Kroger to Buy Albertsons

[Ben]

I've never been to a Kroger, they are scarce as hen's teeth out West. Albertsons is a Boise based company, and in CA, you couldn't throw a rock without hitting one. Obviously they are all over Idaho as well. When I need to go to a "real" grocery store, I drive to the closest Albertsons, about 30min away. Their flagship store is around an hour from me, and it's ginormous. They have stuff like $4000 bottles of wine there.

For you guys with Krogers, what are they like?

https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/business/article267300697.html?ac_cid=DM711565&ac_bid=1113591831

[Perd Hapley]

I don't think we've had any Krogers here in a while, but didn't the company go all anti-gun a few years ago?

[MechAg94]

I don't think we've had any Krogers here in a while, but didn't the company go all anti-gun a few years ago?

Typical big corporation so probably.

[K Frame]

Been to a Wegman's? Harris Teeter? Sort of like that.

Higher scale than HyVee or Safeway.

[K Frame]

As far as I can tell Kroger's only firearms policy is asking customers not to open carry.

[sumpnz]

We usually shop at Fred Meyer which is part of Kroger.  Decent prices and quality.

I thought Safeway bought Albertsons a few years ago?

[Brad Johnson]

Not surprised. That's kinda a Cerberus thing. Buy something cheap, usually a receivership or a bankruptcy asset acquisition, then bulk it up and sell it. They bought the Albertson's name and assets when Alby's went belly up, then started snapping up regional chains under the Albertson's banner. They IPO'd it at some point in the recent past but still have a 30% stake via shares. An eventual sale of the Albertson's corporate entity was always the presumption.

Brad

[BobR]

I thought they already owned Albertson's. The sale flyer I get in the mail every Wednesday is already sporting both Kroger and Albertson's names on it.

bob

[MillCreek]

We usually shop at Fred Meyer which is part of Kroger.  Decent prices and quality.

I thought Safeway bought Albertsons a few years ago?

I love Fred Meyer.  Any store at which I can buy food, paint, a pair of slacks, windshield wipers, and a waffle maker is OK in my book.  They have better food items than the local Walmarts, Safeways, and Albertson's.  The concern here is that will give Albertson's/Kroger a pretty effective grocery monopoly in Washington state.

[charby]

Been to a Wegman's? Harris Teeter? Sort of like that.

Higher scale than HyVee or Safeway.

I would say Albertsons and HyVee are equal. Safeway to me is a more non frills grocery store.

My experience at Kroger is that they are more like a Safeway or Piggly Wiggly.

HyVee is our nicer grocery store in Iowa. HyVee also started in Iowa too.

[K Frame]

It's been a few years since I've been to a Kroger, but they struck me as being a level above Safeway.

[Ben]

We usually shop at Fred Meyer which is part of Kroger.  Decent prices and quality.

I thought Safeway bought Albertsons a few years ago?

Oh, interesting. I didn't know Fred Meyer is under Kroger. We have lots of those.

[HankB]

Albertson's closed its stores and moved out of the Austin, TX area over a decade back. I've never seen a Kroger store around here, but I've seen advertising that makes me think they may have some sort of affiliated grocery delivery service in town. The major grocers locally are HEB and Randall's, the latter being part of the Safeway brand.

When I was a youngster growing up in Chicago I remember my parents didn't like Kroger for some reason - there was something about Kroger's meat department they didn't like.

[Declaration Day]

Kroger has been here in Michigan my whole life.  They have a great selection of products at fair prices, except for steak or any form of beef; their prices on beef are ridiculously high.

[sumpnz]

Kroger has been here in Michigan my whole life.  They have a great selection of products at fair prices, except for steak or any form of beef; their prices on beef are ridiculously high.

The shitty local store we try to only go to occasionally had chicken breast for $6.48/lb.  Wasn’t even “organic”, just the same low quality stuff they always have.

[Ben]

Anyways, I guess I'm just hoping that this will end up more like what would have happened had Cabela's bought out Bass Pro, versus what did happen when Bass Pro bought out Cabela's.

[JN01]

I don't think we've had any Krogers here in a while, but didn't the company go all anti-gun a few years ago?

No. Several years ago Shannon Watts from Everytown for gun control tried to pressure them to post all their stores as gun free zones.  Company HQ told her no.

[Perd Hapley]

No. Several years ago Shannon Watts from Everytown for gun control tried to pressure them to post all their stores as gun free zones.  Company HQ told her no.

OK. I remember now. Thanks.

[K Frame]

No. Several years ago Shannon Watts from Everytown for gun control tried to pressure them to post all their stores as gun free zones.  Company HQ told her no.

Yep, IIRC, she got on her twitter feed and started crowing about how Kroger was prohibiting open carry in their stores.

Kroger's statement was a LOT different...

"Kroger is respectfully asking that customers no longer openly carry firearms into our stores, other than authorized law enforcement officers"

Apparently anyone who dared point that out on her twitter feed at the time was summarily booted.

[Unisaw]

As far as I can tell Kroger's only firearms policy is asking customers not to open carry.

Don’t bother looking for a shooting magazine at Kroger.

[Tuco]

Don’t bother looking for a shooting magazine at Kroger.

I think you mean "clip".

[Ron]

Marianos in Chicagoland is owned by Kroger. They are slightly nicer than Jewel which is owned by Albertsons.

[K Frame]

Don’t bother looking for a shooting magazine at Kroger.

I can't remember when I looked for a shooting magazine anywhere.

Decades, likely.

[T.O.M.]

Here in Central Ohio, the choice is Kroger, Giant Eagle, or a local independent place if you are really lucky.  Kroger isn't bad.  They push their own brands, which are hit and miss.  They are a union shop, which matters to some people.  Decent selection of most things, prices are okay.  Around me, they seem to be suffering from supply issues, but those tend to be short term problems.  I've always found the deli , bakery, and butcher staff to be helpful and mostly friendly if you are friendly, too.

[JN01]

Don’t bother looking for a shooting magazine at Kroger.

My local (E. Tenn) Kroger carries them.