The Sacramento Bee reports that one day after a federal court in San Francisco denied a request by Albertsons for a temporary restraining order that would prevent Grocery Outlet Inc. from using the Lucky banner on its stores, Albertsons used the Lucky logo in a newspaper advertisement.
The ad carried both the Albertsons and Lucky logo, and it apparently is the first time in six years that Albertsons used the brand name that it inherited when it acquired American Stores. The ad is noteworthy because of the controversy that erupted when Grocery Outlet used the Lucky banner on a renovated store, saying that because Albertsons has not used it for six years it has legally abandoned the trademark, thus making it available to other retailers. Analysts say that the ad was used b y Albertsons as a way of reclaiming the brand name despite the judge's denial of a restraining order.
The ad carried both the Albertsons and Lucky logo, and it apparently is the first time in six years that Albertsons used the brand name that it inherited when it acquired American Stores. The ad is noteworthy because of the controversy that erupted when Grocery Outlet used the Lucky banner on a renovated store, saying that because Albertsons has not used it for six years it has legally abandoned the trademark, thus making it available to other retailers. Analysts say that the ad was used b y Albertsons as a way of reclaiming the brand name despite the judge's denial of a restraining order.
- KC's View:
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This whole issue simply illustrates the creative bankruptcy over at Albertsons, where executives unceremoniously dumped a brand name that still had equity among consumers, centralized and reorganized the company to the point where it no longer made sense to operate it as an independent entity and had to be sold, and now is trying to recapture the horse even though it was let out of the corral six years ago.
Too late, folks.
We don’t know how the legal wrangling will turn out, but all the huffing and puffing by Albertsons management and their lawyers only turns the spotlight on the fact that they themselves are living in a house made of straw.
