Southwest Parkway Kroger (College Station, TX) potentially closing

[architect]

As the title suggests, the Kroger on Southwest Parkway in College Station, TX is potentially closing in September. This store has been discussed on here multiple times, largely due its lack of investment which is atypical of the Texas region. It is a former Greenhouse which sadly had it's roof covered over, and is still rocking Millennium decor which has not aged well. Apparently, Kroger's lease on the space expires on 9/30, and they have until 9/1 to determine whether they will extend the lease or close the store. Further complicating things, Kroger also supposedly has a store planned at Harvey Mitchell Parkway (2818) and Holleman Dr., in an area surrounded by dense student apartment complexes. For all practical purposes, this new store would functionally replace the Southwest Parkway location, but would also leave Kroger with only two stores in the market (neither of which are close to Texas A&M) until this new store is completed.

[KrogerTexas]

I was in this store last month and it really looked tired. There was activity in the parking lot like a remodel was going to happen and it did not look tied into the shopping center remodel.

It will be interesting to see what happens. This store was a great store in it's heyday.

[pseudo3d]

I was in this store last month and it really looked tired. There was activity in the parking lot like a remodel was going to happen and it did not look tied into the shopping center remodel.

It will be interesting to see what happens. This store was a great store in it's heyday.

The shopping center was recently redone, and the facade was repainted. Gotta admit, it looks a bit better instead of that brown paint everywhere after the remodel in 2002 (I seem to remember that's when it happened, maybe very late 2001). I've said it before and I'll say it again...the carts that had a huge "lower level" where I usually rode, the little café area tucked near the deli/bakery and the entrance to the video store next door, the free cookies, the low ceiling with the plastic milk mock-ups, and the red stripe around the perimeter.

The sub-par remodel and the Kroger card which came at the same time poisoned my opinion of Kroger for years (and the Albertsons down the street made Albertsons "like Kroger, but more expensive"). The remodel happened shortly after the opening of a 2000 store which had the Kroger décor with the neon department store signage (initially).

[KrogerTexas]

You rode on the old bascart. They had a basket that raise up and the huge lower deck to put merchandise on. That was when "checker unload" was big. You could really bang you hands if that basket fell on them.

The video store was an expansion into I think an old drug store. It was used for several test concepts, the video, it was also a computer store and I think was eventually folded into the regular store.

The red tile stripe around the store was designed for something, but as I have gotten older my memory has forgotten what it was for, but it was in every store built or remodeled in that era.

The remodel probably happened when money was tight and the need to do something. At that time money for new stores came from corporate and remodels was funded by the division. I also think Kroger has learned that spending a bit more in a remodel does pay more.

I will say that walking into #997 brought back a lot of memories for me.

[pseudo3d]

You rode on the old bascart. They had a basket that raise up and the huge lower deck to put merchandise on. That was when "checker unload" was big. You could really bang you hands if that basket fell on them.

The video store was an expansion into I think an old drug store. It was used for several test concepts, the video, it was also a computer store and I think was eventually folded into the regular store.

The red tile stripe around the store was designed for something, but as I have gotten older my memory has forgotten what it was for, but it was in every store built or remodeled in that era.

The remodel probably happened when money was tight and the need to do something. At that time money for new stores came from corporate and remodels was funded by the division. I also think Kroger has learned that spending a bit more in a remodel does pay more.

I will say that walking into #997 brought back a lot of memories for me.

The expansion was originally, I believe, a Chuck E. Cheese (it was not part of the main store, as the video store was actually about three to four feet higher than Kroger, so there was an opening with steps at the video store). The "Family Video Center" (using the old "Family Center" font) shut down a few years before the store remodeled...I think it was right around the time Hastings opened a half mile away. After it closed, it sat vacant for a time before a Half Price Books moved in, and you could actually walk around and feel the small drop in the floor where the floor had been filled back in. It then became "College Depot", a seemingly one-off store that dealt with dorm furniture and clothing...but it then moved catty-corner to what had been a Lacks Furniture...which was an old Winn-Dixie.

[pseudo3d]

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The College Station Kroger has announced it will close mid-August, leaving its 2000 Signature store (plus the other 2006 store in Bryan) as the only stores in town.

http://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Kroger ... 75331.html

[architect]

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The College Station Kroger has announced it will close mid-August, leaving its 2000 Signature store (plus the other 2006 store in Bryan) as the only stores in town.

http://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Kroger ... 75331.html

Honestly, this closure isn't surprising. This Kroger has been unable to pull decent traffic for years, despite being just down the street from the A&M campus and a heavily trafficked HEB. I think that a lack of renovation simply hurt the store and prevented it from being able to compete. Although this will only leave 2 Krogers in the area for now, I expect that Kroger will open another location close to campus to capture the growing student traffic generated by the university. Another location on the west side of College Station or the far west side of Bryan would be a logical addition.

[pseudo3d]

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The College Station Kroger has announced it will close mid-August, leaving its 2000 Signature store (plus the other 2006 store in Bryan) as the only stores in town.

http://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Kroger ... 75331.html

Honestly, this closure isn't surprising. This Kroger has been unable to pull decent traffic for years, despite being just down the street from the A&M campus and a heavily trafficked HEB. I think that a lack of renovation simply hurt the store and prevented it from being able to compete. Although this will only leave 2 Krogers in the area for now, I expect that Kroger will open another location close to campus to capture the growing student traffic generated by the university. Another location on the west side of College Station or the far west side of Bryan would be a logical addition.

Kroger hasn't given up on the area yet, as they've talked about a Kroger Marketplace/another Kroger on the west side of the town, however, this closure basically gives H-E-B a massive market share increase over Kroger (2:1), and the area's three Walmart Supercenter stores. At this point, I think it's now possible for a reality where H-E-B could drive out its competition and become the "only choice" not unlike Waco or San Antonio.

[architect]

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The College Station Kroger has announced it will close mid-August, leaving its 2000 Signature store (plus the other 2006 store in Bryan) as the only stores in town.

http://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Kroger ... 75331.html

Honestly, this closure isn't surprising. This Kroger has been unable to pull decent traffic for years, despite being just down the street from the A&M campus and a heavily trafficked HEB. I think that a lack of renovation simply hurt the store and prevented it from being able to compete. Although this will only leave 2 Krogers in the area for now, I expect that Kroger will open another location close to campus to capture the growing student traffic generated by the university. Another location on the west side of College Station or the far west side of Bryan would be a logical addition.

Kroger hasn't given up on the area yet, as they've talked about a Kroger Marketplace/another Kroger on the west side of the town, however, this closure basically gives H-E-B a massive market share increase over Kroger (2:1), and the area's three Walmart Supercenter stores. At this point, I think it's now possible for a reality where H-E-B could drive out its competition and become the "only choice" not unlike Waco or San Antonio.

Honestly, I don't see Kroger abandoning College Station, even if their store count remains at only two stores for the foreseeable future. Both the Rock Prairie and Bonneville locations pull good volume, and the local economy is going to continue to grow if A&M continues on the trajectory they are taking. Also, BCS is on a logical path geographically between the Dallas and Houston markets, making these stores relatively easy to service from a distribution standpoint. The only reason I could see Kroger leaving is if they received a substantial offer to buy their remaining stores in BCS, which is unlikely considering they are one of the strongest players in the Texas market.

[pseudo3d]

Honestly, this closure isn't surprising. This Kroger has been unable to pull decent traffic for years, despite being just down the street from the A&M campus and a heavily trafficked HEB. I think that a lack of renovation simply hurt the store and prevented it from being able to compete.

Except they did remodel around 2002 to what it is now, which should've put it up to par with the Rock Prairie store and the new H-E-B store down the road. Problem is, they didn't care about it, they left old and mismatched tile throughout the store and didn't update the facade to anything that looked nice or fit the rest of the store. As a result, it just became dated and dirty very quickly.

Honestly, I don't see Kroger abandoning College Station, even if their store count remains at only two stores for the foreseeable future. Both the Rock Prairie and Bonneville locations pull good volume, and the local economy is going to continue to grow if A&M continues on the trajectory they are taking. Also, BCS is on a logical path geographically between the Dallas and Houston markets, making these stores relatively easy to service from a distribution standpoint. The only reason I could see Kroger leaving is if they received a substantial offer to buy their remaining stores in BCS, which is unlikely considering they are one of the strongest players in the Texas market.

Boonville was very well-performing from what I've heard and is in no danger of closing without replacement. I can imagine some sort of "store swap" between Albertsons and Kroger, but I don't think that would ever happen (though stranger things have happened in the industry).

However, as for "a logical path geographically", remember that Houston and Dallas split divisions and have always had separate distribution centers (Kroger's Dallas distribution barely extends outside Dallas, there's only a few places where Kroger, H-E-B, and Albertsons co-exist south of Dallas).