.
Owl has further expansionplans for the country
"In our country stores we've taken what we con-
This week, Red Owl is opening the second of six stores. sider to be the best aspects of and co-op
of the former food stores that are now being con- chusetts-based Zayre Corp. Terms of the lease Susan McKelvey, spokeswoman for K mart in shopping and combined them with the warehouse and a es
vented into countryMores. The Village 10 County agreement.were not available. Y, P PP g g
Y Detroit, said only the six were offered because of traditional supermarkets," Melvin Roth, Red
Store, Highway 10 and Hansen Blvd. in Coon Ra K mart, the nation's second largest retailer spe- three of the former Shopper City stores are not Owl Stores Inc. chairman of the board, said in a
pids, opens Thursday and will be the first of the cializing in discount merchandise. is converting occupied. "Two (of the stores in Columbia Heights company statement.
new stores to open in thehemetro metropolitan area.
The
seven of those stores to K mart stores. and West St. Paul) are on the market " the s okes-
St.Cloud Country Store opened in October. man said. The Bloomington store will have no "We found that many shoppers are more con-
"We saw an opportunity and it worked," said a supermarket,she said. cerned with the price and quality of food than with
Red Owl signed a long term lease agreement Red Owl spokeswoman, regarding the success of the frills. Customers tell us that they want to shop
with Detroit-based K mart Corp. for the store the country store shopping concept. Red Owl open A country store offers no-frills shopping. There in a bright, clean store but are willing to do some
space, which ranges from 30,000 to 40,000 square ates 28 country stores in the six state region. are no elaborate displays and promotions. Custom- of the work themselves if they can save money . . .
feet per store. K mart purchased nine Shopper City ers, who can bring their own bags, must bag their 'Work a Little — Save a Lot' is the theme of the
stores in Minnesota earlier this year from Massa- The Maplewood Country Store, 1740 VanDyke own food, eliminating the need for that employee Red Owl Country Stores."