anaheim-gazette 1948-08-12

Three-Day Sales Event to Be Feature of 'Open House' at Store (Continued from Page 1) station of KNX has been purchased and throughout the day Saturday listeners throughout radioland will hear about Santa Ana. Even the farm hour program will deal with farming in Orange county. Pertinent facts about Orange county in general and Santa Ana in particular will be featured. There will be a galaxy of radio talent from Hollywood on KNX that day telling the radio audience about Santa Ana and the new Alpha Beta store. BARGAIN DAYS For the first three days of the opening will be special bargain days at Alpha Beta. Each week thereafter special days will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And on open three days the prices throughout the Alpha Beta system will be the same on all merchandise. The opening of the new store is in celebration of the company's 38th anniversary. The first Alpha Beta store was organized in Pomona by Albert C. Gerrard in 1910. The story of the origin of the Alpha Beta stores and the name is of unusual interest. It was born of necessity. Necessity is always the mother of invention. Mr. Gerrard, now deceased, originally was a butcher and operated a meat market when every store confined itself to one product. Meat markets sold meat, grocery stores sold groceries, drugstores sold drugs, etc. But one day a friend suggested he sell groceries in his market. He tried it and it didn't go over so big. Then in desperation he put the groceries out on a shelf and let the people help themselves. They were always asking where is the coffee or where are the beans, etc. So to save his time at the meat counter he put out signs "A"; "B", "C", etc., and advertised if you know your ABC's you can shop at the Gerard store. SLOGAN COINED The next brainstorm was "Shop The Alphabetical Way," and from it came Alpha Beta. Needless to say it proved successful, and today it has grown into 21 stores, plus a huge warehouse, covering a territory of 100 miles in diameter. Thus A. C. Gerrard was the originator and founder of the first self serving store. And, in the early days of his career received nationwide publicity in national magazines. Other large stores adopted the method until today self-serving is the rule rather than the exception. For the first three days of the opening sale, the Alpha Beta store on N. Main St. will also have a Farmer's Market, featuring produce. The store is 14,500 square feet in size. It is made of reinforced concrete and steel and is fire proof and earthquake proof. New 'Dream Market Provides All Necessities For Modern Shoppers (Continued from Page 1) and getting them delivered to your car. All of these factors have been dealt with by Alpha Beta in a way that cannot fail to please every woman. COUNTERS NUMBERED All grocery counters are clearly numbered and marked with the names of the items that they contain so that it is easy to find such items as ham, bacon, chicken, leg-of-lamb and frankfurters. Eleven men will be available in the meat department to cut and weigh other types of meat. The self-service delicatessen is certain to be one of the most popular corners in the store. It will feature 380 different items, which are baked and delivered daily from the Alpha Beta kitchen in Bell. THREE MILES NORTH OF HUNTINGTON veal, lamb and hogs. In the foreground chute, ready to be transformed into rebuilt since 1936, is located three annually 20,000 beeves, 6000 veal, capacity Giant Nine-Hour Run To Be Feature of S (Continued from Page 1) Following "Western Revue," the show switches back to KNX headquarters where Nelson Pringle, from the KNX-CBS newsroom, will report on the development and growth of the Santa Ana area through recent years and will analyze the factors which will shape the future development of the area. Weeks of research have gone into Pringle's report on the area and it should be of prime interest to all Santa Anans. A famous CBS reporter and news analyst, Pringle is a specialist in Southern California trends and the New Dream Market Provides All Necessities For Modern Shoppers (Continued from Page 1) and getting them delivered to your car. All of these factors have been dealt with by Alpha Beta in a way that cannot fail to please every woman. COUNTERS NUMBERED All grocery counters are clearly numbered and marked with the names of the items that they contain so that it is easy to find them. Easily-rolled food baskets with ample space for a large supply of groceries, have been provided. The frozen food containers are large and constructed so that you can find the packages you want without looking through a dozen items. The milk and butter compartments also are easily accessible and are self-closing. All women are interested in getting the cleanest and freshest possible fruits and vegetables and Alpha Beta has made it possible by scrubbing each produce item as it arrives and then storing it in a refrigerated compartment kept at 32 degrees until it is displayed on the refrigerated counters. All fruits and vegetables will be weighed and checked in the produce department, thus saving delay at the grocery checking counter. SIX CHECKERS The store will have six checkers available to check grocery and meat items and as each of the 104 parking stalls is numbered, all you have to do is give your number to the checker and the delivery boy will quickly place your purchases in your car. An innovation in the meat department which will delight women is the self-service meat counter from which customers may get such items as ham, bacon, chicken, leg-of-lamb and frankfurters. Eleven men will be available in the meat department to cut and weigh other types of meat. The self-service delicatessen is certain to be one of the most popular corners in the store. It will feature 380 different items, which are baked and delivered daily from the Alpha Beta kitchen in Bell. The date when each item is prepared will be plainly marked on the package in order to insure complete freshness. Discriminating shoppers will be pleased by the special tea and coffee counter where imported teas and the highest quality of coffee beans will be available. The coffee beans, which are freshly roasted each week, will be ground daily to each customer's order. Another important time-saving innovation is a complete cigarette and candy counter where a special cashier is stationed. This cashier also will accept returned bottles and cash checks, thus further eliminating delay at the grocery checking counters. UNUSUAL FEATURE One of the store's most unusual features is its attractive lunch counter, which will seat 22 people. Women who work will now be able to combine lunch and marketing, as the counter will feature club sandwiches, chill and other luncheon items, as well as a complete fountain. Other thoughtful conveniences are the restrooms and a water fountain. One other feature of the market that deserves mention is the fact that the store will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week and will feature week-end bargains each Friday and Saturday. Cattle Raised On Three Ranches (Continued from Page 1) of delivery trucks to transport the merchandise to the 20 Alpha Beta super markets. The story of the development of this far-reaching and important part of the corporation is most interesting and well worth knowing. GRAZING RANCHES Three huge grazing ranches were leased when Alpha Beta's beef production program was first started back in 1939. The three rancher, comprising approximately 5000 acres in Santa Ana canyon, might be classed as a ranch, for they lie within a mile of each other in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The largest ranch, government-leased land, is composed of rich bottom grazing lowlands. The other two adjoining meal and barley and gain about one pound per day. All are sent to the packing plant before they are one year old and transferred into veal. Beef stock is purchased mainly in the fall, most buying being completed by December. Ranchers and cattle breeders in Texas, New Mexico, Idaho, Colorado and Arizona sell their available stock by November. The stock is graded before being shipped, and divided into five lots. Lot one, fat and ready for slaughtering, is sent to the packing plant for immediate use. Lot two, needing short special feeding, goes to the finishing feed lots for a 30-day period. Lot three goes to hay and pasture feeding at Litchfield, and lot four to pasture for a 90-day period for grazing. GRAZING RANCHES Three huge grazing ranches were leased when Alpha Beta's beef production program was first started back in 1939. The three rancher, comprising approximately 5000 acres in Santa Ana canyon, might be classed as a ranch, for they lie within a mile of each other in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The largest ranch, government-leased land, is composed of rich bottom grazing lowlands. The other two adjoining ranches are called Skully Hills and Ashcroft Hills ranches, made up of excellent grazinz areas of hilly terrain, with rich valley grass floors. Santa Ana river flows through the area, supplying water. All three ranches have only the necessary buildings needed to handle grazing stock. Barns for riding stock, special watering tanks, corrals and loading chutes comprise all investments. All ranch employees live in nearby communities. The location of the grazing land was selected because rich lowlands afford excellent summer grazing and the hilly areas furnish ideal winter and spring grazing. Consequently ample acreage of grazing land is available to handle 1000 head of cattle the year around. Cattle are kept on grazing land for approximately 100 days and then transferred to primary and finishing feed lots located at Litchfield, Ariz., Brawley and Huntington Beach. The Litcnfield plant can handle 15,000 head annually, 2000 head can be fed at the Brawley unit at one time and a like number at the packing plant at Huntington Beach. Alpha Beta feeds around 20,000 cattle annually, having an average of 3000 head on hand at all times. ANOTHER RANCH Claude Butler is in charge of cattle feeding and headquarters at the Santa Ana canyon ranches. Three men are employed at the ranches to handle the grazing stock. The entire beef production division is under the direct supervision of Hugh Gerrard. Alpha Beta has still another ranch at Calexico, just a few miles north of the United States-Mexican border, where all calves are grazed, fed and brought to slaughter size. The veal stock is purchased in October, being about six months old and weighing about 850 pounds. They are fed alfalfa, in the fall, most buying being completed by December. Ranchers and cattle breeders in Texas, New Mexico, Idaho, Colorado and Arizona sell their available stock by November. The stock is graded before being shipped, and divided into five lots. Lot one, fat and ready for slaughtering, is sent to the packing plant for immediate use. Lot two, needing short special feeding, goes to the finishing feed lots for a 30-day period. Lot three goes to hay and pasture feeding at Litchfield, and lot four to pasture for a 90-day period for grazing, and lot five is sent to Santa Ana canyon ranch where they graze for from six months to one year. Lot feeding is concentrated at the packing plant in the summer and at Litchfield in the winter months. FEEDING COSTS Cost of feeding varies. Grazing stock at the ranches costs but 5¢ per head daily. Pasture feeding runs at 15¢ per head and when placed on both pasture and special feed, the costs jump to 30¢ per head. Final feeding runs at 65¢ per head per day. Poundage varies in direct proportion to cost of feeding. Grazing stock gain about ¼ pounds daily, while pasture feedings jumps this daily weight gain to 1 pound. Pasture and feed stock gain ½ pounds and full feed stock put on 2 pounds daily. Today Alpha Beta Food Markets, Inc., have a well-organized, well-manned and smooth-functioning beef production division; handling stock direct from the ranches throughout the 11 Western states, through the special feeding periods and delivering the finished product to their own packing plant. There it is transferred into choice and Grade A beef and rushed by high-speed refrigerated trucks to the 20 Alpha Beta super markets situated in 16 Southern California cities and towns. A delicious vegetable combination for this time of year is yellow summer squash, onions, and tomatoes. Cook a strip or two of bacon first until crisp, then remove the bacon and saute the squash slices and the sliced onion in the remaining fat; add the tomatoes cut in wedges, season well with salt and pepper, cover tightly and cook until the tomatoes are soft and the flavors well mingled. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon over the top and serve immediately. MILES NORTH OF HUNTINGTON BEACH—This is the "last mile" for Alpha Beta beef, cab and hogs. In the foreground are many head of fat beef awaiting a trip up the slaughter ready to be transformed into select cuts of choice and Grade A meat. This plant, practically since 1936, is located three-miles north of Huntington Beach and is equipped to handle 20,000 beeves, 6000 veal, 10,000 lambs and 15,000 hogs. When purchased in 1935, it had a capacity for handling but 2000 head annually. Nine-Hour Radio Broadcast: The Feature of Store Opening From Page 1) Giving "Western Revue," the news back to KNX headquarters where Nelson Pringle, KNX-CBS newsroom, set on the development of the Santa Ana area recent years and will feature which will future development of Weeks of research have Pringle's report on the suit should be of prime importance. A BS reporter and news Pringle is a specialist in California trends and the radio technique of bringing voices of news-making personalites to the airwaves via tape recordings of on-the-spot interviews. At 3:30 p.m. the scene shifts back to KNX's "outdoor studio" in Santa Ana where Lynn Cole and Lillian Lane will present a half-hour musical "Salute To The Southland." Recalling songs from years gone by, they will key them to the story of the growth of Santa Ana. At 4 p.m. Santa Ana residents will be heard on the air when KNX's "Man In The Street," Jack McCoy, takes over for 30 minutes of interviews with people he will select from the thousands visiting the new Alpha Beta store. A pastmaster at "ad lib" interviews, McCoy has the knack of making people feel at home though all of Southern California will be listening to what they say. The program is designed to let out-of-towners know what Santa Anans think of their community and why they feel the way they do. Never a man to ask something for nothing, McCoy will have gifts for the folks he asks to talk into the microphone. YOUTH PROGRAM After another period of the latest local, national and international news prepared by the KNX-CBS News bureau, Santa Ana youth step into the entertainment spotlight at 4:30 p.m. with a program called "Santa Ana Youth On Parade." A dozen Santa Ana youngsters under 16 years of age, chosen for their entertainment talent, will join Bill Bryan and his trio for a half-hour musical show. Wes Battersea will be master-of-ceremonies for the program which will originate from the outdoor stage near the new Alpha Beta market. Winding up the five and three-quarter hours of radio entertainment will be the "Alpha Beta Jamboree" at 7 p.m. Jack McCoy turns comedian for the occasion and the whole musical aggregation of the day's event turns up for a huge finale performance. Lars Hansen is assistant secretary and director of advertising. Experiences in practically all phases of the grocery operations, he joined Alpha Beta in 1921 as a grocery clerk and later served for nine years as a retail store manager. Where Nelson Pringle, KNX-CBS newsroom, at on the development of the Santa Ana area recent years and will be factors which will future development of Weeks of research have Pringle's report on the it should be of prime all Santa Anans. A BS reporter and news Pringle is a specialist in California trends and the At 3:30 p.m. the scene shifts back to KNX's "outdoor studio" in Santa Ana where Lynn Cole and Lillian Lane will present a half-hour musical "Salute To The Southland." Recalling songs from years gone by, they will key them to the story of the growth of Santa Ana. At 4 p.m. Santa Ana residents will be heard on the air when KNX's "Man In The Street," Jack McCoy, takes over for 30 minutes the way they do. Never a man to ask something for nothing, McCoy will have gifts for the folks he asks to talk into the microphone. YOUTH PROGRAM After another period of the latest local, national and international news prepared by the KNX-CBS News bureau, Santa Ana youth step into the entertainment spotlight at 4:30 p.m. with a program called "Santa Ana Youth On Parade." A dozen Santa Ana young-ment will be the "Alpha Beta Jamboree" at 7 p.m. Jack McCoy turns comedian for the occasion and the whole musical aggregation of the day's event turns up for a huge finale performance. Lars Hansen is assistant secretary and director of advertising. Experiences in practically all phases of the grocery operations, he joined Alpha Beta in 1921 as a grocery clerk and later served for nine years as a retail store manager. Once You Will be an Enthusiast Will be an Enthusiast User of TOP-FROST FROZEN PRODUCTS TOP-FROST GUARANTEES YOU THE FINEST FROZEN FOODS OR YOUR MONEY GLADLY RE TOP-FROST CAN BE PURCHASED AT ANY ALPHA BETA FI The Running Warehouse Necessary Operation Of Chain Of Markets of the Alpha Beta warehouse staff, managers had warehouse ware justly proud of running, efficient and well division of the orchard other units of moving chain of super produce has been organized to meet the demanded of it in vegetable units of beta markets thruout California. composed of ten working a specific duty the well planned and daily procedure of working in condition one with another equipment and in used warehouse, they receive and deliver tons of merchandise. merchandise management of the many selling new retail programs, and is constantly working with the years of age, chosen entertainment talent, Bryan and his trio for musical show. Wes be master-of-cereal the program which came from the outdoor new Alpha Beta. the five and three-quarters of radio entertainment the "Alpha Beta 17 p.m. Jack McCoy for the occasion the musical aggregate's event turns up sale performance. is assistant secretor of advertising. In practically all grocery operations, Beta in 1921 as a land later served for a retail store mana- vegetable department managers in all markets. Al Brevig, Buyer and general manager of the warehouse, is a busy man too. His day begins at 4 a.m., hustling to the huge Terminal Market in Los Angeles to make his daily purchases. Returning to the warehouse at about 10 a.m., he plunges into his stack of daily warehouse details, makes additional purchases by telephone, keeping abreast of hourly changes in market prices and deliveries, places orders, often weeks in advance, for large deliveries of staple merchandise, and keeps his department running smoothly and efficiently. The produce warehouse day begins at 10 p.m. when Night Foreman, Nick Santi arrives with the balance of the night crew. Loading of the four trucks then begins and is completed by 4 a.m., when the drivers arrive and soon are on the road, making the first delivery of the day. If any special deliveries must be made, the two drivers who handle the shorter routes and who return before noon take these out. The day crew of the warehouse takes over at 6 a.m. Day Foreman Frank Schumack handles all telephone orders from store Department Managers, handled in sequence during the morning. Orders phoned in each morning are for delivery the following day. STARTS AT 6 A.M. Let's spend a make believe day at the produce warehouse, starting our day at 6 a.m. Day Foreman Frank Schumack handles all after cleaning up the usual accumulation of details, calls a special telephone operator advising her he is ready. She then connects him with all retail market vegetable managers, in sequence, who give Schumacker their orders for delivery the following morning. As soon as Schumacker has a few of these triplicate copies completed, they are taken over by Produce Bookkeeper T. R. Mackey, who adds prices on the white and yellow sheets. This task is completed around noon of each day and the following day's deliveries are in order, on paper. All orders are recapped on a loading sheet for the night foreman, for loading each order for delivery. In the meantime, Merchandise Manager Boyd and Warehouse Manager-Buyer Al Brevig arrive and take over their respective warehouse duties. Each has his desk in the warehouse office, with Mackey. During the morning hours, merchandise is arriving daily, by truck and rail. Perishables are placed in the huge cooling rooms, and staples are stacked on the outside warehouse floor. The warehouse is deserted and locked up by 3 p.m. Then at 10 p.m. activity begins with the arrival of the night crew. Trucks are loaded and ready for drivers who arrive at 4 a.m. CATCHES ERRORS Drivers are given two copies of the order sheets, white and pink. The white sheet comes back with the driver and the pink sheet remains at the market. All errors are caught and corrected when the returning white order sheet is checked against the yellow office copy, and the corrected yellow sheets returned to each respective market. Perishable merchandise, purchased in the morning, is delivered to the warehouse around midnight of the same day and is delivered to the markets the following morning. After trucks have been loaded by the night crew, a nightly inventory is taken and passed along to Brevig. Important information in estimating the market needs for the following day. Approximately 50 per cent of all produce merchandise reaches the warehouse via rail and the remainder by truck. About 40 tons of this merchandise is delivered to the super markets daily. The warehouse operates on a six-day week, deliveries reaching all markets daily except Sunday. Over 240 tons of merchandise is handled weekly. The produce warehouse is a most important segment of the complete Alpha Beta wheel and is today doing its allotted duties most efficiently. Inspection of the facilities is invited. Frank Schumacker handles all after cleaning up the usual accumulation of details, calls a special telephone operator advising her he is ready. She then connects him with all retail market vegetable managers, in sequence, who give Schumacker their orders for delivery the following morning. As soon as Schumacker has a few of these triplicate copies completed, they are taken over by Produce Bookkeeper T. R. Mackey, who adds prices on the white and yellow warehouse via rail and the remainder by truck. About 40 tons of this merchandise is delivered to the super markets daily. The warehouse operates on a six-day week, deliveries reaching all markets daily except Sunday. Over 240 tons of merchandise is handled weekly. The produce warehouse is a most important segment of the complete Alpha Beta wheel and is today doing its allotted duties most efficiently. Inspection of the facilities is invited. TOP FROST GREEN PEAS GREEN PEAS thusiastic OST UCTS THE FINEST IN GLADLY REFUNDED! BETA FOOD MKT.