anaheim-gazette 1948-08-12

Vast New Alph Giant Nine-Hour Radio Broadcast To Be Feature of Store Opening A host of top radio talent will come to Santa Ana on Saturday, Aug. 14, to be seen as well as heard when Alpha Beta Food Markets present their giant salute to the city. Sixteen radio programs will be broadcast over KNX, Los Angeles, and nine of them will originate in Santa Ana during the day. An improvised "studio" has been erected near the site of the newest market in the Alpha Beta group at Main St. and Washington Ave., and Santa Anans will be able to see the broadcasts while they are on the air and participate in them. The Alpha Beta radio lineup on KNX begins at 7:45 a.m. with a program to challenge you on how much you know about your town. From KNX's studios in Hollywood "Mr. Information" in the person of Delmar Edmundson will present 15 minutes of facts about Santa Ana. First on-the-spot program in Santa Ana will be at 11:30 a.m. when "It's Fun To Be Young" is broadcast. A dozen Santa Ana youngsters will take over the entertainment spotlight under the guidance of Jay Stewart. Quick-witted Stewart makes sure the youngsters on the program and the audience have a good time when the youngsters compete for prizes in solving both juvenile and adult problems. While many of the comments are good for laughs, plenty of solid common sense comes out, too, and the program adds up to good, human interest entertainment. MUSICAL GAME At 12:30 p.m. Jack McCoy takes over the microphone at KNX's outdoor studio in Santa Ana with his musical game, "Money On The Line." He will be giving away huge baskets of grocery products to contestants, PRESIDENT OF ALPHA BETA —Raymond A. McCarthy, who has been with the Alpha Beta Corp. for many years, became president when that position was relinquished by Hugh A. Gerrard, one of the founders of the corporation. He joined the ranks of Alpha Beta employees in 1919, and has served successfully as manager of the meat department in a local store, manager of Alpha Beta Packing Co., and an officer in charge of all company equipment. He is also negotiator for the corporation in all labor relations. Three Brothers Founded Huge Market System The first officers of Alpha Beta Foods Markets, Inc., were the three brothers who founded the corporation, A. C. Gerrard, president, H. A. Gerrard, vice-president and general manager, and A W. Gerrard, treasurer. Of the three, only Hugh A. Gerrard is now living. In 1944 the surviving brother relinquished the general management to become vice-president and treasurer and is also in charge of the meat packing and cattle feeding operations. Present officers, other than Gerrard, are as follows: Raymond A. McCarthy, president, an employee since 1919, has served as manager of the meat department in a local store, manager of Alpha Beta Packing Co., and officers in charge of company equipment. He is now negotiator for the company in all labor relations. Claude W. Edwards, vice-president and general manager, has had 26 years of experience in the food merchandising business and has served as officer in several national associations of food merchants. Secretary and Assistant Treasurer William C. Cheverton has been with the company since 1943 and a stockholder since incorporation. He installed the company's personnel department and is now in charge of store finances and sale of company stock. Warehouse And Office Located In Vernon The Alpha Beta warehouse and office building in Vernon occupies nearly four acres of ground and covers an area of 72,760 square feet, containing the general offices, zero room and frozen foods and refrigerated rooms for the tem- Warehouse And Office Located In Vernon The Alpha Beta warehouse and office building in Vernon occupies nearly four acres of ground and covers an area of 72,760 square feet, containing the general offices, zero room and frozen foods and refrigerated rooms for the temporary storage of fresh fruit and vegetables. Also located on the premises is the garage which keeps in running order the large fleet of company trucks. Hamburgers are delicious topped with onion rings that have been sauteed and seasoned with salt, freshly ground pepper, a dash of sugar and a little soy sauce. Three Huge Grazing Ranches Produce Meat For Store’s Markets Possibly many Alpha Beta employees as well as customers sometimes wonder how the corporation is able to keep all its efficiently-operated meat departments so well supplied with choice and Grade A meats of all kinds, and especially beef. When they glance in the huge cooling boxes and see an ample supply on hand, they may wonder "How come?" more than ever. The executives of Alpha Beta had this same question in mind many years ago and set out to do something about it. They knew to keep beef pouring into their retail outlets, a complete and well-organized chain of production centers must be developed and kept running without a hitch. So a far-reaching and well-organized program was started back in 1939, developed through the past few years, and today Alpha Beta maintains probably the most complete and best-organized beef production program of any super market organization of its size in the nation. This division of the Alpha Beta Food Markets, Inc., comprises cattle buyers, grazing ranches, primary feeding lots, final feeding corrals, packing plant and a fleet (Turn to Page 6, Column 1) Alpha Beta Market To C COUNTY'S MOST MODERN SUPER MARKET — Above is the front and side view of the new Alpha Beta Food Market, Inc., super market at 1300 N. Main St., covering a half block. The 4860 feet of fluorescent light equipment overhead gives the inside of the building a daylight appearance. The lighting system is connected direct with the current, explains Clifford Haskell, thus eliminating the usual flickering so familiar with the ordinary fluorescent bulbs. The parking lot is marked off with white paint and the stalls or slots are numbered up to and include giving accommodation to as many customers in one time. The numbers on the stalls or slots are for purpose, and that is so a customer may request of the to have her merchandise placed in a car in a number is just one of the many shortcuts to efficiency and customer will find in the new Alpha Beta store. (Reg COUNTY'S MOST MODERN SUPER MARKET — Above is the front and side view of the new Alpha Beta Food Market, Inc., super market at 1300 N. Main St., covering a half block. The 4860 feet of fluorescent light equipment overhead gives the inside of the building a daylight appearance. The lighting system is connected direct with the current, explains Clifford Haskell, thus eliminating the usual flickering so familiar with the ordinary fluorescent bulbs. The parking lot is marked off with white paint. 'Dream Market' Provides All Necessities for Modern Shoppers by JOY FRIZZE When the new Alpha Beta market opens Thursday at 1300 N. Main St., Orange county women will have an opportunity to see their "dream market" realized. Every possible means has been used in the new store to make shopping easy, speedy, pleasant and economical for today's busy housewife. As the opening of the new store marks the 38th anniversary of Alpha Beta stores, special anniversary sale prices will prevail on every item in the market on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. There also will be a ranch market sale of fresh fruits and vegetables outside the market for the first three days, so that women who visit the store during the opening days will not only have a chance to see how completely modern and efficient it is, but will also be able to shop at bargain prices. When I was shown through the new store, the first things that caught my eye were its spaciousness and attractive blondbirch fixtures, the excellent light and comfortably-cool temperature. But from then on, I turned by attention to the details that every woman looks for in a market, namely an extensive supply of reliable products, ease in finding them and speed in paying for them (Turn to Page 6. Column 1) TREASURER — Hugh A. Gerrard, the only living member of the three brothers who founded Alpha Beta's first store nearly 40 years ago, also is a vice-president. Until 1944 he was general manager. In addition to his duties as vice-president and treasurer, he is in active charge of the meat packing and cattle feeding operations. Produce Department To Offer Freshest Of Fruits And Vegetables The produce department of the new Alpha Beta market has taken every possible means to make sure that its fruits and vegetables reach its customers in garden-fresh condition. As soon as the fruit and vegetables arrive each day, they are thoroughly scrubbed to remove any dust, dirt or chemical sprays and are then placed in a large refrigerated compartment which is kept at 32 degrees. A unique wind-blowing device in the compartment keeps the fruits and vegetables at a desirable degree of moisture, and thus prevents them from reaching your table dry or stale. The products are displayed on refrigerated counters, especially constructed to conserve their moisture. Compartments under each counter provide extra storage space for berries and other items which must be kept at a certain temperature. Clerks will be available in the new Alpha Beta produce department to answer questions about the items and also to weigh and check them as they are purchased. This prevents any delay at the grocery counter and also makes it possible for customers wishing to buy only fruits or vegetables to shop in that department without having to go to a store, the produce department will sponsor an open ranch market featuring fresh fruits and vegetables which are now in season. VEGETABLE MANAGER—Russell Gundrum, Alpha Beta's vegetable manager, will see to it that the customers receive the freshest vegetables available. Army of 99 Employes T On Duty In An army of 99 enlisted on hand during the days of the new Alpha Market, Inc., supervised 1300 N. Main St. at 9 a.m. tomorrow Saturday. This huge employe is necessaion of Clifford Hall merchandising management of the thomens expected to this grand opening. Alpha Beta stores received by shoppers are pleon on hand at the Southern California ties, Haskel said, a tomorrow's opening est of them all. However, after they tiled down to north will have 36 emple in the regular flow of interest. THERE IS MORE WHERE THIS CAME FROM—Halves of beef hanging in one of the cooling rooms of the Alpha Beta Corp. packing plant at Wintersburg, near Huntington Beach, ready for delivery to the 20 Alpha Beta super markets. This is just a small portion of the thousands of head of beef slaughtered at the Wintersburg plant and transformed into choice and Grade A meat, ready for the skillet or cooker. This beef was selected from various ranches in the 11 Western states, from Texas to Idaho, by men who know how to raise tender beef, sent to Alpha Beta ranches for pasturing, then to the feed lots where they are fattened on grain before being slaughtered and sold at the store. To Open Tomorrow Three-Day Sales Event to Be Feature of 'Open House' at Store At a cost of $285,000 for the building, property and fixtures, plus an initial outlay of $115,000 for merchandise, the Alpha Beta Food Markets, Inc., has given Santa Ana food shoppers the most modern super market in existence. With perhaps more "firsts" than any other store of its kind, it will be first in speedy operations at the checking stands with a minimum of delay for the customer. The doors will swing wide open at 9 a.m. tomorrow, Aug. 12, in the new store, located at 1300 N. Main St., and will remain open until 8 p.m. seven days a week, 365 days in the year with one plus for leap year. While the entrance is on Main St., one may enter and park in the huge parking lot, with numbered stalls, from either Main or Sycamore Sts., or may park in a full block of specially-designated stalls on the north side of Washington Ave. The stalls are numbered for a special purpose. When a customer parks his car, especially if the customer is a woman and plans on having the check boy place her purchases in her car, all she has to do is take note of the stall number and tell the checker she wants her purchases put in the car in the stall number. Clifford Haskel, sales and merchandising manager, explained "All too often some customer will say, 'Put this in a green Plymouth' in the parking lot, and as a matter of fact there may be a half dozen green Plymouths on the lot. But with the stalls numbered, all she has to do is tell us the number of the stall and the problem is solved." LOADING DOCK Another nice thing about the parking lot is there will be no company trucks driving in or out of it to get in the way of customers or vice versa. The store has an unloading dock separate from the parking lot. GENERAL MANAGER — Claude W. Edwards is also a vice-president as well as general manager of Alpha Beta Food Markets, Inc. He is 45 and has had 26 years of experience in the business of food merchandising, coming up through the ranks. He knows what it takes for success in such an enterprise as Alpha Beta's. He has served as an officer in several national associations of food merchants and is an authority on chain store operations. SECRETARY—William C. Cheverton, secretary of the Alpha Beta Super Food Markets, Inc., has been with the store only since 1943, but he has been a stockholder since incorporation in 1929. He installed the company's personnel department and is now actively in charge of store finances and the sales of company stock. Army of 99 Employes To Be On Duty In Store An army of 99 employees will be on hand during the first three days of the new Alpha Beta Food Market, Inc., super market at 1300 N. Main St. when it opens at 9 a.m. tomorrow, Friday and Saturday. This huge number of employees is necessary in the opinion of Clifford Haskel, sales and merchandising manager, in anticipation of the thousands of customers expected to participate in this grand opening. Alpha Beta stores have been well received by shoppers, with thousands of shoppers and curious people on hand at the other openings in Southern California communities, Haskel said, and he expects tomorrow's opening to be the largest of them all. However, after things have settled down to normal, the store will have 36 employees to handle the regular flow of customers. LOADING DOCK Another nice thing about the parking lot is there will be no company trucks driving in or out of it to get in the way of customers or vice versa. The store has an unloading dock separate from the parking lot, on the north side of the building. There the biggest trucks with 20 tons of merchandise may be unloaded with the Alpha Beta modern method in an hour by six men. With the aid of the hand truck and the ramp, the merchandise is handled only once between the truck and the store room, saving three to four hours of time in unloading. When one walks into the big store with more than 900 square feet of glass windows on front and side and fluorescent lights connected direct with the current giving the equivalent of 72 candle power, it is light as day in the store. There are nine rows of lights, 135 feet long from front to back of the store, in sets of fours overhead. On the left hand side as you enter the store from Main St., one sees a lunch counter with 22 stools. There one may enjoy soft drinks or coffee, sandwiches and light lunches. On the right are shelves and more shelves of merchandise ranging from crackers and potatoes to toiletries for milady. The store is equipped with 2562 lineal feet of shelves, 33 feet of delicatessen counter, 24 feet of frozen food counter, 52 feet of meat cases, 40 feet of refrigerated vegetable cases, and 135 lineal feet of vegetable display outside of the refrigerated case. All of the shelves are made of birch wood and bordered with stainless steel. Equipped with the cut-a-way checking stand and the new nesting shopping carts, customers will lose a minimum of time getting waited on once he or she has made his or her selection. The store will have specially-schooled checkers at the checking stands. TO CASH CHECKS Alpha Beta long ago learned that much time is lost in the checking stand employee cashing checks or adding a package of cigarettes to the cash list after the sale has been run up on the register. To eliminate this delay, the company has built a check cashing booth in the store that will also sell cigarettes and candy. So when a customer asks, "Will you cash this check for me?" the checking man or woman will refer the customer to the check cashing booth, and the same goes for the package of cigarettes or bar of candy that is forgotten until the last thing. Another feature of the new Alpha president as well as general manager of Alpha Beta Food Markets, Inc. He is 45 and has had 26 years of experience in the business of food merchandising, coming up through the ranks. He knows what it takes for success in such an enterprise as Alpha Beta's. He has served as an officer in several national associations of food merchants and is an authority on chain store operations. Second Store In Santa Ana Is Remodeled While construction was under way for the new Alpha Beta supermarket at 1300 N. Main St., Alpha Beta market No. 15 at 1010 S. Main St. was completely remodeled late this spring. The old arched front was removed and replaced with a modern exterior with a tower at the south end of the building. An all-glass front and curving transparent glass brick entrance completed the exterior transformation. Inside, the vegetable department was removed from the front to the rear, the meat department modernized and the remainder of the building given over to the grocery department, under a new layout plan. In addition, a check-cashing window, candy and tobacco counter was installed near the Main St. entrance to aid the checkers and speed up the service. Interior attractiveness of the market was increased with flowered wall-paper on the north wall. Metal cross beams across the ceiling were hidden with a complete cellotex covering which minimizes noise and gives the building a finished look. To aid customer parking, additional facilities were added to the west and north of the market. All fixtures in the market are new and an efficient cooling system and overhead heaters have been installed to maintain a constant temperature. Market Operates 21 Stores In 17 Communities Alpha Beta Food Markets, Inc. now owns and operates 21 retail food markets in 17 different Southern California communities and also operates its own grocery and produce warehouse. Each store operates three different departments, groceries, meats and vegetables. The stores are located in the following com- More Locations Being Considered For Markets As the new Alpha Beta store in Santa Ana is being opened, other locations are being considered for the erection of additional stores. Always conservative in its expansion policy, the corporation considers one good location better than many mediocre ones. The next store probably will be erected at the corner of Primrose and Lime Sts. in Monrovia. Pet Parade To Be Feature Of Friday Program Hey kids! The parade is coming! It is the big pet parade sponsored by the new Alpha Beta super market at 1800 N. Main St. Friday, Aug. 12. It will get under way at 11:30 a.m. Every boy or girl in Orange county with a pet of any description, he it is trained flea, turtle, skunk, sea serpent, dog, cat, parrot, pigeon, or anything that walks, flies or crawls—if it is a pet you may enter it in the parade. Dress it up to suit your own fancy, says Clifford Haskel, sales and merchandising manager. Chopped fresh or canned mushrooms are an excellent addition to condensed tomato soup. The combination may be used as a soup or a sauce. 21 Stores In 17 Communities Alpha Beta Food Markets, Inc. now owns and operates 21 retail food markets in 17 different Southern California communities and also operates its own grocery and produce warehouse. Each store operates three different departments, groceries, meats and vegetables. The stores are located in the following communities: Bell, Long Beach (2), Pomona (2), Riverside, Orange, Corona, Anaheim (2), Costa Mesa, Azusa, Elsinore, Fullerton, Whitier, Temple City, Banning, Covina, Wintersburg, and two in Santa Ana, 1010 S. Main St. and 1800 N. Main St. A few more stores are planned for opening in the near future in other areas, including Monrovia, where property already has been reserved. Grocery Department To Offer 2000 Items To Shoppers From This Area The grocery department of the new Alpha Beta market will offer Santa Ana shoppers an extensive stock of more than 2000 quality items in attractive and efficient surroundings. Each of the modernistic blond birch shelves is plainly marked with the number of the department and also the names of the items stocked on that counter. In addition to a complete supply of canned and packaged goods and household items, the department will feature a counter of toiletries and picnic supplies and a wide selection of frozen foods. All milk, cream, butter and eggs are kept in a refrigerated compartment directly behind the display cases, which are easily accessible. A special feature of the department is the self-service delicatessen, which will be stocked with 380 different items including chicken pies, baked beans, salads, lunch meats and spaghetti. The items are prepared and delivered daily at the Alpha Beta delicatessen kitchen in Bell and the date of preparation will be clearly marked on each package. No item will be kept in stock more than two days.