Albertson’s including gas stations at new Las Vegas markets

Phil Levine

Wednesday, April 26, 2000 | 10:38 a.m.

Southern Nevada's gas retailers will have a new, unusual competitor next September when the Albertson's supermarket chain unveils its first local Express Fuel Center.

The gas outlet will be part of a 60,000-square-foot Albertson's retail center at 9725 South Maryland Parkway at Silverado Ranch Road. Albertson's Chief Executive Officer Gary Michael was in Las Vegas Tuesday to officially open the new store.

The Boise, Idaho-based grocery giant is touting the new location as a "one-stop shopping" experience, that will provide customers everything from gas service and Starbuck's coffee to gourmet foods and banking.

"The gas stations will be owned and operated by Albertson's, and will feature private label gasoline under the Albertson's name," said company spokeswoman Judith Decker.

Located adjacent to the supermarkets, the stations will also include convenience stores.

Once the 2,000-square-foot fuel center is open at the Maryland Parkway store, Albertson's plans to expand its gasoline presence in Metro Las Vegas to other as yet unidentified locations.

Albertson's currently operates 29 Clark County grocery stores, as well as 47 Sav-On Drugs stores.

The company employs about 4,000 people in Southern Nevada; the Maryland Parkway store will employ more than 100 people.

In mid-September, U.S. Bank plans to open a full-service branch at the Maryland Parkway location. The branch will be the first of several U.S. Bank Las Vegas offices to open in new Albertson's locations this year.

"By the end of the year, we will have five Clark County branches in Albertson's and seven in Raley's," said Loader. "We have maintained a good working relationship with Albertson's for some time."

She said it's not unusual for the bank to have concurrent contracts with more than one grocery chain in a single market.

By year's end, other U.S. Bank branches are scheduled to open in Albertson's stores at the intersections of Charleston Boulevard and Sloan Lane, Flamingo Road and Durango Drive, and Drexel Road and Ann Road.

The bank already operates an office in Albertson's Boulder City location.

Wells Fargo & Co. also offers in-store branches at 21 Southern Nevada Albertson's stores, as well as two local branches in Vons Stores.

Wells' Nevada President Laura Schulte said the bank plans to maintain its current in-store grocery presence for now, but "will continue to look at expanding (in-store) on a case-by-case basis.

"Right now, we're focusing more on traditional bricks and mortar branches in high growth areas (in Southern Nevada)," she said.

Schulte said Wells' added four new Las Vegas in-store Albertson's branches near the end of 1999.

Albertson's Decker said the Maryland Parkway store is the first in Nevada to feature new amenities such as in-store taste testing.

"This won't be just an occasional opportunity for customers to sample products, but rather it will provide them a permanent place in the store to taste both new and existing products," said Decker.

Other new in-store features include specially designated areas offering ready-to-go and ready-to-eat foods, as well as a full-service "Butcher Block" offering meal planning tips.

Albertson's efforts to expand its retail presence also include a gradual expansion into the world of e-commerce.

Last fall, the company introduced an online pilot project in Bellevue, Wash., in the Seattle area offering customers the choice of ordering goods via computer from a designated bricks and mortar store.

Decker said the company is keeping a close eye on that program's progress and may expand it into other markets.

Last fall, Albertson's-owned Sav-On Drugs entered the online drug store battles with the introduction in Las Vegas and Kansas City of its online prescription refill program.

In addition to prescription refills, Sav-On Drugs.com offers consumers various product and health information. Other major pharmacy chains, including Walgreen Drug Stores and Rite-Aid Drugstores, also market online prescription refills.

Decker said it was still too early to assess the success of the Sav-On initiative.

On Tuesday, the company also revealed plans to purchase and retire up to $500 million of the company's common stock between April 25, 2000 and April 30, 2001.

Albertson's currently operates about 2,500 retail stores in 37 states, and reported $37.5 billion in sales for its fiscal year ending Feb. 23.