Kroger buying Harris-Teeter

[duketaylor]

Thoughts? I've been with Kroger for several years and would like to hear feelings about this announcement, especially being that it will be of interest to those in NC and other mid-Atlantic states. I completely understand why our company went this direction and I've always thought Harris-Teeter to be an excellent operator.

[throatybeard]

Thoughts? I've been with Kroger for several years and would like to hear feelings about this announcement, especially being that it will be of interest to those in NC and other mid-Atlantic states. I completely understand why our company went this direction and I've always thought Harris-Teeter to be an excellent operator.

I seen it.

That is to say, I was in Boone, and there was a Charlotte Observer, and I saw it. This is somewhat odd, especially when you consider the Kroger-HT store swap of a few years ago.

[devil84]

It sounds positive, I think. I'm more of a Kroger fan than a H-T fan. Does this mean that H-T prices could go down a bit? Or will Kroger's go up? Does this mean that between the many H-T and Kroger stores around me, that some will go out? (They said "no," but...)

And most importantly, since Kroger is based in Cincinnati, will I eventually be able to get Skyline Chili at most any Harris-Teeter??!!

[CameronBornAndBred]

It sounds positive, I think. I'm more of a Kroger fan than a H-T fan. Does this mean that H-T prices could go down a bit? Or will Kroger's go up? Does this mean that between the many H-T and Kroger stores around me, that some will go out? (They said "no," but...)

And most importantly, since Kroger is based in Cincinnati, will I eventually be able to get Skyline Chili at most any Harris-Teeter??!!

When I was a kid in Durham, the store we shopped at was Kroger. Then they disappeared. Then tons of years later, HT moved into the Triangle. (And Kroger is there too.)
Kroger says they don't plan on changing much, that the HT brand is a great one and they will continue it. That makes sense. I just hope they convince the people at HT that when they put ribs on "sale" for buy one get one free, it is still a crappy deal when the original price is over $6/lb. Who the hell pays $20 for a rack of ribs? I could buy them cooked in restaurant for cheaper.

[killerleft]

When I was a kid in Durham, the store we shopped at was Kroger. Then they disappeared. Then tons of years later, HT moved into the Triangle. (And Kroger is there too.)
Kroger says they don't plan on changing much, that the HT brand is a great one and they will continue it. That makes sense. I just hope they convince the people at HT that when they put ribs on "sale" for buy one get one free, it is still a crappy deal when the original price is over $6/lb. Who the hell pays $20 for a rack of ribs? I could buy them cooked in restaurant for cheaper.

Great point! I just hope HT continues to carry Boar's Head deli products. I much prefer their stuff to the usual brands at other Triad N.C. grocery stores.

[fuse]

I prefer Harris Teeter. Likely means we'll go back to Lowe's once this goes through.

Kroger is not as bad as Food Lion, but is as generic a grocery store can come.
I guess character is not a necessity for a grocery store, but Kroger is just white box soulless.

[DukeUsul]

Harris Teeter has a better coupon policy. Making use of that policy, we found we could often get things cheaper at H-T than at Kroger, though both stores were typically nice places to shop. I'm curious if the policy will change.

For example, H-T will double manuf. coupons with up to a face value of $0.99. So if you present a coupon for $0.99, you will get $1.98 off of your purchase (or up to the retail price of the item). Kroger will fully double manuf. coupons with face values up to $0.50. So a $0.50 coupon gets you $1.00 off. Coupons between $0.50 and $0.99 will be "doubled" up to a maximum discount of $1.00. So a $0.75 coupon at Kroger will only get you $1.00 off your purchase.

If you hit H-T during their super-doubles or triple coupon times, you can save a ton of money. More so than at Kroger.

[budwom]

Kroger has stated that they pretty much plan on leaving the Heater Tweeters alone...they like their profit margins and the way they sell produce.

We enjoy The Tweeter on our seasonal visits, the only option being Food Lyin', they of the bleached meat and fish fame. OK for staples, but for meat and
produce The Tweeter is vastly better...

[aimo]

I hate Kroger. The ones here in Durham seem to only be able to hire the rudest, laziest, most ignorant people on earth to staff their stores. Plus the store are dirty and the produce section makes no sense to me. They spray down vegetables every few minutes, ones that should be kept dry - potatoes! Then wonder why they're rotting in the bins. Their dairy products are dated less than a week from purchase. Their carts are in crappy shape ALWAYS, and that's only when you can find one.

HT is clean, the customer service desk is only staffed with managers that are almost always very friendly. And if you have to go to customer service, you don't have to wait in a long line of folks waiting to buy lottery tickets! Their evic specials are great, love the coupon deals. Love the evic coupon deals that you can access online. I can buy milk and eggs that aren't about to expire. Even the shopping carts are always reliable. Yes, some of their prices, especially produce, are higher, but I would rather spend a little more than deal with the crap that is Kroger. I have heard more negative responses about this than positive, so I hope Kroger folks are reading our fears.

[cbarry]

After shopping at both Kroger and Harris Teeter today, I figured out the #1 reason I like HT better. No, it's not the better sales, customer service, coupon policies, or cleanliness, though those are all true. At Harris Teeter, you DON'T HAVE TO UNLOAD YOUR CART at the register! At Kroger, I have to put each item on a conveyor belt, which the cashier then rings up, bags, and puts in my cart. At HT, they streamline the process by scanning directly out of my cart, eliminating the need for me to remove my entire cart's contents. It also makes it easier to swap lines if needed. I always seem to get behind somebody who takes extra time, but if I have already unloaded my cart onto the conveyor belt, I'm STUCK!

[allenmurray]

I hate Kroger. The ones here in Durham seem to only be able to hire the rudest, laziest, most ignorant people on earth to staff their stores. Plus the store are dirty and the produce section makes no sense to me. They spray down vegetables every few minutes, ones that should be kept dry - potatoes! Then wonder why they're rotting in the bins. Their dairy products are dated less than a week from purchase. Their carts are in crappy shape ALWAYS, and that's only when you can find one.

HT is clean, the customer service desk is only staffed with managers that are almost always very friendly. And if you have to go to customer service, you don't have to wait in a long line of folks waiting to buy lottery tickets! Their evic specials are great, love the coupon deals. Love the evic coupon deals that you can access online. I can buy milk and eggs that aren't about to expire. Even the shopping carts are always reliable. Yes, some of their prices, especially produce, are higher, but I would rather spend a little more than deal with the crap that is Kroger. I have heard more negative responses about this than positive, so I hope Kroger folks are reading our fears.

Exactly! I avoid Kroger. On the rare occasion that I stop in (perhaps it is more on my route and I need one item) i am always reminded of why I avoid it. On the other hand HT is always clean, well organized and well lit. The customer service is outstanding.

Since I recently moved from Durham to Mebane, where there is no HT, is is a bit of a moot point for me. I now shop at Lowes Foods, which almost equals HT for service and quality.

[cbarry]

I hate Kroger also. The people never seem to give a darn, and the stores are dirty.

Lowe's Foods is all riiiiight... but not the level of service of HT. I don't like their meat too much at Lowe's Foods. They sold me some bad meat once, so I won't buy meat from them again. They also cut their Boston Butts rather than leave them in a vacuum pack.

Exactly! I avoid Kroger. On the rare occasion that I stop in (perhaps it is more on my route and I need one item) i am always reminded of why I avoid it. On the other hand HT is always clean, well organized and well lit. The customer service is outstanding.

Since I recently moved from Durham to Mebane, where there is no HT, is is a bit of a moot point for me. I now shop at Lowes Foods, which almost equals HT for service and quality.

[allenmurray]

I hate Kroger also. The people never seem to give a darn, and the stores are dirty.

Lowe's Foods is all riiiiight... but not the level of service of HT. I don't like their meat too much at Lowe's Foods. They sold me some bad meat once, so I won't buy meat from them again. They also cut their Boston Butts rather than leave them in a vacuum pack.

Mebane = small town life, which has many benefits, but some drawbacks, one of which is few choices. Lowes or Food Lion. Easy call.

[DU82]

I expect that the Kroger branded stores will either close or be rebranded HT within North Carolina. I didn't realize that there were only 14 Krogers in NC, almost all in the Triangle (I hope I'm remembering the numbers from an N&O story correctly.) Harris Teeter is around 150 or so. There's not a lot of overlap in other states, either, other than I think TENN.

HT swapped stores with Lowes in the Charlotte area last year, basically giving Lowes their rural stores while getting back the (sub)urban ones. I think it was a good swap for both. Publix is moving into Charlotte, and that pushed HT to wanting a deal to solidify their position in their home territory. (Having recently been in a Publix in Florida, I don't get the big deal about them. Looked generic, really a lot like a Kroger store. It's not like Wegman's was moving in.)

[Reilly]

How's the parking at the respective stores? As bad as this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UFc1pr2yUU

[hurleyfor3]

Kroger has a long history of keeping the names of whom they buy. (Colorado has King Soopers [stupidest name ever] and City Market, and New Mexico has Smith's, all of which are Krogers.) Kinda the opposite of Macy's. I suspect the first change you'll see is the introduction of Kroger house brands at HT's.

The King Soopers around Denver are hit or miss. There are some very nice ones, and some where you go in and it feels like 1973. I get the impression Kroger doesn't prioritize updating older stores but would rather build new ones, even cannibalizing the territory of an existing older store. Not really an issue with HT's as they're generally nice.

[Lid]

I'm in the camp of being somewhat afraid that this will mean my neighborhood HT will start to sink in quality. I agree with many upthread comments about the cleanliness, effficiency, friendliness and quality of HT compared to Kroger (in Durham). Fingers crossed that those characteristics remain strong.

Now, if Ukrop's or Wegman's moved in, I'd have to reconsider my loyalty to the Teet.

[JBDuke]

I'm in the camp of being somewhat afraid that this will mean my neighborhood HT will start to sink in quality. I agree with many upthread comments about the cleanliness, effficiency, friendliness and quality of HT compared to Kroger (in Durham). Fingers crossed that those characteristics remain strong.

Now, if Ukrop's or Wegman's moved in, I'd have to reconsider my loyalty to the Teet.

Unfortunately, Ukrop's is no more. They sold their stores to Martin's a while back. Wegman's on the other hand, has moved into Northern Virginia and seems to be doing well.

[msdukie]

Once Publix moves forward with its invasion of North Carolina, this thread will be moot. (And no, there is nothing generic about Publix).

[cbarry]

Once Publix moves forward with its invasion of North Carolina, this thread will be moot. (And no, there is nothing generic about Publix).

I can't WAIT! Their strategy is perplexing, however. 1 new store in Charlotte and 1 in Cary within the next 1-2 years. It hardly seems cost effective to have such a small presence. I had hoped Publix would put in a competing offer for HT, but it doesn't look like that will happen. I shopped Publix when I lived in GA, and they would be an acceptable alternative to HT.