Customers at the Coeur d'Alene Albertsons on Ironwood Drive will find a few surprises in ensuing weeks.

The contents of the aisles will be rearranged. The grocery store sections will be expanded and changed around.

But customers will be rewarded for their patience, said Manager Tom Colnaric, assuring that they will have more variety and better shopping experiences as the 20-year-old store undergoes a massive remodeling.

"We're overdue. The store hasn't had anything (changed) for at least 10 years," Colnaric said. "Change takes time to get used to, but I know when the dust settles, people will be happy with the changes we've made."

Improvements will extend to every part of the store, he said.

The structure itself is receiving a facelift, with new floor tiling and a new roof to be installed in the next few weeks. The food sections are being painted to correspond with food sections.

The store will never close during the changes, he assured.

"We'll work right around it," he said. "We make sure our customers are our top priority."

The front of the store has been opened up to give shoppers more space in that area, and self-check out stations have been installed for the first time in the store's history.

"If we want to keep up with Fred Meyer and Safeway, this is what we have to do," Colnaric said. "All the stores have these now."

Reactions have been mixed about self-check-out, he added.

"Some people love the convenience. They want to get in and get out," he said. "But some love our 17-year veteran checkers. Now they have the option, which they didn't before."

Grocery sections will also expand. The bakery already added several more racks of items, and has grown from a 6-foot cake case to 20 feet of fresh and frozen delectables.

The deli section has added more organic items and a self-serve section. The wine section is also planned to grow.

"It's nice we can give our base of customers that variety," Colnaric said.

Items will also be rearranged on several aisles to include more items, he added.

"If we notice a customers buying a lot of something, we'll buy a lot of that," he noted.

Erik Breisacher rolled his cart down the aisle on Tuesday after accumulating a pile of greens.

The expansion of the deli and the bakery is appealing, he said. But his grocery priorities are in the produce section, so he is eager to see that area expand.

He has no complaints about the changes so far, he said.

"Love the self check out," Breisacher said. "I'm totally self check out."

Rolaine Brunelle admitted she was a little lost in her hunt for groceries now that some aisle contents have moved.

But she believes the store will look nicer after all the work is done, she said.

"It does look like it will be more gourmet oriented," Brunelle said.

She shops the most in the deli, bakery and produce sections, she added, which she'll be excited to see host a larger variety.

Colnaric was not authorized to disclose how much the remodel will cost.

The improvements were scheduled in between the rush of the summer tourism season and the winter holiday season, he said.

A grand opening is scheduled for Nov. 9.

"I love it. I like giving the customers a variety," Colnaric said. "Change is good for everything."