Kroger Co. is a company that operates a lot of grocery stores. These grocery retail stores can be in the form of Supermarkets, Multi-department stores, Price-impact warehouse stores, and Marketplace stores. However, is Fry’s one of the just mentioned retail stores? Let us know ‘Does Kroger Own Fry’s?’.
Does Kroger Own Fry’s?
Fry’s is under the Kroger supermarket grocery retail store. Kroger’s ownership of Fry’s is an indirect one. Fry’s was initially bought by Dillons in 1972. When Dillons merge with Kroger in 1983, Fry’s became a part of the Kroger Group automatically, but it still maintained its brand name.
Fry’s: A Retail Supermarket Grocery Chain Store
A division of Cincinnati, Ohio-based Kroger, Fry’s is a food and drug supermarket grocery chain store, known for products like bakery, dairy, deli, frozen foods, general grocery, meat, drugs, produce, seafood, snacks, liquor, etc.
Established in 1954, Fry’s operated independently till 1972, when it was bought by Dillons. From 1972, Fry’s operated under the Dillons brand name as a grocery chain supermarket store, until 1983, when Dillons merged with Kroger. From 1983 to date, Fry’s has been operating under the Kroger Group.
Fry’s Divisions
Fry’s has three divisions through which it operates and has its brand name identified. These divisions include:
- Fry’s Marketplace
- Fry’s Signature
- Fry’s Mercado
Fry’s Marketplace
This is a multi-departmental store that sells and offers different kinds of products and services such as grocery, pharmacy, home appliances, electronics, toys, outdoor living products, and general merchandise.
Modeled after the Fred Meyer stores concept but on a smaller scale, Fry’s Marketplace has expanded to other Kroger divisions like Ohio, Texas, and Virginia.
Kroger, in June 2000, subsumed Fred Meyer’s stores to Fry’s Food and Drugs. This way, Fred Meyer’s stores became one with Fry’s Marketplace and took up Fry’s brand name.
Fry’s Signature
Fry’s Signature is a marketed high-demand grocery store, that is tailored towards the neighborhood. They deal with panini sandwiches, sushi chefs, gourmet coffee drinks, and experts to organize a cocktail party.
Fry’s Signature is tailored to the needs of the neighborhood. This means that what would be sold in a Fry’s Signature store should be something relevant to those living in the area where the store is located. It assumes an ethnic coloration and dances to the tune of any neighborhood it is established in.
Fry’s Mercado
This is channeled towards Arizona’s Hispanic market. The location of Fry’s Mercado has a lot of things that benefit those around. Some of these things include a check-cashing store, an agua fresca bar, a cocina (kitchen), a gas station, etc.
Fry’s Mercado also operates women’s boutiques, electronic stores, and barbershops. Fry’s Mercado provides a home-away-from-home feeling to its customers and clients.
From the following, you can see that Fry’s is a multi-choice trading brand, which covers almost every commodity needed for the sustenance of an individual. It deals with all sorts of products, and this makes it one of the most popular brands in the United States.
Fry’s ‘Be A Smart Shopper’ Program
This is a program organized by Fry’s which is about healthy feeding among consumers. Fry’s Food Stores which is owned by Kroger, joined forces with the Field Trip Factory to carry out this program in Arizona. This program encourages local classroom students to be a part of the ‘Be a Smart Shopper’ program. Some of the program’s importance include:
- Targets school children
- Encourages good health
- Trains health ambassadors
- Promotes balanced diets
- Keeps the masses informed
Targets School Children
It would not be out of place to say that school children eat out the most. They are less likely to want homemade foods because they are probably running late, or trying to catch up with the school bus. This is why they must watch what they eat. So, this program educates over 6000 school children in Arizona on how well they should feed and encourages them to shop for foods that will promote their health and wellness.
Encourages Good Health
Through its emphasis on how to effectively plan meals through discussion and samplings, Fry’s ‘Be a Smart Shopper’ program encourages good health. Students are cautioned to be careful of what goes into their mouth, and they are educated on foods that make them healthy, both in mind and body.
Trains Health Ambassadors
Over 100,000 students are trained and educated to drive positive change in society. They are ingrained with positive eating habits and are encouraged to spread this good habit across the state of Arizona. This way, Fry’s is training young soldiers that would continue to foster its vision in the long run, more effectively and efficiently. People are more drawn to children, especially when they are trying to pass a message which is of significant health benefits.
Promotes Balanced Diets
Fry’s ‘Be a Smart Shopper’ program has a lot of educating seminars on food combinations. Through discussions and samplings, students are taught that it is not just enough to get and eat food, what matters the most is how to properly combine the nutrients in the classes of food. Ideally, if you want to eat as a student, your food must contain at least 5 of the 6 classes of food. This is paramount to having a healthy life.
Keeps The Masses Informed
The program organized by Fry’s is informative and educative. Although it is initially targeted at school children, the program is actually by extension meant for the masses. People need to know how to get their food ingredients and combine them properly to get a balanced diet. School children who are trained to be agents of positive change go a long way in actualizing this long-term vision of Fries.
Kroger holds Fry’s in high esteem because of the good reputation it has created for itself. Although Fry’s must have come into the Kroger Group indirectly, it nonetheless remains one of the best retail chain supermarkets of Kroger Co.
Conclusion
Fry’s came under the custody of Kroger in 1983, through its merging with Dillons 1983. Fry’s had maintained its brand name and had kept up with its aim and vision. Kroger had also played a good role in ensuring that Fry’s meets up with its client’s or consumers’ expectations.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) Who was the founder of Fry’s?
The founder of Fry’s is Donald Fry
2) When and where was Fry’s founded?
It was founded in 1954 in Contra Costa County, California.
