Broadway Market QFC
Posted: 18 Nov 2012 19:17
The Broadway Market QFC is one of the more unusual QFC stores in the chain. I could be wrong on the very early history. If I am, please correct me. But I believe that in the very early days, it may have housed a Safeway and possibly some other businesses.
I do know for certain that in the early 1970's, before the building got turned into a mini mall, that there was a Marketime Drug Store. Possibly the grocery next door was Safeway. I am not certain about that. But at some point, this store was the first to bear the Fred Meyer name inside the city of Seattle. That occurred when the owners of Marketime Drug, Fred Meyer from Portland put in a grocery in the same building next to Marketime Drug. This only lasted for a few years and eventually the building became a drug, variety and apparel store. At this time Fred Meyer began to transition the Marketime Drug chain to the Fred Meyer banner. So for a few years it was Fred Meyer-Marketime.
Eventually the owners of the building decided to turn the Fred Meyer-Marketime building into a mini enclosed mall. The building was added onto with the original building being vacated for smaller shops and a mall walkway. Fred Meyer was relocated into that addition. The backside of the original store was opened up and people were then treated to a small version of Fred Meyer that was split between two levels. Also in the new addition, apartments were built. On the very top level of the mall, the old roof was removed and the third level was constructed. This third level was never part of the old or new Fred Meyer. It originally had some shops and a theater. Now the theater is a Gold's Gym.
For quite a few years, this was the arrangement for the Broadway Market. The bottom half floor was Fred Meyer and the the top half floor was also Fred Meyer. To get to it from the mall, you either had to go up or down. There was no level entry from the interior mall.
There was a QFC across the street from the Broadway Market and it was going to be demolished for a new residential project. By this time, there was quite a few vacancies inside the Broadway Market. So it was arranged that QFC would take over the old Fred Meyer space and the empty store spaces. Initial news reports had the space becoming a Fred Meyer. But it became a QFC Marketplace, although not officially labeled as such.
So to go back to the post on Retail Watchers about Kroger adding clothes, I should say to Brian Lutz, go back to the Broadway Market QFC and take a look. While there may be some some QFC stores that have a larger space, the product mix is unusual at this store. While Kroger got rid of the home electronics section, they did add a ton of housewares. There is also a small hardware section with paint. Even a section with board games. I believe I even saw limited section of sporting goods. So while I am sure that the U-Village and Bellevue and Holman Road store may be larger, this store is pretty different!
I do know for certain that in the early 1970's, before the building got turned into a mini mall, that there was a Marketime Drug Store. Possibly the grocery next door was Safeway. I am not certain about that. But at some point, this store was the first to bear the Fred Meyer name inside the city of Seattle. That occurred when the owners of Marketime Drug, Fred Meyer from Portland put in a grocery in the same building next to Marketime Drug. This only lasted for a few years and eventually the building became a drug, variety and apparel store. At this time Fred Meyer began to transition the Marketime Drug chain to the Fred Meyer banner. So for a few years it was Fred Meyer-Marketime.
Eventually the owners of the building decided to turn the Fred Meyer-Marketime building into a mini enclosed mall. The building was added onto with the original building being vacated for smaller shops and a mall walkway. Fred Meyer was relocated into that addition. The backside of the original store was opened up and people were then treated to a small version of Fred Meyer that was split between two levels. Also in the new addition, apartments were built. On the very top level of the mall, the old roof was removed and the third level was constructed. This third level was never part of the old or new Fred Meyer. It originally had some shops and a theater. Now the theater is a Gold's Gym.
For quite a few years, this was the arrangement for the Broadway Market. The bottom half floor was Fred Meyer and the the top half floor was also Fred Meyer. To get to it from the mall, you either had to go up or down. There was no level entry from the interior mall.
There was a QFC across the street from the Broadway Market and it was going to be demolished for a new residential project. By this time, there was quite a few vacancies inside the Broadway Market. So it was arranged that QFC would take over the old Fred Meyer space and the empty store spaces. Initial news reports had the space becoming a Fred Meyer. But it became a QFC Marketplace, although not officially labeled as such.
So to go back to the post on Retail Watchers about Kroger adding clothes, I should say to Brian Lutz, go back to the Broadway Market QFC and take a look. While there may be some some QFC stores that have a larger space, the product mix is unusual at this store. While Kroger got rid of the home electronics section, they did add a ton of housewares. There is also a small hardware section with paint. Even a section with board games. I believe I even saw limited section of sporting goods. So while I am sure that the U-Village and Bellevue and Holman Road store may be larger, this store is pretty different!