Safeway Renovates Store To Stay Competitive

CAPITOL HILL

The Safeway grocery store on Broadway and Harrison in Capitol Hill has been closed for a $1.5 million renovation. It is scheduled to reopen in mid-May.

Safeway is undergoing the renovation within its present structure to become more competitive with the nearby QFC, according to Bill Rochester, Safeway district manager. It's also being redesigned to better reflect the character of the neighborhood, he said.

Patrons will see significant changes in the Safeway store, Rochester said. The storefront, currently facing North, will be switched, with windows looking out onto Broadway instead. It will also have a 1930s or 1940s design that will continue throughout the grocery store.

A door will be added, allowing access from Broadway. A few more parking spaces may also be provided.

Inside the store, aisles will run southeast to northwest instead of the current north-south configuration. The bakery section, closed two years ago, will be cleared of leftover equipment and opened up for more store space. The special sections, including the deli, meat and produce departments, will be redesigned for more visibility.

The Broadway Safeway will add a pharmacy in response to customer preferences for one-stop shopping, Rochester said.

The store will also market its "China Express" line of ready-made, gourmet Chinese food which some of its stores already carry.

While competition with QFC, located kitty-cornered across Broadway, is an important consideration, Rochester added that it is simply good business for the store to remodel and expand.