There is a preview video of the Capital City market on lsj.com. The store looks great, a little more warehouse-like than I was expecting and it also looks bigger on the inside. It is very interesting that they will be, [at least to start] featuring many local products. See you there! I'm waiting until Thursday!
First review of Capital City Market? Most of the store is pretty visually stunning, some artwork and lots of personal touches on the signage and such. The shelve aisles are a little plain and look temporary, though they are permanent. The prices? Cheaper than I thought on many things like vegetables, though they definitely sell higher-priced goods, too. They also sell some of their storebrand canned goods and such. Definitely not Whole Foods prices, thankfully, unless your'e buying the specialty organic stuff. They have a MASSIVE liquor section; the entire Larch-end of the store looks like a bar. lol They also have a sit-down section on the Michigan side and a deli with a sushi-bar, though I think they serve other quick meals.
Now, somethings that may give some people pause. As far as I could tell, the whole store is self-checkout. I'm not a fan of that, though I can do it myself. Older and non-tech people will find this off-putting, though they do have a lot of helpers present at checkout if you get lost/can't properly scan an item. It's strange, because there seemed to be a lot of staff not-doing anything. If they did this to save on paying for employees, it's self-defeating because the day-staff is not small.
Another note, if you're coming in to do a bit of shopping for dinner and don't have a lot to take out to your car or carry home, you can park along Michigan. If, however, you're coming to do some serious shopping like I did and need to roll the cart out to your car/a car, you're going to have to park in the back. The baskets have a anti-theft feature where they lock up when you get 10 feet outside the door; it'd have been nice if the greeter would have told me that when she saw me pushing my basket out to my car out front. lol
Long store short: It's a nice experience - though for a certain kind of shopper - with a great selection for a smaller version of Meijer. I'd add in at least one human checkout line; as my parents would say, you're not paying me to scan and bag my own groceries. Other than that, I don't have any real complaints. I will definitely be using it for their fruits and vegetables.
I have been to the Market a couple of times. I was also impressed with the store's decore and what they had for sale. I really like the locally baked bread department. The veggies and produce section was very nice and well-stocked. It is a smaller store which is nice as you don't have to walk across the "thrifty acres" to find what you need. There is even a nice view from the checkout area of Boji/Olds tower's clock for an easy time check and a very urban feeling. I did find some of the aisles kind of narrow but that is just virus paranoia. The self-checkout is a little clunky it requires an extra step or two getting the produce price recorded but I would get used to that step with more use. Out east we had a Stop and Shop with self-scanner guns so you could scan and bag the items as you went along through the store. Then just point the scanner gun at the reader at check out, pay, and go with your groceries already bagged. They would come around and randomly "audit" your order once in a while which is how they kept it honest. They also had checkout clerks for regular checkout. This is the first place I have seen with all self-checkout, I wonder if their thought was, only the customer would be handling their own groceries? They were there to help if needed and did come around and clean the counters after each use, but yes they should have a regular "manned" [can I still say that?] checkout too.
I think it is a little surprising to see how fast these new and not cheap apartments are being rented out. I was interested in the Abigal Apartments and found that it was totally leased out and there was a waiting list for next year. I think that I may get on the list for the Red Cedar Renaissance Apartments[is that what they are calling it?] before they are all leased before the place is even built!
Developers are requesting an amendment to the brownfield plan that would add the old Pere Marquette/Union Depot to this project. They say that they plan to turn the old station into a commercial outlet for three users. Strangely, one of those will be a Starbucks, which will take up half the building...There is a Starbucks - or at least a cafe that sells Starbucks products - literally across the street in the Marriott, so I'm confused.
This is a great building which could really be a destination with the right development. A Starbucks is not really a destination type business that would draw people from other areas. It is strange that they would want open a Starbucks across the street from another Starbucks and the coffee shop inside The City Market and a Biggby on the corner. Perhaps this is only an "intriguing" illustration of what could go in there. IMO another Starbucks would qualify as dumb.
It makes sense to me because if someone wants a Starbucks they aren't going to be going into the Marriott to get one. Plus there are some non-Starbucks places (like the ones at MSU) where you can't redeem free drinks/food. I'm guessing the Marriott one is like that as well. I think a Starbucks inside the old depot would be a pretty cool place to sit and hang out and work/drink/relax. And if they could have a drive-through it'd get a ton of business. That area is ripe for a Starbucks as there really isn't one close to there.
Comments
Now, somethings that may give some people pause. As far as I could tell, the whole store is self-checkout. I'm not a fan of that, though I can do it myself. Older and non-tech people will find this off-putting, though they do have a lot of helpers present at checkout if you get lost/can't properly scan an item. It's strange, because there seemed to be a lot of staff not-doing anything. If they did this to save on paying for employees, it's self-defeating because the day-staff is not small.
Another note, if you're coming in to do a bit of shopping for dinner and don't have a lot to take out to your car or carry home, you can park along Michigan. If, however, you're coming to do some serious shopping like I did and need to roll the cart out to your car/a car, you're going to have to park in the back. The baskets have a anti-theft feature where they lock up when you get 10 feet outside the door; it'd have been nice if the greeter would have told me that when she saw me pushing my basket out to my car out front. lol
Long store short: It's a nice experience - though for a certain kind of shopper - with a great selection for a smaller version of Meijer. I'd add in at least one human checkout line; as my parents would say, you're not paying me to scan and bag my own groceries. Other than that, I don't have any real complaints. I will definitely be using it for their fruits and vegetables.