Retail Watchers

With the COVID crisis, Kroger has run these spots thanking their employees for all the hard work during the crisis. I’m imagining that in the areas where there are no Kroger branded stores, they substitute the local banner name, like Fred Meyer in the Northwest. Initially at the end of the ad, you see the little Kroger characters and then they say “Fred Meyer, Fresh For Everyone”. But it was like they forgot that they had a QFC division. They had run a few similar QFC radio ads without the tagline. Finally the past two weeks they started running that same Fred Meyer spot but added QFC references and left out the vocals of the tagline. But you see both the Fred Meyer and QFC logos on the screen. So I am wondering if that has happened in other markets where Kroger has two banners. I am thinking of Southern California with Ralphs and Food 4 Less and Chicago with Mariano’s and Food 4 Less? Have those type of ads happened there?

I have been seeing a generic ad that covers all of the banners including QFC, and just references the Kroger company.

And Harris Teeter is not mentioned/seen in any of those ads

marshd1000 wrote: ↑May 18th, 2020, 8:15 pm With the COVID crisis, Kroger has run these spots thanking their employees for all the hard work during the crisis. I’m imagining that in the areas where there are no Kroger branded stores, they substitute the local banner name, like Fred Meyer in the Northwest. Initially at the end of the ad, you see the little Kroger characters and then they say “Fred Meyer, Fresh For Everyone”. But it was like they forgot that they had a QFC division. They had run a few similar QFC radio ads without the tagline. Finally the past two weeks they started running that same Fred Meyer spot but added QFC references and left out the vocals of the tagline. But you see both the Fred Meyer and QFC logos on the screen. So I am wondering if that has happened in other markets where Kroger has two banners. I am thinking of Southern California with Ralphs and Food 4 Less and Chicago with Mariano’s and Food 4 Less? Have those type of ads happened there?

I don't think Food 4 Less has had a TV ad in SoCal. Ralphs ads are similar to the Fred Meyer ads that you described with the "Fresh For Everyone" slogan. I still think the ads are weird with the "Kroji" characters.

In the Portland, Ore. market there have been no "regular" ads, only the 'thank you' ad that shows the lower 48 with the Kroger brands in their approximate geographic locations. The tag is for Fred Meyer only.

Mariano's was exempted from the "Fresh for everyone" campaign.

SamSpade wrote: ↑May 19th, 2020, 5:04 pm In the Portland, Ore. market there have been no "regular" ads, only the 'thank you' ad that shows the lower 48 with the Kroger brands in their approximate geographic locations. The tag is for Fred Meyer only.

Mariano's was exempted from the "Fresh for everyone" campaign.

Does QFC still advertise in Portland? They seem to have very little presence there.

retailfanmitchell019 wrote: ↑May 19th, 2020, 5:32 pm

SamSpade wrote: ↑May 19th, 2020, 5:04 pm In the Portland, Ore. market there have been no "regular" ads, only the 'thank you' ad that shows the lower 48 with the Kroger brands in their approximate geographic locations. The tag is for Fred Meyer only.

Mariano's was exempted from the "Fresh for everyone" campaign.

Does QFC still advertise in Portland? They seem to have very little presence there.

I haven't seen a QFC-specific TV ad or heard a radio ad for them on Portland radio/TV in years. I don't think they really gained much traction in Portland/Vancouver as they have been quietly closing stores and have always had spotty location coverage. To be honest I am surprised they aren't operating under the Fred Meyer name in the Portland area at this point.

EDIT: I think QFC was mentioned with Fred Meyer during commercials advertising that the loyalty cards could be used at Shell gas stations several years back.

It’s like the CB&S staff ears were burning, there is an updated Kroger family of stores ad that started today.

Associates are wearing masks and the audio messaging is about the supply chain being strong. This one is pivoting from an associate thank you to a customer message. It includes a visual of Natalie, who works at Ralph’s, Christian (who probably works at a Kroger - blue apron), and others (Fred Meyer - red name badges, black embroidered Fred Meyer apron) and closes with a socially distanced Fry’s associate / manager high five.

QFC does advertise in Portland but due to their smaller footprint send out weekly ad mailers and use digital ad banners.

SamSpade wrote: ↑May 20th, 2020, 9:35 am It’s like the CB&S staff ears were burning, there is an updated Kroger family of stores ad that started today.

Associates are wearing masks and the audio messaging is about the supply chain being strong. This one is pivoting from an associate thank you to a customer message. It includes a visual of Natalie, who works at Ralph’s, Christian (who probably works at a Kroger - blue apron), and others (Fred Meyer - red name badges, black embroidered Fred Meyer apron) and closes with a socially distanced Fry’s associate / manager high five.

QFC does advertise in Portland but due to their smaller footprint send out weekly ad mailers and use digital ad banners.

This is the ad I now see here in Seattle. I still see the Krojis but the vocal tagline is, “Together we got you covered”. But as for QFC and Fred Meyer, it almost seems that they should be on one ad now. I am not saying to get rid of the QFC banner. But here in Seattle, we still have Safeway and Albertsons, although not that many Albertsons. But it is a joint ad. So why not Kroger doing a joint Fred Meyer/QFC print and TV ad going forward? It is not like 20 plus years ago where QFC and Fred Meyer were not that much alike. Since their merger and then the merger with Kroger, Fred Meyer has upped their game. QFC, sadly is good but not that special anymore. Yes, there are some cool QFC stores like Downtown Bellevue, University Village and Kirkland Urban. But most are just regular, ever so slightly nicer supermarkets. But they don’t blow you away anymore! But The Fred Meyer in Gig Harbor is really just an extremely large QFC with a Fred Meyer name. The full size Bellevue and Redmond Fred Meyer stores have grocery sections that are comparable to a nicer QFC. Also in Portland, the West Burnside and Burlingame Fred Meyer stores are also more like a very nice QFC. So I really don’t know why they persist as separate divisions? The Portland QFCs should just rebrand as Fred Meyer. But go with dual ads in Puget Sound!

In the overhead PA system Kroger stores now have an announcement playing thanking grocery store employees from Duracell.

I have not heard these kind of announcements in other stores "thanking" the employees other than Kroger. I think the employees would probably rather have more extra pay. I may be wrong here but I question the effectiveness and meaning of these messages. Obviously someone or some focus group thought they were a good idea... but after the employees hear them 8 times in a day I am not sure if it is more of an annoyance than a positive.