Kroger "big announcement coming" on branding

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retailfanmitchell019
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Re: Kroger "big announcement coming" on branding

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

storewanderer wrote: September 29th, 2020, 12:14 am Ralphs in the early 00's had a very well tailored Home GM selection from Fred Meyer well presented. That was a key feature of their new stores and some of the remodels in NorCal and it really added something to the stores. That was a smaller version of what was used in those AZ Marketplace Stores but it was all Fred Meyer stuff. Somewhere along the way Kroger seemed to lose its way on the Home GM and stopped having stylish items and was just getting the wrong items.
These home GM departments were in the Ralphs Marketplace stores. These Marketplace stores were mostly built in suburban/exurban areas around 2001-2006. There is one former Smith's in Glendora that became a Ralphs Marketplace. Very nice stores. Most of these stores have had their Marketplace signage taken down and their home GM section removed, becoming just another regular Ralphs, although one in Porter Ranch (near Northridge) became a Fresh Fare.
Did Fred Meyer/Kroger ever consider bringing the Fred Meyer name to SoCal, or building Fry's Marketplace-sized Ralphs stores?
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Re: Kroger "big announcement coming" on branding

Post by marshd1000 »

retailfanmitchell019 wrote: October 2nd, 2020, 10:59 am
storewanderer wrote: September 29th, 2020, 12:14 am Ralphs in the early 00's had a very well tailored Home GM selection from Fred Meyer well presented. That was a key feature of their new stores and some of the remodels in NorCal and it really added something to the stores. That was a smaller version of what was used in those AZ Marketplace Stores but it was all Fred Meyer stuff. Somewhere along the way Kroger seemed to lose its way on the Home GM and stopped having stylish items and was just getting the wrong items.
These home GM departments were in the Ralphs Marketplace stores. These Marketplace stores were mostly built in suburban/exurban areas around 2001-2006. There is one former Smith's in Glendora that became a Ralphs Marketplace. Very nice stores. Most of these stores have had their Marketplace signage taken down and their home GM section removed, becoming just another regular Ralphs, although one in Porter Ranch (near Northridge) became a Fresh Fare.
Did Fred Meyer/Kroger ever consider bringing the Fred Meyer name to SoCal, or building Fry's Marketplace-sized Ralphs stores?
I'm doubting that even Fred Meyer, without being bought by Kroger, would have brought the Fred Meyer name to Southern California. They had one lone Fred Meyer in Chico that was closed before the Kroger merger. After Fred Meyer bought Smith's and then Smith's was introduced to Montana through acquisition of some Albertson's stores, Fred Meyer converted the 3 Fred Meyer stores in Montana to Smith's. So I doubt they would have brought the Fred Meyer name so So. Cal. I am surprised that they didn't create more Ralph's Marketplace stores!
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Re: Kroger "big announcement coming" on branding

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

marshd1000 wrote: October 2nd, 2020, 12:43 pm After Fred Meyer bought Smith's and then Smith's was introduced to Montana through acquisition of some Albertson's stores, Fred Meyer converted the 3 Fred Meyer stores in Montana to Smith's.
Smith's acquired those Albertsons in MT/WY during the 1998 merger with Buttrey, as ordered by the FTC. They bought Albertsons stores in Billings (2), and Missoula. Smith's bought Buttrey stores in Great Falls (still open), Bozeman (relocated), 2 stores in Butte, and 1 in Helena.
In Wyoming, Smith's bought Albertsons stores in Laramie and Cheyenne (2), and Buttrey stores in Gillette (still open) and Cody.
These acquired Buttreys and Albertsons were mostly a failure for Smith's. They divested the Cheyenne stores a few months later to Nash Finch, as Kroger was building a King Soopers there (Kroger merged with Fred Meyer in early 1999). Kroger would close most of the former Buttrey/Albertsons stores around 2001-2004, with the exception of Bozeman, Great Falls, and Gillette. I'm guessing Walmart annihilated those stores, which weren't in the best condition anyway.
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Re: Kroger "big announcement coming" on branding

Post by storewanderer »

retailfanmitchell019 wrote: October 2nd, 2020, 10:59 am These home GM departments were in the Ralphs Marketplace stores. These Marketplace stores were mostly built in suburban/exurban areas around 2001-2006. There is one former Smith's in Glendora that became a Ralphs Marketplace. Very nice stores. Most of these stores have had their Marketplace signage taken down and their home GM section removed, becoming just another regular Ralphs, although one in Porter Ranch (near Northridge) became a Fresh Fare.
Did Fred Meyer/Kroger ever consider bringing the Fred Meyer name to SoCal, or building Fry's Marketplace-sized Ralphs stores?
Ralphs built 3 Marketplace Stores in NorCal: Roseville (now Raleys), El Dorado Hills and Elk Grove (both now Nugget); plus 2 in Fresno area (one now a Save Mart, one now a F4L Franchise). But a number of other NorCal Ralphs had the expanded GM departments even if not flagged as a marketplace.

Some of the SoCal ones did get a Kitchen Place department added in when they reset out the other non food. Those Kitchen Place departments looked good.
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Re: Kroger "big announcement coming" on branding

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

storewanderer wrote: October 2nd, 2020, 5:50 pm Ralphs built 3 Marketplace Stores in NorCal: Roseville (now Raleys), El Dorado Hills and Elk Grove (both now Nugget); plus 2 in Fresno area (one now a Save Mart, one now a F4L Franchise). But a number of other NorCal Ralphs had the expanded GM departments even if not flagged as a marketplace.
Ralphs also had a Marketplace store in Monterey at one time- a former Albertsons that they might've gutted. That store is now a Safeway.
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Re: Kroger "big announcement coming" on branding

Post by storewanderer »

retailfanmitchell019 wrote: October 2nd, 2020, 6:13 pm
storewanderer wrote: October 2nd, 2020, 5:50 pm Ralphs built 3 Marketplace Stores in NorCal: Roseville (now Raleys), El Dorado Hills and Elk Grove (both now Nugget); plus 2 in Fresno area (one now a Save Mart, one now a F4L Franchise). But a number of other NorCal Ralphs had the expanded GM departments even if not flagged as a marketplace.
Ralphs also had a Marketplace store in Monterey at one time- a former Albertsons that they might've gutted. That store is now a Safeway.
Was Del Rey Oaks flagged as a Marketplace? I forgot that. Del Rey Oaks had the most square footage of any of the locations. Del Rey Oaks was a former Monte Mart, some kind of discount format of Albertsons, but almost immediately remodeled into a standard Ralphs. That and Freedom were both very large stores. Freedom was a heavily remodeled former Albertsons (I think that was Albertsons newest NorCal Store in 1999- it was an old smaller Kmart; Kmart rebuilt nearby and I think is still open).

Ironically Freedom was probably the right place for a discount format store... Del Rey Oaks definitely justified a full service store.

If you're familiar with the Salinas FoodsCo that is another former Monte Mart and that is what the Del Rey Oaks Store was like when Ralphs got it.
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Re: Kroger "big announcement coming" on branding

Post by SamSpade »

If you live in a market with a Kroger family of brandsTM store, you likely cannot get away from the commercial that uses Flo Rida's "Low" as an introduction to their current pricing event.

There was a valid criticism published recently. It seems that it hasn't received much traction, but I remember the first time I heard this song being used for this purpose a feeling of shock / tone deafness washing over me.

Kraft recently pulled their social 'send noods' campaign as did some other brand that was attempting to be "cool."
I'm surprised that Kroger hasn't seen any push back on this yet.

(sorry for the low quality youTube link, you may be able to find a better one)

Here is the article I read:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/pauljankow ... st-victims
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Re: Kroger "big announcement coming" on branding

Post by Super S »

SamSpade wrote: October 27th, 2020, 2:01 pm If you live in a market with a Kroger family of brandsTM store, you likely cannot get away from the commercial that uses Flo Rida's "Low" as an introduction to their current pricing event.

There was a valid criticism published recently. It seems that it hasn't received much traction, but I remember the first time I heard this song being used for this purpose a feeling of shock / tone deafness washing over me.

Kraft recently pulled their social 'send noods' campaign as did some other brand that was attempting to be "cool."
I'm surprised that Kroger hasn't seen any push back on this yet.

(sorry for the low quality youTube link, you may be able to find a better one)

Here is the article I read:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/pauljankow ... st-victims
Between that and the "I'm too sexy" commercial they aired prior to this, it seems they are pushing the envelope a little. It also coincides with Fred Meyer switching to now requiring a card for sale prices.
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Re: Kroger "big announcement coming" on branding

Post by klkla »

When I first saw the ad I didn't see a problem with it.

The article mentions this:

"While the hook of the song is instantly recognizable, the lyrics and meaning of the song are so disconnected from the essence of this pristine and powerful brand.

The meaning of this 2008 hit is very clear. Sadly, the brand team didn’t push back on the blatant objectification of women.

“She hit da floor, next time you know, shawty got low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low.”

Thankfully lines such as, “so sexual, she was flexible, professional, drinkin’ X and O”, “work the pole, I got the bank roll, I’ma say that I prefer them no clothes, I’m into that, I love women exposed” and “sorry but I had to fold her, like a pornography poster” weren’t used.

You get the point. However, if you’re not sure, “Shawty” is a stripper and a ‘pro’ who was ‘worth the money’ and was ‘fly just like my glock.’


Ooops! Kroger may want to looks for a new ad agency.
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Re: Kroger "big announcement coming" on branding

Post by Bakeragr »

Songs like this are used in commercials all of the time. I don’t see that it’s an issue. Honestly, I thought it was sort of catchy. To each their own, I guess.
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