Hiller's Selling Out to Kroger

[jackie5275]

Interestingly, they won't make the one in Union Lake/Commerce Twp a Kroger as there is already a Kroger across the street. I guess the Deaborn model of opposite street sides of Krogers isn't working.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/k...troit/32685956

[Armin]

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/k...troit/32685956

Interestingly, they won't make the one in Union Lake/Commerce Twp a Kroger as there is already a Kroger across the street. I guess the Deaborn model of opposite street sides of Krogers isn't working.

I love Hillers. This sucks. They are converting them all to Krogers. It wouldn't be so bad if they kept them operating as Hiller's so that Kroger could have a more high-end retail brand.

[Hypestyles]

Hiller's should open up an outlet in Detroit. who does the voiceovers for the radio ads?

[dtowncitylover]

For a company where the owner does its own commercials, it depressing to see him sell out to a corporate chain. I never shopped at Hiller's because there wasn't any near me but it was nice knowing there was a local company, along with Hollywood and Holiday of course.

[401don]

They seemed to really support Gleaner's Food Bank. Hope the chains are doing likewise.

[313WX]

For a company where the owner does its own commercials, it depressing to see him sell out to a corporate chain. I never shopped at Hiller's because there wasn't any near me but it was nice knowing there was a local company, along with Hollywood and Holiday of course.

And Busch's.

Too bad none of them [[decent regional chain/independent stores) are on the east side...

[softailrider]

Not a huge Hiller's Market or Jimmy Hiller fan [[he always struck me as being full of shit) The one time I was in one of his stores [[the Orchard Lake Road location) I thought the place was kind of run down, just had an old feel to it. It was clean, but just not modern like I was expecting.

[Now&then]

This is aweful! Now, how do they expect to continue Hiller's "Legacy of excellence", if it seems like they may be replacing employees? Sounds like a complete takeover and revamp to me. Moreover, it's an over saturation [[like all the CVS's, Rite Aids, and Bank of Americas that once popped up everywhere and are closing up) that will cause Kroger's to be stretched thin and end up closing them up.

I rather liked Hiller's and liked the option of finding things at Hiller's I couldn't find elsewhere. Hiller's carried pork and Italian sausage without Monosodium Glutamate in it-something my family and I are highly allergic to. Find me a Kroger's that doesn't carry pork or Italian sausage without M.S.G. [[and the derivatives like autolyzed yeast extract, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, soy protein isolate in it-we suffered for years with headaches and vertigo, until we trimmed out not just things labeled "Monosodium Glutamate", but things listed with those names in them. Dearborn Sausage and Kowalski are out of the question.)!

[Scottathew]

I guess the Deaborn model of opposite street sides of Krogers isn't working.

I didn't believe you until I found it on Google Maps...

[Don K]

The nearest Kroger to me is five minutes away at Long Lake and Telegraph [[it's really tiny and totally sucks), but I drive 20 minutes to the Hiller's at Haggerty and 14 because of their unique selection of foods [[better meats and seafood and the ability to specify that i want a half pound of ground beef rather than having to take a pre-packaged pound and a quarter, way bigger deli including prepared meals that aren't limited to ribs and fried chicken, availability of hormone and antibiotic-free meats, wide selection of Japanese ingredients to cater to the Novi-Commerce Japanese expat community, U.S. regional foods, doughnuts and muffins that are 10 times better than DD, KK, or Tim's, locally-sourced tomatoes and sweet corn in summer. Need i go on?) I spend money there that I wouldn't at Kroger [[I wouldn't get doughnuts at Kroger if they were giving them away, and Hiller's has truly awesome soups for take-out).

I have no doubt Kroger will destroy the value of what they're buying by homogenizing everything to the Kroger least-common denominator [[no filleting of whole fish, no unusual fish such as mackerel). They'll for sure lose the extra money I spend every week on things that aren't strictly necessary but are nice to have [[soups, eggplant parmesan, chicken pot pies, spanakopita. Maybe the takeover will still be worthwhile to eliminate a competitor that seems to be a PITA [[I'm sure the reason Kroger is paying the lease on the closed store at Maple and Telegraph is to keep Hiller's from opening there). I'll shop at Kroger because I have to, but I'll still be pissed off at losing choices that I have now, including life's little treats.

[detroitbob]

Sad but with the proposed new Krogers encrouching on Haggarty and 5 mile plus other planned new Kroger locations in the key Hiller's areas this doesn't surprise me. Also understood that the Commerce Township Hillers never produced the anticipated volume and contributed to the decision to sell. Contract concessions were obtained last year from employees but apparently not enough to strenghten the bottom line to keep going as independent.

[gameguy56]

I have no doubt Kroger will destroy the value of what they're buying by homogenizing everything to the Kroger least-common denominator [[no filleting of whole fish, no unusual fish such as mackerel). They'll for sure lose the extra money I spend every week on things that aren't strictly necessary but are nice to have [[soups, eggplant parmesan, chicken pot pies, spanakopita. Maybe the takeover will still be worthwhile to eliminate a competitor that seems to be a PITA [[I'm sure the reason Kroger is paying the lease on the closed store at Maple and Telegraph is to keep Hiller's from opening there). I'll shop at Kroger because I have to, but I'll still be pissed off at losing choices that I have now, including life's little treats.

I wonder if kroger bought hillers to put more upscale grocery stores in their portfolio. They have a very nice Kroger in birmingham that is more like a hillers. My bet/hope is that they keep them more upscale.

[Jman]

Oh no! Now where will I buy pea meal bacon on this side of the river?

[313WX]

I didn't believe you until I found it on Google Maps...

One used to be a Farmer Jack.

[preserve]

I don't shop the Hillers on Haggerty and 5 as much as I used to when I worked out that way, but I still make a trip out there every so often just to give myself a treat. Loved that store, loved their uniqueness and now I dislike Kroger even more. There are 3 Kroger stores off Michigan Ave in Dearborn, the one at Greenfield is the closest to me and it is the messiest looking, the staff are no where near what their advertising purports them to be. They aren't my "family" and the help you're supposed to receive when using the self check out just doesn't cut it. The one near Outer Drive that used to a Farmer Jack is cleaner, bigger, but it's still a Kroger.
So glad I don't have to do regular grocery shopping anymore. Thank heaven for Eastern Market,
Milano Bakery, Supreme Bakery and Honey Bee and even University Foods.

[A2Mike]

This is a sad day for Ann Arbor. Hiller's is a couple of steps up from Kroger's without the self-conscious hipness of Whole Foods or the inexplicably empty shelves [[!) of Meijer's, the Wal-Mart clone on Carpenter. Red Plum and Busch's are a frustrating jumble of OK, meh, and nay, leaving Trader Joe's and the new Lucky trying to be discount WF stores while forgetting the quality. I used to live in the SF Bay area, which had Draeger's, the Bloomingdale's of supermarkets, but the only place they'd consider in Michigan is Birmingham/Bloomfield, not an Oberon-flooded pizza burg like A2. Maybe mercy runs to Treasure Island in Chicago might help.

[jackie5275]

My brother & I both worked at a Hiller's store in the 1990s. He longer than me, but still long enough to know I was treated pretty well as an employee. Even after I resigned I still shopped there from time to time when I had the opportunity to drive out to one and when I wanted something of good quality. I will miss the opportunity to have an alternate choice. Now it seems that our only choices are Kroger [[which is totally saturated in my neighborhood) and Meijer [[the one by me is pretty dumpy despite being less than 10 yrs old). I guess I'll have to frequent Westborn Fruit Mkt more regularly now.

[Honky Tonk]

My brother & I both worked at a Hiller's store in the 1990s. He longer than me, but still long enough to know I was treated pretty well as an employee. Even after I resigned I still shopped there from time to time when I had the opportunity to drive out to one and when I wanted something of good quality. I will miss the opportunity to have an alternate choice. Now it seems that our only choices are Kroger [[which is totally saturated in my neighborhood) and Meijer [[the one by me is pretty dumpy despite being less than 10 yrs old). I guess I'll have to frequent Westborn Fruit Mkt more regularly now.

Try Supergreenland, the one on Warren & Miller Road, and save your money.

[Zacha341]

Yeah the small parking lot at Super Greenland is a pain, but the produce selection is grand , priced very low [[affordable bell and other peppers) and they have a cool deli section with a few favorites too [[love their rice casseroles, grape leave wraps, fried fish etc)!

[cmubryan]

Hillers [[Shopping Center Market) packed up and moved out of my area in southeastern Oakland County with first the closing of their Greenfield and 10 Mile location years ago and the more recent closing of their downtown Berkley location on 12 Mile. Wife still drives out to 14/Haggerty cause she loves it and her mom lives down the street. E-mailed Justin Hiller a year ago about taking over the old Dexter-Davison/Farmer Jack/Farm Fresh location at 10 and Coolidge and he pretty much said "no chance."

Living at roughly 11 and Coolidge, we have no good large supermarkets within 3 miles. Have to get our meat and fruit/veggies at Westborn, dry goods at Trader Joe's or overpay at Holiday Market in Royal Oak. The Kroger at Northwood is a run-down joke because Beaumont is on the brink [[supposedly) of redeveloping that shopping center and Kroger doesn't want to invest in that store. Would pay money for a Kroger like the one at 15 and Coolidge or 15 and Woodward to be within a 5 minute drive of my house!

[Dumpling]

My grandparents lived on Talbot in Huntington Woods right close to Eleven Mile and
Coolidge in the seventies. They shopped at an A&P at Eleven Mile and Coolidge that was
right about where the CVS is now. [[You could buy pasties at a shop on that corner too).
My boyfriend [[nicknamed Main Man) dearly loved the Hiller's on Orchard Lake Road at
Maple. His favorite library to hang out at was the West Bloomfield Library. To my
chagrin he would stay there until someone [[not me) used their personal charm to let him
know that the library was closing. [[I would be waiting out in the car). Then very often
we would go to that Hiller's, which was open until 10 pm. That Hiller's had enough staff
so as to constantly retrieve carts and assist any little old ladies that needed it. It carried
just about any Jewish/Eastern European item you might like. It carried Spice Islands
spices. The "marked down" grocery cart next to the checkout would have all kinds of
items I'd never seen anywhere before, a reflection of the wide variety of merchandise
carried there. It carried more low sodium soups than any other store I shopped at.
They were the first to have a plastic bag recycling bin in their entranceway. They were
next door to the Shangri-La Restaurant. The produce section was beautiful and well
tended. To be sure, the grocery bill was about thirty percent higher than elsewhere.

[Bham1982]

Living at roughly 11 and Coolidge, we have no good large supermarkets within 3 miles.

13 & Southfield has a very good supermarket [[forgot the name- Market Fresh or something), and Holiday Mkt in downtown RO is very good. Both are somewhat more expensive than average, but so is Hillers.

There's also a Kroger close to you on Greenfield south of 10 Mile. I'm guessing it isn't very good, given the area isn't too hot, and most Krogers aren't nice to begin with, but it probably has all the essentials and fair prices.

[detroitbob]

I wonder if kroger bought hillers to put more upscale grocery stores in their portfolio. They have a very nice Kroger in birmingham that is more like a hillers. My bet/hope is that they keep them more upscale.

KROGER has indicated they will keep ethnic/special products and it makes sense, especially the many Kosher lines. Apparently they seem to be learning from the "acquisitions" like Teeter Harris Stores which also had developed "niche" bases

Although I don't shop at Kroger's with any regularity, I have noticed some tailoring to the market area, especially in Dearborn area due to the large Arabic population

[Malcove Magnesia]

All Hillers employees are getting terminated and will need to reapply with Kroger if they want to continue working at the stores.

[cmubryan]

13 & Southfield has a very good supermarket [[forgot the name- Market Fresh or something), and Holiday Mkt in downtown RO is very good. Both are somewhat more expensive than average, but so is Hillers.

There's also a Kroger close to you on Greenfield south of 10 Mile. I'm guessing it isn't very good, given the area isn't too hot, and most Krogers aren't nice to begin with, but it probably has all the essentials and fair prices.

Yes, there are a ton of smaller markets but no large nice supermarkets near me. The Greenfield and 9.5 mile Kroger has nice bones but the product quality is lower end compared to the more upscale Krogers. No olive bar, no sushi bar, no higher quality meats, etc.