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New Utah-based grocer promises ‘lower prices’

By Patrick Parkinson, of The Record staff

Two Albertsons stores in the Park City area have a new owner. The markets on Park Avenue and Kilby Road were closed Monday morning as signs inside began advertising the Associated Fresh Market.

"We’re lowering a lot of prices," said Doug Dastrup, team leader at Associated Fresh Market at 1800 Park Avenue. "We’ll have a lot better selection and a lot better variety than we have had before."

That’s because Utah-based Associated Food Stores has a larger warehouse in the state than Albertsons, Dastrup said.

"We closed the books for Albertsons at 9 o’clock last night," Dastrup said in a telephone interview Monday. No employees in the Park City area will lose their jobs because of the new ownership, he explained. "We’ve retained all of our associates," Dastrup said.

But the markets will no longer accept the Albertsons Preferred Card, he said. "Now we advertise, ‘locally owned, no card needed,’" Dastrup said. "You get the discount without showing the card." Beginning Wednesday, Associated Fresh Market will swap Preferred Cards for bags of sugar, he said. "We want to collect them so we can destroy them," Dastrup said.

Associated Food Stores has taken over 34 Albertsons in Utah making it the largest grocery retailer in the state, he said.

Dastrup said he expected the two Park City area Associated Fresh Markets to open Monday by noon. "The Albertsons sign is still up there and will be up there for a little while until we’re able to take it down and put up a new one," Dastrup said.


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