Tom Thumb Food Stores
Encyclopedia
Tom Thumb Food & Pharmacy is a chain of supermarkets in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
. Tom Thumb stores operate under the names Tom Thumb—traditional grocery stores; Flagship Tom Thumb—high end stores; and Simon David
—also high end, usually in affluent areas. Tom Thumb and Randall's Food Markets
make up the 112-store Texas division of Safeway Inc.
Tom Thumb is (as of December 2005) the number three supermarket in the super-competitive Dallas/Fort Worth area (in terms of market share) behind Wal-Mart
and Kroger
. Stores in the Tom Thumb supermarket chain tend to be slightly more upscale and expensive than competitors such as Kroger or Albertsons
.
The chain's distribution center is in Roanoke, Texas
.
Tom Thumb was founded in 1948 by J.R. Bost and Robert B. Cullum
as Tom Thumb-Page Food Stores and was once a publicly traded company on the NYSE under the name Cullum Companies. By 1956 it had grown to 20 stores. They bought 34 Hinky Dinky
stores in the Midwest, 17 Pantry Food Markets in California, as well as Page Drug Stores (the freestanding Page stores were later sold to Eckerd). They also bought the gourmet specialty Simon David stores in 1963.
Tom Thumb expanded its reach to Austin, Texas
, in 1972 when the grocer entered that market.
Tom Thumb partnered with Wal-Mart in 1987 to create Hypermart USA
stores, but the initial lack of success led them to drop out in 1991. There were several Hypermart locations including Garland, Texas
, and Arlington, Texas
. The Hypermart stores were the early prototype for the current Wal-Mart Supercenter concept, though these stores were much larger than today's Supercenter.
In January 1989, Cullum Companies sold six of its Tom Thumb stores in Austin to Albertsons
.
The company was acquired by the Randall's Food Markets
chain of Houston in 1992 and adopted a logo similar to Randall's, but retained the Tom Thumb name. Randall's converted the seven Tom Thumb stores in the Austin market to Randall's in January 1994, the same time it acquired and converted nine AppleTree Markets
. The Simon David in the Arboretum Market was not converted, but it would close in December 1996 and would be converted into a Saks Fifth Avenue
. Though after many customers lamented the loss of Austin's only Simon David, Randall's decided in 1998 to make its Bee Caves store a Flagship Randall's supermarket, the first in the city and the eighth in the chain.
In 1999 Randall's Food Markets was acquired by Safeway. Safeway retained the Randall's name in Houston and Austin and the Tom Thumb name in Dallas/Fort Worth, but replaced many of the Tom Thumb/Randall's "Remarkable" house brands with Safeway-label items. Randall's Food Markets became Safeway's Texas division, which today is legally known as Randall's Food & Drugs.
By 2001, Randall's operated 69 stores in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area under the Tom Thumb and Simon David banners.
In early 2005, Safeway was rumored to be attempting to sell the then 138-store Randall's division. Instead, Safeway announced by the end of the year it would close 15 Randall's stores in the Houston area, one in Austin, and nine Tom Thumb stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Following the closures Randall's operated 62 Tom Thumb stores in Dallas. Safeway said the move would revitalize the Texas division and that it planned to remodel stores to fit its "Lifestyle" format and introduce proprietary products. The new Lifestyle format features an expanded selection of perishables and a number of unique offerings, including a large selection of natural and organic foods, full-service meat counters, full-service bakeries and floral design centers, as well as sushi bars and olive bars.
Beginning in 2006, some Tom Thumb stores began operating under Safeway's "Lifestyle Store" concept. Lifestyle stores carry an expanded selection of finer foods, ready-to-eat meals, and have a more upscale decor.
stores.
Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
The Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area, a title designated by the U.S. Census as of 2003, encompasses 12 counties within the U.S. state of Texas. The area is divided into two metropolitan divisions: Dallas–Plano–Irving and Fort Worth–Arlington. Residents of the area...
. Tom Thumb stores operate under the names Tom Thumb—traditional grocery stores; Flagship Tom Thumb—high end stores; and Simon David
Simon David
Simon David is the oldest gourmet and specialty foods store in Dallas, Texas. Simon David is part of Randall's Food Markets, the 112-store Texas division of Safeway Inc.-History:...
—also high end, usually in affluent areas. Tom Thumb and Randall's Food Markets
Randall's Food Markets
Randall's Food Markets operates 112 supermarkets in the Houston, Austin, and Dallas-Fort Worth areas under the Randalls, Flagship Randalls, Tom Thumb, Flagship Tom Thumb, and Simon David banners. Randall's employs more than 10,000 associates and is the Texas division of Safeway Inc. The Texas...
make up the 112-store Texas division of Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...
Tom Thumb is (as of December 2005) the number three supermarket in the super-competitive Dallas/Fort Worth area (in terms of market share) behind Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
and Kroger
Kroger
The Kroger Co. is an American supermarket chain founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It reported US$ 76.7 billion in sales during fiscal year 2009. It is the country's largest grocery store chain and its second-largest grocery retailer by volume and second-place general retailer...
. Stores in the Tom Thumb supermarket chain tend to be slightly more upscale and expensive than competitors such as Kroger or Albertsons
Albertsons LLC
Albertsons LLC is a North American grocery company based in Boise, Idaho, with over 240 supermarkets located in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Florida under the Albertson's and Super Saver Foods banners...
.
The chain's distribution center is in Roanoke, Texas
Roanoke, Texas
Roanoke is a city in Denton County, Texas, United States and part of the Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex. The population is currently 7,900.The main east-west road through town, State Highway 114 Business, is named "Byron Nelson Boulevard" in honor of the legendary golfer who resided in the community...
.
History
Robert B. Cullum
Robert Brooks Cullum was an American businessman and civic leader.-Early life:Robert B. Cullum was born in Dallas, Texas on May 10, 1912, son of Ashley Wilson and Eloise Cullum...
as Tom Thumb-Page Food Stores and was once a publicly traded company on the NYSE under the name Cullum Companies. By 1956 it had grown to 20 stores. They bought 34 Hinky Dinky
Hinky Dinky
Hinky Dinky was a supermarket chain based in Omaha, Nebraska, that operated mainly in Nebraska and Iowa.-History:The Hinky Dinky grocery store chain was started by Jule, Henry and Albert Newman, brothers, and Ben Silver, a cousin, in Omaha in 1925. Another supermarket chain already existing was...
stores in the Midwest, 17 Pantry Food Markets in California, as well as Page Drug Stores (the freestanding Page stores were later sold to Eckerd). They also bought the gourmet specialty Simon David stores in 1963.
Tom Thumb expanded its reach to Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, in 1972 when the grocer entered that market.
Tom Thumb partnered with Wal-Mart in 1987 to create Hypermart USA
Hypermart USA
Hypermart USA was a demonstrator project operated by Wal-Mart in the 1980s, which attempted to combine groceries and general merchandise under one roof at a substantial discount. The hypermart concept was modeled after French retailer Carrefour which had been operating big box stores in France and...
stores, but the initial lack of success led them to drop out in 1991. There were several Hypermart locations including Garland, Texas
Garland, Texas
-Climate:* The average warmest month is July.* The highest recorded temperature was in 2000.* On average, the coolest month is January.* The lowest recorded temperature was in 1989.* The maximum average precipitation occurs in May....
, and Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
. The Hypermart stores were the early prototype for the current Wal-Mart Supercenter concept, though these stores were much larger than today's Supercenter.
In January 1989, Cullum Companies sold six of its Tom Thumb stores in Austin to Albertsons
Albertsons LLC
Albertsons LLC is a North American grocery company based in Boise, Idaho, with over 240 supermarkets located in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Florida under the Albertson's and Super Saver Foods banners...
.
The company was acquired by the Randall's Food Markets
Randall's Food Markets
Randall's Food Markets operates 112 supermarkets in the Houston, Austin, and Dallas-Fort Worth areas under the Randalls, Flagship Randalls, Tom Thumb, Flagship Tom Thumb, and Simon David banners. Randall's employs more than 10,000 associates and is the Texas division of Safeway Inc. The Texas...
chain of Houston in 1992 and adopted a logo similar to Randall's, but retained the Tom Thumb name. Randall's converted the seven Tom Thumb stores in the Austin market to Randall's in January 1994, the same time it acquired and converted nine AppleTree Markets
AppleTree Markets
AppleTree Markets was a supermarket chain in Texas formed in 1969 when Safeway opened its first stores in Houston, which were spun off under the AppleTree name in 1988. The division once had 100 stores in Greater Houston and Greater Austin. As of January 21, 2007, AppleTree operated two stores in...
. The Simon David in the Arboretum Market was not converted, but it would close in December 1996 and would be converted into a Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue is a luxury American specialty store owned and operated by Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises , a subsidiary of Saks Incorporated. It competes in the high-end specialty store market in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, i.e. 'the 3 B's' Bergdorf, Barneys, Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor...
. Though after many customers lamented the loss of Austin's only Simon David, Randall's decided in 1998 to make its Bee Caves store a Flagship Randall's supermarket, the first in the city and the eighth in the chain.
In 1999 Randall's Food Markets was acquired by Safeway. Safeway retained the Randall's name in Houston and Austin and the Tom Thumb name in Dallas/Fort Worth, but replaced many of the Tom Thumb/Randall's "Remarkable" house brands with Safeway-label items. Randall's Food Markets became Safeway's Texas division, which today is legally known as Randall's Food & Drugs.
By 2001, Randall's operated 69 stores in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area under the Tom Thumb and Simon David banners.
In early 2005, Safeway was rumored to be attempting to sell the then 138-store Randall's division. Instead, Safeway announced by the end of the year it would close 15 Randall's stores in the Houston area, one in Austin, and nine Tom Thumb stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Following the closures Randall's operated 62 Tom Thumb stores in Dallas. Safeway said the move would revitalize the Texas division and that it planned to remodel stores to fit its "Lifestyle" format and introduce proprietary products. The new Lifestyle format features an expanded selection of perishables and a number of unique offerings, including a large selection of natural and organic foods, full-service meat counters, full-service bakeries and floral design centers, as well as sushi bars and olive bars.
Beginning in 2006, some Tom Thumb stores began operating under Safeway's "Lifestyle Store" concept. Lifestyle stores carry an expanded selection of finer foods, ready-to-eat meals, and have a more upscale decor.
Loyalty program
Tom Thumb offers a loyalty card (Reward Card) that provides a discount on gasoline, as well as a portion of sales proceeds donated to charity. The loyalty card is good at all SafewaySafeway Inc.
Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...
stores.