Retail Watchers

http://www.supermarketnews.com/news/rul ... s-new-look

I don't know. The old logo was probably a little bit dated looking but at least it was a fairly innocent looking logo.

This new logo, like a lot of other new logos I see, just does not look right. It looks rough, sharp, I don't really know if the second letter is a "u" or a "v" and frankly the cart design with that "u" or "v" looks like a copy of "d" on the newer Food Maxx logo.

Adding more private label items sounds great (I really like Kroger's private labels) but I thought the point of these stores was limited assortment for higher efficiency, less waste/spoilage, ease in stocking (throw full box stocks)... adding more items, and slower moving PS/ST items at that, I am not sure how all that will work out. The point comes where you blur the lines between limited assortment which customers accept as, well, limited assortment, and just a "small conventional" that will be perceived as having a lousy mix since it lacks many branded items and is full of various private label items. I don't know if they are at that point or not...

The last 10-12 years has created some really questionable logo redesigns but I can't think of one where they made their logo unreadable. As a point to this, from now on I am calling Kroger's Midwest price-impact store that they acquired as part of JayC Food Stores in 1999 as "Rvler Foods", until Kroger decides to modify it.

Not sure who came up with that logo, but let's hope Kroger didn't pay very much for it. It does look less odd on the sign than it does in print.

"Rvler Foods" is classic!

Maybe someone contracted with the Russians and there was some confusion in the translation and they ended up with Rvler instead of Ruler.

More questionable moves out of Kroger.

What in the heck is going on with Kroger?

Maybe they can get into the fuel station business while they are at it at Rvler. They can install a few diesel pumps and some dump stations out on the side of the lot for RV customers. I currently know of no convenience store or truck stop chain that explicitly caters to RV customers.

Thinking more about this, the changes in merchandise mix make this sound more like Lidl.

Curious move given that Lidl does not compete with Ruler, has not been doing as well as expected in the US, and has slowed its expansion plans.

storewanderer wrote: ↑December 23rd, 2017, 9:34 am Thinking more about this, the changes in merchandise mix make this sound more like Lidl.

Curious move given that Lidl does not compete with Ruler, has not been doing as well as expected in the US, and has slowed its expansion plans.

I've never been to a Lidl but they seem to have baked goods (unlike Aldi) and some unique brands and food items (similar to Aldi). Having more of the same Kroger brands would not make for a very interesting store and seems like only the store they would put in areas where demographically a full line Kroger (or market equivalent) wouldn't stand up.

Ruler Foods' updated logo looks positive. I like it.

I would like to see The Kroger Company take the next step with the limited assortment/discount grocery banner by opening additional locations and, if successful, spinning off from the Jay C division to become its own division.

Knight wrote: ↑December 26th, 2017, 10:01 am Ruler Foods' updated logo looks positive. I like it.

I would like to see The Kroger Company take the next step with the limited assortment/discount grocery banner by opening additional locations and, if successful, spinning off from the Jay C division to become its own division.

At least Kroger is smart enough to not undertake an ill-advised expansion of Rvler Foods, otherwise Aldi may get a few locations, and depending on how big it fails it could force the sale of weaker divisions.

How would expanding Ruler Foods through additional stores in additional markets be ill-advised?

Knight wrote: ↑December 27th, 2017, 8:15 am How would expanding Ruler Foods through additional stores in additional markets be ill-advised?

Because to expand Rvler Foods beyond the JayC territory would require Rvler Foods to make its own division (or just divert resources from JayC, which would hurt its prospects). So not only would they go up against Aldi but also against Kroger's own stores. Even if the stores ARE cheap to build, anything less than a huge success is a waste of resources. Depending on how much of a failure the stores are, it could pose as a distraction or a drain on resources better equipped. That was one of the problems Albertsons faced in the early 2000s and late 1990s, they were trying to expand into a bunch of new markets (Des Moines, Tennessee, Houston, Missouri, and others) all while trying to make the American Stores merger work out. Had one or the other not happened, they would have done better, instead the markets that Albertsons tried to enter in the mid to late 1990s all closed down, and the resulting LLC/SuperValu cutbacks caused further markets to vanish.

If Kroger makes a really bad investment at this point when there's already signs of trouble throughout the chain, then they're going to have to cast off stores. Luckily, Kroger isn't considering such a thing.