Retail Watchers

The Gig Harbor QFC is going to close for 5 months and go with a "fresh, local and organic" focus. This will be the first Kroger owned store to go with this format. This store is across the street from a former Safeway, now turned Haggen. I don't know how the Gig Harbor Haggen is doing. I know that of all the converted stores I have seen, this looks the most like a original Haggen because it was a really nice fancy Safeway. But I predict that QFC/Kroger is very aware of Haggen's pricing issues and will kick their butt with this new format!

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/loca ... 38930.html

QFC is throwing Haggen a nice bone handing them customers during the remodel. Sounds like the usual Kroger cat and mouse game. Give a little back then go in for the kill with this remodeled store.

As far as the Gig Harbor Haggen goes, let's see:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/haggen-food-and ... =date_desc

1-star review dated August 10: "A brand new (within the last few years) building, previously a very crowded and well loved rebuilt Safeway sold/converted to Haggen has gone completely down hill through obvious mismanagement and a drastically reduced inventory of quality and quantity of products."

1-star review dated August 9: "I've really tried to make this work, Haggen. But your produce is terrible, and that's why I'd been shopping at that store for years. I am disappointed by high prices and strange merchandising mix (Le Creuset cookware in the bakery/wine section?) "

No reviews at all during July...

2-star review dated June 27: "It's a ghost town for a reason... Maybe central market in Poulsbo will buy this store and offer gig harbor some great food"

I'll just stop now...

Looks like Safeway will take this one back...which will close the store for a few days again, and the war continues.

Apparently it's going to be called "Main & Vine" - over the last several days various job boards have postings for QFC at this address and mention Main & Vine.

Then this in Justia:
https://trademarks.justia.com/866/88/main-86688127.html

Is there a Main Street and/or a Vine Street in Gig Habor?

I think Kroger's corporate address is on Vine in Cincinatti...

Not sure how well "Main and Vine" will resonate with the folks outside Cincinatti.

storewanderer wrote:Is there a Main Street and/or a Vine Street in Gig Habor?

I think Kroger's corporate address is on Vine in Cincinatti...

Not sure how well "Main and Vine" will resonate with the folks outside Cincinatti.

(You're correct, Kroger's HQ is on Vine St. in Cincy. Neither Gig Horbor or Cincy have a Main street, or at least one that intersects with Vine.)

What I find interesting is that the trademark was filed by Kroger of Michigan up in Novi. Maybe that's the location Kroger uses for their legal filings?

Website is up:
http://www.mainandvineshop.com/

Here are some insights by others about the new Main & Vine store:

http://www.oregonlive.com/window-shop/i ... _vine.html

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/new ... store.html

http://supermarketnews.com/kroger/kroge ... -main-vine

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/busi ... 18515.html

submariner wrote:

storewanderer wrote:Is there a Main Street and/or a Vine Street in Gig Habor?

I think Kroger's corporate address is on Vine in Cincinatti...

Not sure how well "Main and Vine" will resonate with the folks outside Cincinatti.

(You're correct, Kroger's HQ is on Vine St. in Cincy. Neither Gig Horbor or Cincy have a Main street, or at least one that intersects with Vine.)

What I find interesting is that the trademark was filed by Kroger of Michigan up in Novi. Maybe that's the location Kroger uses for their legal filings?

Just a thought: could Kroger be setting up Main & Vine as a national format, which could retain the same branding across their divisions? The name seems "generic" enough that it could appeal to shoppers nationwide in the right markets. It seems like it will be a cross between a Whole Foods and a Central Market or Mariano's.

architect wrote: Just a thought: could Kroger be setting up Main & Vine as a national format, which could retain the same branding across their divisions? The name seems "generic" enough that it could appeal to shoppers nationwide in the right markets. It seems like it will be a cross between a Whole Foods and a Central Market or Mariano's.

That seems logical to me. Kroger does have success managing different format stores in the same markets.