Lucky previously had two supermarkets in Walnut Creek at 1372 South California Blvd. and at 1881 Ygnacio Valley Rd. Lucky was a Bay Area supermarket chain that was well known for its value and service. The name evoked much nostalgia as many people in the Bay Area remember going to Lucky stores since they were children.

In 1999, Albertsons took over the parent company of Lucky and eliminated the Lucky name and rebranded all Lucky stores as Albertsons. Many claim that this move was ultimately what doomed Albertsons in Northern California. Many people resented the loss of the near and dear Lucky name and stopped shopping at Albertsons stores. Albertsons raised prices and lost customers due to their less than stellar customer service. Albertsons encountered severe problems due to the same type of mismanagement that led to the arrogant dismissal of the Lucky brand.

Albertsons, after realizing that their business was failing, closed many of their Northern California supermarkets including the two former Lucky stores in Walnut Creek. This alienated their remaining customers and left Walnut Creek residents with even less supermarket choice. Eventually, Albertsons sold all of their Northern California stores and left Northern California.

A smaller grocery chain based in Modesto, called Save Mart, bought the remaining stores and revived the Lucky name. Lucky still had an enormous following and after eight years, 72 Bay Area stores were renamed Lucky. Many of these stores were originally Lucky stores. Executives at Save Mart vowed to restore Lucky back to its roots of quality, service, and value.

The closest Lucky to Walnut Creek is in Pleasant Hill. There is also another in Concord. Strangely enough, those two stores were planned by Lucky, but opened under the Albertsons name shortly after the takeover. These two stores feature identical interior layouts and the decor of the two stores is a Jewel Supermarket decor. Jewel was owned by the parent company of Lucky. Jewel is a well known supermarket chain that was founded in Chicago. The unusual mix of a Jewel Supermarket interior, and a Lucky name make those two stores very unique.

Comments