Hiller's Selling Out to Kroger

[313WX]

My experience is that these have been hit or miss. Most Spartan stores I've been in are pretty dumpy, like Oakwood Foods on Oakwood in Melvindale.

Agreed, or rat-infested Mazen Foods.

[313WX]

I'm feeling sorry for all you suburbanites. In the great food desert they call Detroit, I'm always happy with my shopping experiences at Harbortown, Lafayette Foods and Honeybee.

As someone who lives in NE Detroit and works in the NE suburbs, it's far more convenient for me to go to one of the Grosse Pointe Krogers [[that likely have every single item I'm looking for, are not overpriced and do not have outdated food on their shelves) than to drive way across town to Honeybee.

But that's just me.

[softailrider]

A million times, yes. It's atrocious. We generally stick to the Kroger at Marter/Jefferson. The crappy Kroger [[formerly Farmer Jack) at Vernier/Mack didn't even have romaine lettuce the last time I went in. I won't stop at the Meijer at 13 if my life depended on it. I'll hit the Meijer at Groesbeck and Cass if I'm at the in-laws house.

We spend part of the year in rural South Carolina. In a town a little over 4k in population, the local Ingles blows every eastside Kroger and Meijer location out of the water. It's amazing. Every time we go in there, I get all googley-eyed and happy. I told my husband yesterday it was like we'd left a third world country and finally make it to a first world country.

I do not understand how an Ingles in a tiny town with NO COMPETITION [[closest Publix is in Anderson and about a 20 minute drive, one way) blows every grocery store in a highly populated area away.

I hate Kroger with the passion of a thousand suns. If Publix or Ingles came up to Michigan, Kroger would be out of business in a year.

I go to Publix all the time when I'm down in FL. I'm not sure what's so great about it. Please clue me in.

[michmina]

I go to Publix all the time when I'm down in FL. I'm not sure what's so great about it. Please clue me in.

I lived in Florida for 16 years, Publix is clean, organized, reasonably priced, generally has plenty of checkout lanes open and easy in & out.

[courtney]

I go to Publix all the time when I'm down in FL. I'm not sure what's so great about it. Please clue me in.

The employees are helpful and polite, the selection is wide and the stores are always clean and well stocked [[there are never just vast areas of empty shelves where they've failed to restock like I see ALL of the time at Meijer and Kroger), produce is a good quality, meats are excellent quality and during the day there are helpful and friendly butchers who can get you what you want if they don't have it out, good seafoods and fantastic bakery products. Their breads are delicious [[huge fan of their sourdough, which is actually sourdough and not the garbage with no flavor most places pass as sourdough) and their cakes are a lot better than a lot of bakery cakes I've spent a fortune on.

Last week, there were a number of people who suddenly got to the checkouts at the same time. An employee noted it and within 2 minutes, 4 more registers were open and running. The employees at the Meijer at Groesbeck/Cass have complained that management had cut back on checkout people and that they were not happy with people grumpy after waiting forever in line [[and the self checkout is not immune, because last time I was there before we left, every. single. self checkout line had lines and we were all flashing red, needing assistance - one poor employee was running herself ragged trying to get things flowing) and I've never seen more checkouts being opened at Kroger because of a backup.

I guess that the east side Kroger/Meijer locations are such garbage because they can be. No competition to make them improve and people have to go there, especially those of us who don't have unlimited time to drive around the entire metro area for a few groceries.

[michmina]

I forgot about Publix's bakery--it was wonderful. Meat was excellent also. And yes, help was plentiful.

[softailrider]

I don't like Kroger either, and try and avoid shopping there, but Kroger quality is also highly variable depending on location. The Maple/Lasher Kroger is basically the "fancy" Kroger with high end cheese and wine/liqueur [[how many Krogers have Dom Peringon), sushi bar, lots of ethnic food, and higher end bakery/seafood/prepared foods. They have to compete with Plum Market, Whole Foods and Trader Joes all nearby.

Typical Kroger outlets range from mediocre to awful. I also don't get how people are vouching for Meijer, which might be worse. Meijer produce is terrible, and baked goods are a joke. It's like WalMart.

When I go to Meijer, which is quite often, I either go to the 12 Mile / Telegraph or the Coolidge Hwy location in Royal Oak. I think the produce selection and quality is great at both those locations. I've also been to the Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills stores which are similar. I go to the Kroger on Maple / Lasher a lot, while that is good too, I don't think the produce is any better then the Meijer locations I mentioned. The Kroger on Coolidge and Maple, and the Kroger on Maple and Woodward all seem to carry the same stuff.

As far as Walmart goes the produce, meat, fish and seafood is pretty much abysmal. However, a banana is a banana, a lemon is a lemon, pretty hard to screw stuff like that up, no matter how bad you are.

[mtburb]

When I go to Meijer, which is quite often, I go to the Coolidge Hwy location in Royal Oak. I think the produce selection and quality is great at both those locations.

Keep in mind though that the Meijers in Taylor and Royal Oak were originally near-identical twins when they first opened in the late 1970's. I am more familiar with the Taylor Meijer though and they have kept the drop ceiling after every remodel, so did the Royal Oak Meijer keep theirs too?

That may be more suited for a new thread, but whatevs.

[Bham1982]

When I go to Meijer, which is quite often, I either go to the 12 Mile / Telegraph or the Coolidge Hwy location in Royal Oak. I think the produce selection and quality is great at both those locations. I've also been to the Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills stores which are similar. I go to the Kroger on Maple / Lasher a lot, while that is good too, I don't think the produce is any better then the Meijer locations I mentioned. The Kroger on Coolidge and Maple, and the Kroger on Maple and Woodward all seem to carry the same stuff.

Yeah, the Coolidge Hwy Meijer is the closest to me. I don't see a difference between Meijer and Walmart when it comes to produce, fish, meat or baked goods. Kroger has poor quality too, but is somewhat better, IMO.

[A2Mike]

The high quality Hiller's store in Ann Arbor which was bought out by Kroger instantly became the worst Kroger store in the area, not nearly as good as the existing Maple Rd. and Plymouth Rd. stores, and not even as large as the dreary Carpenter location. I don't know why they bothered. I lived in Burlingame CA for years and loved the local Draeger's Market. I don't think I'll see it's like anytime soon in Michigan. Sob.http://www.draegers.com/images/_home/home_slide.01.jpg

[The Nerd]

Yeah, the Coolidge Hwy Meijer is the closest to me. I don't see a difference between Meijer and Walmart when it comes to produce, fish, meat or baked goods. Kroger has poor quality too, but is somewhat better, IMO.

I won't say that Meijer is as bad as Wal-Mart, yet, but I don't understand Meijer's strategy at all. It seems to be aiming for Wal-Mart quality at prices noticeably higher than Kroger. And in the past few years Meijer has tried several things that have failed miserably, notably a very large international items aisle and other oddball items for a big box retailer. At the same time it seems to have given up on cost competitiveness and customer service.

[Bham1982]

Yeah, Meijer is definitely more expensive than WalMart, and probably even compared to Kroger. I don't get that either.

But people in MI love Meijer. It's the hometown brand and people will give them the benefit of the doubt, IMO, like with Quicken Loans [[hometown heros) vs. other mortgage lenders [[rapacious vultures) or with domestics vs. imports. Or just see the Five Hour Energy thread to see hometown favoritism in action.

[Bham1982]

The high quality Hiller's store in Ann Arbor which was bought out by Kroger instantly became the worst Kroger store in the area, not nearly as good as the existing Maple Rd. and Plymouth Rd. stores, and not even as large as the dreary Carpenter location. I don't know why they bothered. I lived in Burlingame CA for years and loved the local Draeger's Market. I don't think I'll see it's like anytime soon in Michigan. Sob.http://www.draegers.com/images/_home/home_slide.01.jpg

And in AA there is no reason to ever stoop to the level of Kroger. You have 2 WF, Plum Market, Trader Joes, Busch's and a food-coop. If you want cheap food just go to WalMart.

[michmina]

The high quality Hiller's store in Ann Arbor which was bought out by Kroger instantly became the worst Kroger store in the area, not nearly as good as the existing Maple Rd. and Plymouth Rd. stores, and not even as large as the dreary Carpenter location. I don't know why they bothered. I lived in Burlingame CA for years and loved the local Draeger's Market. I don't think I'll see it's like anytime soon in Michigan. Sob.http://www.draegers.com/images/_home/home_slide.01.jpg

Wow. It sounds so superficial of me, but shopping in a place like that makes grocery shopping far more pleasant, which would turn into more money spent. That's a beautiful store.

[Zacha341]

Yeah, I'll go Miejer over Walmart for the Michigan connection. But sometimes the lower prices at some Wally's are compelling!

Yeah, Meijer is definitely more expensive than WalMart, and probably even compared to Kroger. I don't get that either.

[softailrider]

And in AA there is no reason to ever stoop to the level of Kroger. You have 2 WF, Plum Market, Trader Joes, Busch's and a food-coop. If you want cheap food just go to WalMart.

There's a Plum Market on Maple / Lasher. Go in there and buy a radish. Then go right across Maple to the Kroger and buy another radish. I would bet they'll be pretty much the same.

[mtburb]

If you stepped into the Lincoln Park Meijer, a converted former Super Kmart, lately, the floor in produce is dirty and there is a faint but musty smell. I've experienced this personally on Wednesday.

[jcole]

Can someone change the title of this thread because literally every time I scan the thread list I see "Hitler Selling Out to Kroger" and I wonder what they have on him.

[313WX]

Can someone change the title of this thread because literally every time I scan the thread list I see "Hitler Selling Out to Kroger" and I wonder what they have on him.

But aside from what you're seeing, the thread title is accurate IMO.

What do you suggest the title be changed to?

[Honky Tonk]

Can someone change the title of this thread because literally every time I scan the thread list I see "Hitler Selling Out to Kroger" and I wonder what they have on him.

Thank You, I thought it was just me....

I keep seeing this vision of Hitler out on a balcony, surrounded by masses, announcing "Today Kroger, tomorrow Trader Joe's!!!"

[jcole]

Thank You, I thought it was just me....

I keep seeing this vision of Hitler out on a balcony, surrounded by masses, announcing "Today Kroger, tomorrow Trader Joe's!!!"

Thanks, Honky Tonk; at least I'm not alone in my world of crazy

[jcole]

But aside from what you're seeing, the thread title is accurate IMO.

What do you suggest the title be changed to?

You are very literal, aren't you?

[G-DDT]

Thank You, I thought it was just me....

I keep seeing this vision of Hitler out on a balcony, surrounded by masses, announcing "Today Kroger, tomorrow Trader Joe's!!!"

For me, I envision a GIF of black & white footage of Nazi troops goosestepping in formation with the large words "Let's Go Krogering" superimposed over it.

[Zacha341]

I just tried out Honeybee. It was ok, excellent in certain areas but still not my one stop shopping answer, but I don't think such a thing exists. So, I will continue shopping a variety of places in the city and in the burbs as I like. Though I find my main shopping is Miejer [[various stores) and for my produce Greenland in Dearborn.

As someone who lives in NE Detroit and works in the NE suburbs, it's far more convenient for me to go to one of the Grosse Pointe Krogers [[that likely have every single item I'm looking for, are not overpriced and do not have outdated food on their shelves) than to drive way across town to Honeybee.

But that's just me.

[cmubryan]

Keep in mind though that the Meijers in Taylor and Royal Oak were originally near-identical twins when they first opened in the late 1970's. I am more familiar with the Taylor Meijer though and they have kept the drop ceiling after every remodel, so did the Royal Oak Meijer keep theirs too?

That may be more suited for a new thread, but whatevs.

I have been in both stores but more often in Royal Oak. The Royal Oak Meijer was completely renovated to look like a brand new store [[including open ceiling) probably about 10 years ago. Nothing resembles the original 1970s design except you can tell it is not a new build by the exterior design which has been modernized many times but definitely not to the point of a new-build Meijer.

Lately, if I go to Meijer, I try to run to the Detroit Meijer at 8 and Woodward so I haven't been to the Royal Oak one in quite some time. They are doing a pretty good job at the Detroit store keeping it up to the typical Meijer standards. I am not a fan of the Southfield Meijer however, seems to me that they are the worst when it comes to checkout lines and waits.