Kroger Converts Three Harris Teeters and Closes One1

[Alpha8472]

Kroger is closing 1 Harris Teeter and converting 3 others to Kroger in the Nashville, Tennessee area. This is the first time that Kroger has switched banners on a Harris Teeter store.

Perhaps they believe that the Kroger name is stronger in the Nashville area. Apparently, Kroger does not see much value in the Harris Teeter name outside of Harris Teeter's home territory.

http://www.drugstorenews.com/article/re ... ter-stores

[BillyGr]

Kroger is closing 1 Harris Teeter and converting 3 others to Kroger in the Nashville, Tennessee area. This is the first time that Kroger has switched banners on a Harris Teeter store.

Perhaps they believe that the Kroger name is stronger in the Nashville area. Apparently, Kroger does not see much value in the Harris Teeter name outside of Harris Teeter's home territory.

http://www.drugstorenews.com/article/re ... ter-stores

Are these the only few HT stores in that area? If so, maybe it just seems more logical to convert all of them to one name, rather than having 3 or 4 stores under a different name. Not like areas where they bought a chain and didn't have their own stores in that area, so they kept the known local name.

[storewanderer]

I don't think Nashville was a strong market for Harris Teeter. Kroger is very strong there. Well run and stands up to Publix very strongly.

Kroger Nashville ran excellent stores compared to Kroger Atlanta. I can see why Publix has done well in Atlanta, after seeing how those Krogers were run...

[ValuedCustomer]

I don't think Nashville was a strong market for Harris Teeter. Kroger is very strong there. Well run and stands up to Publix very strongly

Nashville is far away geographically from HT's storebase in the Carolinas and Virginia so this move makes sense. I wonder if Kroger is ever going to "Krogerize" HT like all their other chains or if it will always be a "special". They've owned it for over a year now and I don't see that they've introduced any of the Kroger brands into the HT stores. They are building a new HT in Greenville, SC - a market HT exited years ago and halfway between Charlotte (HT) and Atlanta (Kroger) territory. IMO the Atlanta Krogers have stepped up their game in the last couple of years as far as how they are being run.

[storewanderer]

So far I notice the "Fresh Foods Market" name from Harris Teeter being used in the service deli at Smiths on the refrigerated soup and on the chicken strips. It appears to be replacing the "wholesome at home" line.

I think Kroger is stepping lightly with Harris Teeter due to customer perceptions and margins. Customers seem to really like Harris Teeter (I don't...), and I think they are afraid they will rock the boat. I am glad to see Kroger is allowing Harris Teeter to expand since they've had a great successful expansion run into a number of new markets and seem to be well liked in those markets. I hope it doesn't eventually turn into what some Kroger Divisions have turned in to who almost never open new stores anymore (Fred Meyer, QFC, Ralphs, Smiths up until last year...) and just do replacements and major remodels.