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 H-E-B
Press Release
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Austin, TX – Sept. 12, 2007 – H-E-B and Albertsons announced today a definitive agreement whereby H-E-B will acquire five Albertsons store locations in the Austin-Round Rock area. It’s a move that will lead to many benefits for Central Texas shoppers including more stores where they can find every day low prices and an increase in convenience with more H-E-B locations to choose from. The acquisition makes it possible for H-E-B to keep up with the region’s rapid growth by quickly adding stores in strategic locations such as Northwest Austin and Eastern Williamson County, two areas that have seen their populations explode in recent years. It also marks H-E-B’s first foray into West Lake Hills, a move that residents of the area have been requesting from the retailer for many years. "Central Texas is growing fast and this is part of our long term plan to keep up with that growth,” said Jeff Thomas, H-E-B Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Central Texas Region. “We’ve been wanting to serve these neighborhoods for a long time and now we’re looking forward to bringing them our lower prices, fresh foods and quality products.” Customer Benefits After the acquisition is complete, H-E-B will operate more than 45 stores in the Austin-Round Rock area. By adding the Albertsons locations to its roster, H-E-B can relieve some of the pressure on its existing stores that are regularly serving an enormous volume of customers. “With more stores to choose from for H-E-B customers, that means reduced customer traffic at every store so shoppers can get home faster,” Thomas said. “When you take a look at this change, there are plenty of reasons for people to get excited about it,” Thomas added. “But if there’s one thing that really stands out, it’s the savings shoppers will see with H-E-B’s lower prices.” As part of a transition period, Albertsons will have approximately two months to liquidate its area inventories, after which H-E-B will re-stock shelves with a larger assortment of lower priced products, both in terms of fresh foods and general merchandise. “We’re also looking forward to serving these new neighborhoods with a group of H-E-B Partners who will give their time and energy to community service,” Thomas said. “The homes, businesses and schools surrounding these stores will feel the difference of having H-E-B in the neighborhood.” Timeline and Transition Plan The two companies approved the agreement on September 11. Financial terms of the deal will not be disclosed. From September 12 until early November, Albertsons will continue to operate its area stores as the company winds down its local presence. By early November, H-E-B will take possession of the Albertsons locations and begin remodel plans in preparation for re-opening the Gattis School Road store in Round Rock, and the Research Boulevard store in Northwest Austin. Both will re-open as H-E-B stores by early December. The West Lake Hills store will re-open as an H-E-B in February of 2008. “The West Lake Hills store will take longer to renovate due to its limited space relative to the number of customers it serves,” Thomas said. “From all-new shelving systems to adding checkout lanes and improving the product selection, the store will require quite a bit of work to make the best use of its space.” “We promise it will be worth the wait,” he added. “By the time we’re through in West Lake Hills, shoppers will see the best H-E-B has to offer.” “For many years we’ve been hearing loud and clear from the people of West Lake Hills – they want their own H-E-B. We’re thrilled that we can finally give them what they’ve been asking for,” Thomas said. The store changeover period will require some amount of patience from customers, but one area they will not have to wait for is Pharmacy service. As the Albertsons pharmacies close down their service, they will safely, securely and confidentially transfer customer prescriptions to nearby H-E-B Pharmacies. Until that time, customers can continue to use their current Albertsons pharmacy. Since the nearest H-E-B to West Lake Hills is more than five miles away, customers of this store will be able to get all of their prescriptions filled, along with an assortment of the most popular over-the-counter products, at a temporary Pharmacy trailer that will be located in the parking lot during the transition. The H-E-B Pharmacy trailer will be operational in mid-October. Until that time, customers can continue to use the Albertson’s pharmacy in West Lake Hills. “We want to make sure that Pharmacy service will remain convenient for customers during the transition,” Thomas said. “We take very seriously the need to get access both to medication and a knowledgeable Pharmacist. We will do everything we need to in order to make Pharmacy service available with minimal interruptions.” For more information about Pharmacy services, and the entire transition, customers can view a Frequently Asked Questions document at www.heb.com. At this time, H-E-B does not have plans to re-open the Albertsons store on South Pleasant Valley Road, or the location at the Y in Oak Hill. Both of those stores have already been closed by Albertsons, and those neighborhoods are currently served by H-E-B’s that are across the street from the Albertsons stores. “The Albertsons store on South Pleasant Valley Road will play a role in our plan to rebuild the nearby Riverside Drive H-E-B as we continue to invest in serving that neighborhood,” Thomas said. “We do not yet have a long term plan for the property at the Y in Oak Hill.” Workforce In order to provide the best possible customer service, H-E-B plans to double the staff size at each of the new stores. The company will immediately hold several internal job fairs for Albertsons employees, and will meet with each and every one of them individually to determine how they can become H-E-B Partners. “We will hire any Albertsons employee who meets the high standard for being an H-E-B Partner. Many of them have strong relationships with their customers and the community they serve, and can be a real asset to our team,” Thomas said. “The good news for Albertsons employees is that with more over 45 stores in H-E-B’s local service area, they’ll have more stores and variety of positions to choose from.” In addition, a dedicated job line has been set up for anyone in the community who is interested in applying for a position at one of these stores. The job line phone number is (512) 421-1019. “This is an exciting time for H-E-B and our customers,” Thomas said. “We see great things ahead for the communities we serve across Central Texas.” About H-E-B For more than 100 years, H-E-B has been an innovative retailer. Known for its fresh food, quality products and convenient services, H-E-B strives to provide the best customer experience with everyday low prices. Based in San Antonio, H-E-B proudly employs more than 60,000 Partners and serves millions of customers in more than 150 communities throughout Texas and Mexico. For more information about H-E-B please visit www.heb.com.
H-E-B TO ACQUIRE ALBERTSONS STORES IN THE Fact Sheet H-E-B Acquired the Following Albertsons Locations: 3750 Gattis School Road 701 Capital of Texas Highway 12860 Research Blvd. 7100 Hwy 290 West 1819 South Pleasant Valley Road Timeline
***Due to their very close proximity to existing H-E-B stores, and since they have already been closed by Albertsons, H-E-B does not have plans to re-open the Albertsons stores located at the Y in Oak Hill or on South Pleasant Valley Road in East Austin. Job Fair Information Job fairs for current Albertsons employees who wish to become H-E-B Partners will be conducted in the stores. H-E-B will also meet with each and every one of them individually to determine their employment options with the company. Many of the Albertsons employees have strong relationships with their customers and their community, and can be a real asset to the H-E-B team. More of the good news for Albertsons employees is that their opportunities to work across Central Texas are greatly increased with H-E-B. They will have more both more stores and an expanded variety of positions to choose from. Anyone from the general public wishing to apply for positions at these stores can call a dedicated |
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