End-of-Year 2015 Mid-South Kroger Statuses

I know I said my last post was going to be the last one of the year... but what can I say, apparently I was wrong! :P

Kroger, 3830 Hickory Hill // courtesy kingskip1 on flickr

Anyway, I just wanted to share some news concerning Kroger Delta Division's recent announcement, as covered by the Memphis Business Journal (among other outlets). Primarily, this involves the closure of the location at 3830 Hickory Hill, which has reportedly been unprofitable for just shy of a decade - since 2006. That store will close at the end of next month, a period that will also see the grand reopening of the last (I think!) as-yet-unremodeled store purchased from Schnucks back in 2011, on Truse Parkway. Logic would dictate that at least one of two area stores to that one - S Mendenhall, 0.6 mile away, or S Perkins (a tiny store unremodeled by Kroger or Schnucks), 1 mile away - would close soon after the grand reopening, similar to how the Exeter Road store in Germantown closed when the expanded (well, basically rebuilt) Farmington Boulevard former Schnucks 0.5 mile away reopened this past August. In any case, I don't expect Kroger to announce anything on that front until closer to the actual time.

Kroger, 799 Truse Parkway // courtesy Bradley_Memphis on flickr

So, for those of you keeping count, that's at least two Kroger closures next month, and one grand reopening: the Union Avenue store is closing January 4th so construction can enter the next stages on the new Midtown store (update: store closed 1-2; demolition will be 1-4. I sincerely apologize for the inaccuracy), the Hickory Hill store is closing January 30th and will not be replaced (Kroger encourages customers to visit either the Riverdale or Winchester Road stores, both roughly about four miles away), and the Truse Parkway store is celebrating a grand reopening January 27th.

Kroger, 1761 Union Avenue, during the changeover from Schnucks // courtesy MBJ

The other news Kroger shared was that it not only met, but exceeded its promise to upgrade Mid-South stores. I believe this great ambition arose as a corporate response to negative feedback on the public's part to Kroger's buyout of the Schnucks stores when that company vacated the area over four years ago, thereby leaving Kroger with a bit of a monopoly on the area's grocery scene. For its part, Kroger has done rather well heightening their perception to match their position here in the Mid-South, largely through major remodels and expansions (although, of course, that leaves us retail fans at a loss, with the removal of virtually all nonconforming décor packages...). In the announcement, Kroger released totals for many of its projects over the past two years. Those numbers are reprinted below from the MBJ, along with links to several of l_dawg2000's flickr albums documenting those renovations in progress, plus one of my own.

• Kroger Cordova (Houston Levee/Macon): $1.2 million, 2015
• Kroger Collierville (Winchester/Houston Levee): $3.8 million, 2014
• Kroger Whitehaven: $4.3 million, 2014
• Kroger Truse Parkway: $4.3 million, 2015
• Kroger Poplar (Cleveland): $4.4 million, 2014
• Kroger Horn Lake: $5 million, 2014
• Kroger Cordova (North Germantown Road/Dexter): $5.25 million, 2014
• Kroger Bartlett (Kirby Whitten): $5.2 million, 2014
• Kroger Cordova (Highway 64 Stonebridge): $9 million, 2014
• Kroger Southaven (Goodman Road): $14.5 million, 2014
• Kroger Germantown: $16 million, 2015
• Kroger Hernando: $22 million, 2016 (my album)
• Kroger Union Avenue: $24 million, 2016

A graphic from 2011, again courtesy MBJ, that shows stores Kroger would convert from Schnucks and stores from both chains that would close. Of the eight stores Kroger has since converted, only the store at 576 S Perkins has not been majorly renovated and therefore is not in the money totals list above. As mentioned earlier in this post, I predict that store may close in a month's time.

Overall, that's $118,950,000 spread over thirteen projects, with a promise of "more to come for 2016 and beyond." Well, Kroger, if no one else will, then you can bet that we will indeed "stay tuned!" For now, I hope that all of you reading this have a safe and happy new year, and keep checking in with us at the Mid-South Retail Blog, as I've got more in store for you as well. Until next time, have fun exploring the retail world wherever you are!

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