Cluttered aisles at Fred Meyer

Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. No non-grocery posts.
Super S
Posts: 2691
Joined: April 1st, 2009, 9:27 pm
Has thanked: 11 times
Been thanked: 61 times
Status: Offline

Cluttered aisles at Fred Meyer

Post by Super S »

I have been noticing more random displays being placed in the center store grocery aisles at Fred Meyer recently. In some cases there are five or six displays down one aisle. A big thing they talk about during remodels are wider aisles, however, some of these displays are big enough that they take up half of an aisle and there is only room for one cart to pass by. It really clutters and clogs up the aisles when the store is busy. I have seen this at more than one location. Is this a Kroger thing or just Fred Meyer? It now seems like they just wanted more room for displays.

I haven't seen this at WinCo or Walmart, and Safeway I pay no attention to as I go there maybe once a year. It's one thing if they set up things down a wide perimeter aisle, but center store aisles are not the place for these.
SamSpade
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1570
Joined: September 13th, 2015, 4:39 pm
Has thanked: 374 times
Been thanked: 57 times
Status: Offline

Re: Cluttered aisles at Fred Meyer

Post by SamSpade »

Super S, you really should consider trying Safeway again.
On a spot price check I did in Idaho, FM was only about $5 less for the same basket.

I have a friend that will complain to no end about this at Fred Meyer, but it seems like more of these had been moved out at stores with COVID19. Perhaps they have returned as stores continue to pull back on "hero pay" and think that the pandemic has peaked in their communties.
jamcool
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1019
Joined: March 5th, 2009, 10:27 pm
Been thanked: 50 times
Status: Offline

Re: Cluttered aisles at Fred Meyer

Post by jamcool »

The same thing happens at Fry’s.....it’s worse with the regular stores than the Marketplace locations
Super S
Posts: 2691
Joined: April 1st, 2009, 9:27 pm
Has thanked: 11 times
Been thanked: 61 times
Status: Offline

Re: Cluttered aisles at Fred Meyer

Post by Super S »

SamSpade wrote: May 29th, 2020, 10:39 am Super S, you really should consider trying Safeway again.
When Safeway moves away from requiring cards, apps, and other gimmicks to get the same prices I can find at other stores without a card, which includes Fred Meyer, I will consider going back.
Super S
Posts: 2691
Joined: April 1st, 2009, 9:27 pm
Has thanked: 11 times
Been thanked: 61 times
Status: Offline

Re: Cluttered aisles at Fred Meyer

Post by Super S »

SamSpade wrote: May 29th, 2020, 10:39 am
I have a friend that will complain to no end about this at Fred Meyer, but it seems like more of these had been moved out at stores with COVID19. Perhaps they have returned as stores continue to pull back on "hero pay" and think that the pandemic has peaked in their communties.
These were appearing before the Covid 19 events started, and never were removed, they are just adding more.
klkla
Posts: 1614
Joined: February 24th, 2009, 3:26 pm
Been thanked: 2 times
Status: Offline

Re: Cluttered aisles at Fred Meyer

Post by klkla »

Super S wrote: May 29th, 2020, 9:15 am I have been noticing more random displays being placed in the center store grocery aisles at Fred Meyer recently. In some cases there are five or six displays down one aisle
This is what I dislike about Albertsons (and Vons since they took over). There is too much clutter in the stores and it's difficult to maneuver around other shoppers. Definitely one of my pet peeves and one of the reasons I love shopping at Gelson's.
storewanderer
Posts: 14388
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Online

Re: Cluttered aisles at Fred Meyer

Post by storewanderer »

I've noticed the cluttered displays at Smiths are at the end of aisles rather than within the aisles themselves. I've hit more than a few of these displays, and almost been shoved into more than a few by other passing by customers who didn't see me.

Safeway has a good amount of clutter too with these cardboard displays littered around, usually with overpriced Signature brand items, but they do not have as much clutter as the Kroger banners.

None of these clutter type displays at WinCo or Wal Mart.

SamSpade, Fred Meyer's pricing is not good. I have noticed the past couple years in OR that the pricing at Safeway/Albertsons is way better on ad items, they seem to have more items on sale, and they are even close on a number of regular price items in high turn areas like milk, eggs, etc. Not great on branded center store items (Fred Meyer does better there though Safeway/Albertsons will beat them with a good sale). The quality of meat, deli, and bakery is worlds better at Safeway/Albertsons than Fred Meyer where the quality has gone way downhill in the past decade when it used to have better than standard Kroger stuff. Fred Meyer's pricing in Idaho was also terrible when I was there in Boise back in October, I couldn't believe it. I think it is the same pricing as OR/WA, but ID is not OR/WA. I find it curious Kroger seems to be selecting the higher priced Fred Meyer as the banner of choice in Idaho (as evidenced by that Smiths closure in Idaho Falls) because I think Smiths pricing and marketing approach is a much better fit for especially Southern Idaho.
User avatar
retailfanmitchell019
Assistant Store Manager
Assistant Store Manager
Posts: 891
Joined: November 10th, 2019, 11:17 am
Location: 760 area code
Has thanked: 39 times
Been thanked: 57 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Cluttered aisles at Fred Meyer

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

storewanderer wrote: May 29th, 2020, 10:59 pm I find it curious Kroger seems to be selecting the higher priced Fred Meyer as the banner of choice in Idaho (as evidenced by that Smiths closure in Idaho Falls) because I think Smiths pricing and marketing approach is a much better fit for especially Southern Idaho.
Kroger could probably convert the Southeast Idaho Fred Meyers (in Twin Falls, Pocatello, and Idaho Falls) to Smith's Marketplace, similar to what they did in 2004 with the Utah Fred Meyers.
storewanderer
Posts: 14388
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Online

Re: Cluttered aisles at Fred Meyer

Post by storewanderer »

Given that Idaho Falls Fred Meyer was just remodeled and kept Fred Meyer and the Smiths in that town was closed it doesn't look like that is the route they are taking. I had been expecting them to take that route. For some reason, Fred Meyer stays there in Southern Idaho. My guess is they have decided Fred Meyer can make more money there (charges higher prices, radically higher in fresh departments, for groceries than Smiths does).
Super S
Posts: 2691
Joined: April 1st, 2009, 9:27 pm
Has thanked: 11 times
Been thanked: 61 times
Status: Offline

Re: Cluttered aisles at Fred Meyer

Post by Super S »

retailfanmitchell019 wrote: May 30th, 2020, 4:30 pm
storewanderer wrote: May 29th, 2020, 10:59 pm I find it curious Kroger seems to be selecting the higher priced Fred Meyer as the banner of choice in Idaho (as evidenced by that Smiths closure in Idaho Falls) because I think Smiths pricing and marketing approach is a much better fit for especially Southern Idaho.
Kroger could probably convert the Southeast Idaho Fred Meyers (in Twin Falls, Pocatello, and Idaho Falls) to Smith's Marketplace, similar to what they did in 2004 with the Utah Fred Meyers.
I highly doubt we will see stores convert to the Smith's brand in Idaho. I also doubt that we will see any new stores open in Idaho with the Smith's brand.

Smith's once had a presence in Boise, but in the late 1980s followed through on a threat to pull out of town when they did not get approval to build a couple of newer, larger stores. After they pulled out, they finally did get approval a couple years later for a store on Fairview, which sat vacant for several years after Fred Meyer purchased Smith's (which had already started construction on the new store) and construction was abandoned, it eventually became a car dealership. Smith's to some extent wore out their welcome in the Boise area.

Kroger seems to be gradually phasing out stores in some areas where Fred Meyer overlaps with other banners, we are seeing this to some extent with QFC in the Portland area as well.

Now, back on topic...Speaking of QFC, have the cluttered aisles appeared there as well?
Last edited by Super S on May 31st, 2020, 7:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Post Reply