Group Is Shopping for Store Replacement

On the heels of an antitrust settlement that calls for Ralphs Grocery Co. and Hughes Family Markets to sell 19 of their 399 Southern California stores to complete a merger, Studio City residents will get an unofficial say about what should replace one of the old Ralphs locations.

The Studio City Residents Assn. is conducting a community poll asking residents who they would like to see move into the Ralphs location that must be sold as part of a deal struck with the help of the state attorney general’s office.

Although the store must be replaced by another supermarket, association officials said they would like the community to have a chance to woo markets of their choice.

“We know that we have no official say here, but we figured we should poll residents to see what they have to say,” said Tony Lucente, president of the association. “Especially after such a hard-fought battle. A lot of these people gave a lot of themselves to make this happen; they deserve to be heard.”

The agreement was reached last week after months of negotiation with the state attorney general’s office. It was prompted by widespread public opposition to the merger that would give Ralphs 32% of the market in Southern California--a situation that some feared would create a monopoly and drive up food prices in the area.

“We’re very pleased with the outcome,” Lucente said. “Now, if we could get a store here that everyone wants, we’ll be really happy.”

For more information on the poll, contact the association at (818) 509-0230.