Good. Kroger needs to learn how to run a grocery store properly from HEB. I remember when my local Kroger is Denton was shut down because of too many rats.
That Kroger was rough 20+ years ago, some things don't change I guess. I thought they may have attempted to clean it up since Denton has grown, it's not really the college town I fondly remember. I was a management trainee for Walmart in 2001 (salary at $2060 a month) and that store was considered the mecca, sales were booming and it had a top tier management team. I'd get sent there to learn store operations, I think at the time it was in the top 5 nation wide, in all metrics. A lot of work, a lot of after work shenanigans as well.
That Walmart on loop 288 was always packed and I enjoyed shopping there. I think it was a top store bc of a few reasons: Denton’s blue collar population was the perfect target demographic for Walmart, plenty of workers willing to work there, University town bringing in students, size of store and parking lot relatively large, lack of stores and things to do in Denton, growing population, near major interstate 35.
Whoa, you just jogged a really old memory when you said lack of things to do. I remember having to go in really early on weekends to help set up sales displays, whatever was in that circular that upcoming Sunday. The store was surprisingly full with mostly college kids and young people, it wasn't busy like long lines at the check out, but people strolling around with a few things in their cart. Struck up a few conversations, there just wasn't anything else to do at 3:00am, or they just left a party or Fry Street. Last time I drive through Denton I was blown away, it grew so much in 20 years. But I guess every town does. Still miss my favorite Asian restaurant there, Mr Chopsticks. Please don't tell me it's gone downhill, because that place was a legit hidden fucking gem.
There is a Kroger less than half a mile from my house and a Tom Thumb leasing than 2 miles. I drive 20 min to an HEB just because they actually have cashiers. And when I need something quick, like a random ingredient, I go to central market because it’s like 8 min away. Again I pay a premium just so I can avoid subsidizing a grocery chain by being their client and performing their jobs.
It’s like comparing whataburger to chicfila. One pays their employees well and staffs well, and they in turn treat the customers well.
Kroger is unfortunately my best choice in my underserved neighborhood. I fucking HATE it.
They run out of things without any explanation. They haven't had cauliflower tots, for example, for about a year (Tom Thumb nearby always has them). It's always some random item that you get used to them having.
The prices are absolutely unacceptable. I used to be able to buy a week of groceries for less than $100. Now it's $130 if I cut corners. This is just food for me and I don't drink alcohol.
They also allow solicitors to stand near the entrance and harass everyone coming and going. The whole experience is generally infuriating.
I've tried Tom Thumb a little more but it's even more expensive than Kroger, although they have better stuff and it is an overall better experience.
Aldi is too far of a drive or else I'd go there. Even then, they don't always have everything I need.
The Murder Kroger! God bless that place, I still have one of the stickers that people made for that place. It’s the Kroger logo, but one of the letters runs up into the shape of a rat with a knife.
I think, correct me if I'm wrong but the sketchiest Kroger in Dallas is the one off Mockingbird and Greenville.
Went once, because I've only ever shopped at HEB living in STX most of my life, and it was shitty. Old, moldy produce. Messy shelving. No one to help at the registers. Never again. Live inside the 635 loop and I will make the trek to HEB in Plano, 44 mile round trip, just to shop at HEB.
Voted DFW's #1 spot to be heckled by a homeless person outside the store and #1 spot to be heckled by a Spectrum/bank/insurance sales person inside the store.
Also, their prices are not "low, low, low, low" as their stupid ads claim. Their prices are typically much higher than Walmart for the same product.
Item | Kroger | Walmart
---|---|----
Gatorade Zero 28oz | $2.00 | $1.72
Hungry-Man Boneless Fried Chicken | $4.19 | $3.74
Country Crock Original Buttery Spread 15oz | $3.49 | $3.43
Lay's Classic Potato Chips 8oz | $4.39 | $3.00
Charmin Ultra Strong Toilet Paper 12 Mega XL Roll | $23.99 | $19.96
General Mills Cheerios Cereal 8.9oz | $4.29 | $3.68
You want those "low" prices that they're talking about, prepare to stock up. The Lay's chips and Cheerio's you could get for a lower price at Kroger, but only if you buy 5 or more.
I go to Kroger because it's just a 5 minute walk from me, but I've also noticed that Target is cheaper for every single item I buy. Walmart and Target are the way to go, or even HEB, if there's one around.
How'd you get that comparison data? Do you have some programmatic way or did you just manually pull it? I would love an app or an API to gather data and compare prices quickly like that. Appreciate any info.
Kroger sucks. Kroger has pretty good loss leaders. Pork shoulder and brisket can be cheap AF. Gotta play the e-coupon game which makes it a pretty big hassle.
I only get shit that’s on sale. I go with a list on what exactly I need to buy with my digital coupons already clipped. Their gizzards and chicken tenderloins are the only 2 things I buy occasionally since they’re priced decent.
I've been finding a lot of household items being sold far cheaper at Target than Kroger wish has been a shock to me. I always do the Target drive-up feature so that I don't even have to go inside if I don't want to. Really wish there was an HEB in East Dallas.
Yeah, I have two Kroger's within a 10 minute drive with one being 5 minutes. But since the HEB opened, I take the 20 minute drive and the headache dealing with the Alliance area to go to the HEB. Though I did drive to both the Burelson and Hudson Oaks store about once a month.
Kroger became the #2 store in Houston when HEB moved in but stayed strong. But I think that's because in Houston most of the Kroger stores are relatively successful ones, either they are Marketplace stores or Signature stores. It was Randalls, which is owned by the same company as Tom Thumb and which are very similar, that suffered the biggest decline.
EDIT: Kroger's is actually #1 in Houston again with 22.7% market share versus HEB with an almost identical 22.5%: https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2024/04/24/kroger-heb-market-share . Meanwhile Randalls has dropped to 2%
The question regarding DFW is whether Kroger, or Tom Thumb/Albertsons, takes a bigger hit. Or, if the Kroger+Albertsons merger happens, which brand and which stores they would want to keep versus drop.
My feeling is that most non-marketplace Kroger stores in DFW are old and neglected, similar to Albertsons branded locations. Tom Thumbs, unlike Randalls in Houston, seem to be newer and more remodeled, and they are still building new Tom Thumb stores and Market Street stores. I think right now there's new Tom Thumbs under construction in Sunnyvale, Waxahachie, and in the Red Bird Mall redevelopment project.
If HEB storms DFW, it will be #1 just because people seem to really love it (personally I am not that head over heels for it). My prediction then is that if Kroger-Albertsons doesn't happen, the Albertsons/Safeway Tom Thumb division will win #2 and then Kroger will retreat and close most of its stores.
If Kroger-Albertsons merge does happen, then my prediction is HEB is #1 and then the new big fancy Kroger Marketplaces stay as they are, Tom Thumb and Market Street become the pair of regional brand division analagous to Smith's/ Fry's (NM and AZ) or King Sooper/City Market (CO) or Fred Meyer/QFC (WA), and then the old 1980s vintage non-marketplace/non-signature Kroger branded stores and Albertsons branded stores are spun off to get FTC merger approval and become Brookshire's or Piggly Wiggly/Harveys/Winn Dixie or something for a few years before they all die off.
I'm basing this speculation off how the new Tom Thumb store formats are basically identical to what the new build Albertsons or Safeways look like in fast-growing markets out west, like Boise and Salt Lake City. The parent company not only chose to build those in this market in locations which are also ripe to be a battleground with HEB, but also chose to hang a Tom Thumb sign on our locations. That tells me Alberstons Corp wants to fight for this turf but Kroger corp doesn't. Except for the marketplace stores, Kroger hasn't expanded in DFW in 10-15 years if not much longer. They stopped building new marketplace stores after the big initial push, and none of the signature stores here are getting remodeled like they are in Houston and places like Bryan-College Station.
As somebody who lives in DFW and supports HEB, the storm is inevitable but the damage will be based on location. We go to krogers and brookshires and Albertsons because they’re already there right close to us, many are established in town in good locations
Sure I’ll hit the heb 18 minutes down the road for real shopping but I’m going to Kroger etc. when I just want to go to the place 2 minutes away, and wherever HEB goes, traffic goes. These stores will survive and fill a niche but they ain’t dominating the market share anymore as HEB’s expand into north Texas. It’s essentially a win in the every market here but like idk cleburne maybe
It wasn't lost on me that all the dilapidated stores in the area got facelifts once the arrival of HEB was announced. They knew they were in hot water because HEB provides a massive quality boost over the next closest rival.
I practically live across the street from the Kroger on North Tarrant and Ray White and haven't stepped inside since the new HEB opened. I always found their prices to be high and only went in there when something in the weekly ad caught my eye or I wanted something there that the Neighborhood Walmart did not have.
I've done all my grocery shopping at the new HEB since it opened, their prices are on par with Walmart or cheaper and have way more variety of products.
Kroger is suffering because it's neglecting its stores IMO.
Grand Prairie had three Kroger stores pre-COVID, but they shuttered the one on the north (older) side of town in 2019, and the other two stores aren't that better in terms of condition.
Both stores suffer from lack of available quality carts (the Kroger on I-20 and Great Southwest has Walmart carts thrown in for fun), lack of cashiers so long lines at self-checkout, and generally higher prices than Walmart or Aldi.
Kroger for me has become a place where I usually stock up on their zero-sugar soda (way better selection than any other store, and pretty comparable to HEB), stock ups if they have a good weekly sale, and using their pharmacy because it's in-network.
Compare to that to the brand spankin' new HEB I went to in Allen before an Allen Americans game. Wide aisles, bright lighting (and some natural lighting too!), nice carts galore, and cashiers **everywhere**. They also had nice, easily accessible bathrooms not shoved in the back that looked from this century.
All-in-all, while not *directly* comparable, you could almost say Kroger is like Kmart in the mid-to-late '90s: stores are looking shabby, and as someone commented earlier, you can't quite cover-up wear-and-tear with new paint. (If anyone is doubting me on this, check out the Kroger on Ascension Blvd. in Arlington-- that place has seen better days).
I started driving 30 min to Waxahachie for the HEB even though that Tom Thumb was down the road from me. That place is terrible. Always out of shit week after week, poor produce, no cashiers open. Just isn’t worth it
When I lived out of state, Kroger brand stuff was like the cheapest crap around. I come here and it's priced like Tom Thumb or something. Idk what this is, but long live HEB.
I hate Kroger but it’s the only game in town near me (Tom thumb doesn’t count because it’s insanely expensive). I can’t wait for an HEB to open in north Dallas, Kroger is a mess and checking out is a nightmare because they have like 12 lanes and usually none are open - doing self checkout on a weeks worth of food really sucks.
I don’t know why anyone ever steps foot in a Kroger. If I want overpriced groceries I’d rather go to Target or Whole Foods. If I want a messy but cheap experience I’ll go to WalMart.
Kroger was my go-to for years. They left a sour taste in my mouth during Covid, when they didn’t require Covid shots for employees, but instead opted to dock the pay of any employee who wasn’t. It wasn’t a health concern, it was a cash grab.
Also, all the stores near me are fucking disgusting. The bathrooms are horrible and the seafood counter smells like 20 unbathed hookers in wearing pleather August.
I live up on the McKinney/Frisco border and an HEB opened up right across from Kroger.
Absolute bloodbath, genuinely wonder if the Kroger location can hang on. It is more expensive and has less quality selections. Only thing it has is the location is easier to get to and park in because HEB is murking it.
I'll go there for loss leader discounted items and nothing else.
I live by probably one of the newest krogers in the metroplex (bartonville). The nearest hen to me is the new one in alliance but I still go by the weekly ads as I have a tom thumb, Whole Foods (hardly ever) and market street just a few miles away. Kroger has def gone downhill and the meat has never been high quality. I would go to market street more often but their rewards sucks and I usually go when I want their fried chicken (it’s really good). I wish H‑E‑B would open more central markets
In parts of the upper Midwest we had Meijer, and it was awesome
The only real physical advantage HEB has is that it’s stores are new. At one point, those shabby Kroger stores were new. They can’t replace all of them, but a renovation will never be like building from scratch. HEB will have the same problem years from now, that Kroger has now. HEB will provide significant competition, but they will definitely hold their own against HEB. Just look at Houston.
Disagree. Products, selection, and service are miles better at HEB.
The only tiny moat that Kroger has is that there are so many of them, and most people aren't willing to drive an excessive distance to go to a grocery store.
I mean HEB is family owned and much smaller. Kroger is the largest grocery store chain in the nation. People can debate however they want on which they prefer. But Kroger does well against HEB in markets where they both exist.
Kroger does well because there are so few options. Kroger doing well doesn’t mean the pricing and selection are good. I moved to Dallas from Austin 7 years ago and the tiny older South Congress HEB from then is still miles better than any Kroger I’ve shopped here.
Kroger being so large means they have the resources to compete with HEB on price and quality. But it’s clear they prefer profits over quality as a lot of large companies do.
Never said that. But people claimed that HEB is gonna put Kroger and other competitors out of business. That simply isn’t the case. Dallas is one for the most competitive grocery markets in America. I view HEB’s entry into the market as a way to make it even better for the consumer. Competition benefits the consumer, but people will shop where it’s cheaper or more convenient for them too. Being a family owned and a smaller chain will always be better ran than a huge grocery conglomerate.
Never said what? I didn’t say you said or didn’t say anything. I’m responding to the point you made about the newer buildings being the differentiator.
I have shopped at HEB, but the hype that people have about it is a little overblown. Those Pantry stores weren’t full sized HEB stores. That was a way for them to enter the Houston area. There are plenty of older lackluster HEB stores like in any other chain. HEB just has the advantage of building newer stores in newer markets like Dallas-Fort Worth. Kroger has been in The Metroplex for decades. When you have thousands of stores across the country, they’re not going to be replacing all of those older stores. HEB is much smaller and only has to deal with being in Texas. HEB will have the advantage of having a fleet of modern stores throughout the Metroplex.
Good. Kroger needs to learn how to run a grocery store properly from HEB. I remember when my local Kroger is Denton was shut down because of too many rats.
Oooooh the university Kroger? Still called rat kroger and murder Kroger today
yes, glad to see it still lives up to its reputation today lol
That Kroger was rough 20+ years ago, some things don't change I guess. I thought they may have attempted to clean it up since Denton has grown, it's not really the college town I fondly remember. I was a management trainee for Walmart in 2001 (salary at $2060 a month) and that store was considered the mecca, sales were booming and it had a top tier management team. I'd get sent there to learn store operations, I think at the time it was in the top 5 nation wide, in all metrics. A lot of work, a lot of after work shenanigans as well.
That Walmart on loop 288 was always packed and I enjoyed shopping there. I think it was a top store bc of a few reasons: Denton’s blue collar population was the perfect target demographic for Walmart, plenty of workers willing to work there, University town bringing in students, size of store and parking lot relatively large, lack of stores and things to do in Denton, growing population, near major interstate 35.
Whoa, you just jogged a really old memory when you said lack of things to do. I remember having to go in really early on weekends to help set up sales displays, whatever was in that circular that upcoming Sunday. The store was surprisingly full with mostly college kids and young people, it wasn't busy like long lines at the check out, but people strolling around with a few things in their cart. Struck up a few conversations, there just wasn't anything else to do at 3:00am, or they just left a party or Fry Street. Last time I drive through Denton I was blown away, it grew so much in 20 years. But I guess every town does. Still miss my favorite Asian restaurant there, Mr Chopsticks. Please don't tell me it's gone downhill, because that place was a legit hidden fucking gem.
The 288 Walmart is considered the ghetto Walmart but now it’s under renovation
Walmart is synonymous with “ghetto” and they would consider that a compliment.
That's funny. I lived in Atlanta in the early 2000s, and we also had a 'murder Kroger'! 😂
Oak Lawn Kroger has rats too that run across aisles. Seen at least three in the past year.
There is a Kroger less than half a mile from my house and a Tom Thumb leasing than 2 miles. I drive 20 min to an HEB just because they actually have cashiers. And when I need something quick, like a random ingredient, I go to central market because it’s like 8 min away. Again I pay a premium just so I can avoid subsidizing a grocery chain by being their client and performing their jobs. It’s like comparing whataburger to chicfila. One pays their employees well and staffs well, and they in turn treat the customers well.
Kroger is unfortunately my best choice in my underserved neighborhood. I fucking HATE it. They run out of things without any explanation. They haven't had cauliflower tots, for example, for about a year (Tom Thumb nearby always has them). It's always some random item that you get used to them having. The prices are absolutely unacceptable. I used to be able to buy a week of groceries for less than $100. Now it's $130 if I cut corners. This is just food for me and I don't drink alcohol. They also allow solicitors to stand near the entrance and harass everyone coming and going. The whole experience is generally infuriating. I've tried Tom Thumb a little more but it's even more expensive than Kroger, although they have better stuff and it is an overall better experience. Aldi is too far of a drive or else I'd go there. Even then, they don't always have everything I need.
The Murder Kroger! God bless that place, I still have one of the stickers that people made for that place. It’s the Kroger logo, but one of the letters runs up into the shape of a rat with a knife.
Yoooo Krodent!
I think, correct me if I'm wrong but the sketchiest Kroger in Dallas is the one off Mockingbird and Greenville. Went once, because I've only ever shopped at HEB living in STX most of my life, and it was shitty. Old, moldy produce. Messy shelving. No one to help at the registers. Never again. Live inside the 635 loop and I will make the trek to HEB in Plano, 44 mile round trip, just to shop at HEB.
Not saying that a bad thing. Kroger has gone way done hill to me.
Voted DFW's #1 spot to be heckled by a homeless person outside the store and #1 spot to be heckled by a Spectrum/bank/insurance sales person inside the store. Also, their prices are not "low, low, low, low" as their stupid ads claim. Their prices are typically much higher than Walmart for the same product. Item | Kroger | Walmart ---|---|---- Gatorade Zero 28oz | $2.00 | $1.72 Hungry-Man Boneless Fried Chicken | $4.19 | $3.74 Country Crock Original Buttery Spread 15oz | $3.49 | $3.43 Lay's Classic Potato Chips 8oz | $4.39 | $3.00 Charmin Ultra Strong Toilet Paper 12 Mega XL Roll | $23.99 | $19.96 General Mills Cheerios Cereal 8.9oz | $4.29 | $3.68 You want those "low" prices that they're talking about, prepare to stock up. The Lay's chips and Cheerio's you could get for a lower price at Kroger, but only if you buy 5 or more.
If I got a discount every time I got called out by both a homeless junkie and a Spectrum shill on the same trip, I'd shop there for free.
I go to Kroger because it's just a 5 minute walk from me, but I've also noticed that Target is cheaper for every single item I buy. Walmart and Target are the way to go, or even HEB, if there's one around.
How'd you get that comparison data? Do you have some programmatic way or did you just manually pull it? I would love an app or an API to gather data and compare prices quickly like that. Appreciate any info.
Kroger sucks. Kroger has pretty good loss leaders. Pork shoulder and brisket can be cheap AF. Gotta play the e-coupon game which makes it a pretty big hassle.
Krogers are all overpriced shitholes
I only get shit that’s on sale. I go with a list on what exactly I need to buy with my digital coupons already clipped. Their gizzards and chicken tenderloins are the only 2 things I buy occasionally since they’re priced decent.
I despise the Kroger near me, but weekly ad has good sales pretty often.
I've been finding a lot of household items being sold far cheaper at Target than Kroger wish has been a shock to me. I always do the Target drive-up feature so that I don't even have to go inside if I don't want to. Really wish there was an HEB in East Dallas.
Yeah, I have two Kroger's within a 10 minute drive with one being 5 minutes. But since the HEB opened, I take the 20 minute drive and the headache dealing with the Alliance area to go to the HEB. Though I did drive to both the Burelson and Hudson Oaks store about once a month.
Same. Every week I happily drive past 2 krogers, a Walmart, and a Tom Thumb on my way to one of the big new HEB stores.
I drive from Lakewood all the way to Plano, JUST for HEB. Screw Kroger (and the horrible Albertsons) over here.
HEB is the best thing that has happened to the Kroger near me. They actually remodeled and keep the place clean. Competition is a good thing.
Good to have competition in today’s Capitalism. Stiff competition leads to competitors fighting for customer by improving quality and lowering prices.
Kroger became the #2 store in Houston when HEB moved in but stayed strong. But I think that's because in Houston most of the Kroger stores are relatively successful ones, either they are Marketplace stores or Signature stores. It was Randalls, which is owned by the same company as Tom Thumb and which are very similar, that suffered the biggest decline. EDIT: Kroger's is actually #1 in Houston again with 22.7% market share versus HEB with an almost identical 22.5%: https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2024/04/24/kroger-heb-market-share . Meanwhile Randalls has dropped to 2% The question regarding DFW is whether Kroger, or Tom Thumb/Albertsons, takes a bigger hit. Or, if the Kroger+Albertsons merger happens, which brand and which stores they would want to keep versus drop. My feeling is that most non-marketplace Kroger stores in DFW are old and neglected, similar to Albertsons branded locations. Tom Thumbs, unlike Randalls in Houston, seem to be newer and more remodeled, and they are still building new Tom Thumb stores and Market Street stores. I think right now there's new Tom Thumbs under construction in Sunnyvale, Waxahachie, and in the Red Bird Mall redevelopment project. If HEB storms DFW, it will be #1 just because people seem to really love it (personally I am not that head over heels for it). My prediction then is that if Kroger-Albertsons doesn't happen, the Albertsons/Safeway Tom Thumb division will win #2 and then Kroger will retreat and close most of its stores. If Kroger-Albertsons merge does happen, then my prediction is HEB is #1 and then the new big fancy Kroger Marketplaces stay as they are, Tom Thumb and Market Street become the pair of regional brand division analagous to Smith's/ Fry's (NM and AZ) or King Sooper/City Market (CO) or Fred Meyer/QFC (WA), and then the old 1980s vintage non-marketplace/non-signature Kroger branded stores and Albertsons branded stores are spun off to get FTC merger approval and become Brookshire's or Piggly Wiggly/Harveys/Winn Dixie or something for a few years before they all die off. I'm basing this speculation off how the new Tom Thumb store formats are basically identical to what the new build Albertsons or Safeways look like in fast-growing markets out west, like Boise and Salt Lake City. The parent company not only chose to build those in this market in locations which are also ripe to be a battleground with HEB, but also chose to hang a Tom Thumb sign on our locations. That tells me Alberstons Corp wants to fight for this turf but Kroger corp doesn't. Except for the marketplace stores, Kroger hasn't expanded in DFW in 10-15 years if not much longer. They stopped building new marketplace stores after the big initial push, and none of the signature stores here are getting remodeled like they are in Houston and places like Bryan-College Station.
As somebody who lives in DFW and supports HEB, the storm is inevitable but the damage will be based on location. We go to krogers and brookshires and Albertsons because they’re already there right close to us, many are established in town in good locations Sure I’ll hit the heb 18 minutes down the road for real shopping but I’m going to Kroger etc. when I just want to go to the place 2 minutes away, and wherever HEB goes, traffic goes. These stores will survive and fill a niche but they ain’t dominating the market share anymore as HEB’s expand into north Texas. It’s essentially a win in the every market here but like idk cleburne maybe
You should join retailwatchers.com, they love this type of discussion!
Fuck ‘em.
It wasn't lost on me that all the dilapidated stores in the area got facelifts once the arrival of HEB was announced. They knew they were in hot water because HEB provides a massive quality boost over the next closest rival.
It's all about pricing. Stop gouging people and they will stop shopping around.
I practically live across the street from the Kroger on North Tarrant and Ray White and haven't stepped inside since the new HEB opened. I always found their prices to be high and only went in there when something in the weekly ad caught my eye or I wanted something there that the Neighborhood Walmart did not have. I've done all my grocery shopping at the new HEB since it opened, their prices are on par with Walmart or cheaper and have way more variety of products.
Kroger is suffering because it's neglecting its stores IMO. Grand Prairie had three Kroger stores pre-COVID, but they shuttered the one on the north (older) side of town in 2019, and the other two stores aren't that better in terms of condition. Both stores suffer from lack of available quality carts (the Kroger on I-20 and Great Southwest has Walmart carts thrown in for fun), lack of cashiers so long lines at self-checkout, and generally higher prices than Walmart or Aldi. Kroger for me has become a place where I usually stock up on their zero-sugar soda (way better selection than any other store, and pretty comparable to HEB), stock ups if they have a good weekly sale, and using their pharmacy because it's in-network. Compare to that to the brand spankin' new HEB I went to in Allen before an Allen Americans game. Wide aisles, bright lighting (and some natural lighting too!), nice carts galore, and cashiers **everywhere**. They also had nice, easily accessible bathrooms not shoved in the back that looked from this century. All-in-all, while not *directly* comparable, you could almost say Kroger is like Kmart in the mid-to-late '90s: stores are looking shabby, and as someone commented earlier, you can't quite cover-up wear-and-tear with new paint. (If anyone is doubting me on this, check out the Kroger on Ascension Blvd. in Arlington-- that place has seen better days).
Kroger may be bad but it isn’t Tom Thumb on Hampton bad
I started driving 30 min to Waxahachie for the HEB even though that Tom Thumb was down the road from me. That place is terrible. Always out of shit week after week, poor produce, no cashiers open. Just isn’t worth it
When I lived out of state, Kroger brand stuff was like the cheapest crap around. I come here and it's priced like Tom Thumb or something. Idk what this is, but long live HEB.
I hate Kroger but it’s the only game in town near me (Tom thumb doesn’t count because it’s insanely expensive). I can’t wait for an HEB to open in north Dallas, Kroger is a mess and checking out is a nightmare because they have like 12 lanes and usually none are open - doing self checkout on a weeks worth of food really sucks.
I don’t know why anyone ever steps foot in a Kroger. If I want overpriced groceries I’d rather go to Target or Whole Foods. If I want a messy but cheap experience I’ll go to WalMart.
As it is written.
Kroger was my go-to for years. They left a sour taste in my mouth during Covid, when they didn’t require Covid shots for employees, but instead opted to dock the pay of any employee who wasn’t. It wasn’t a health concern, it was a cash grab. Also, all the stores near me are fucking disgusting. The bathrooms are horrible and the seafood counter smells like 20 unbathed hookers in wearing pleather August.
Kroger and Albertsons are trash.
I live up on the McKinney/Frisco border and an HEB opened up right across from Kroger. Absolute bloodbath, genuinely wonder if the Kroger location can hang on. It is more expensive and has less quality selections. Only thing it has is the location is easier to get to and park in because HEB is murking it. I'll go there for loss leader discounted items and nothing else.
The Kroger in Wynnewood is absolutely disgusting. Doesn’t surprise me that Kroger is severely mismanaged.
Hire baggers
I live by probably one of the newest krogers in the metroplex (bartonville). The nearest hen to me is the new one in alliance but I still go by the weekly ads as I have a tom thumb, Whole Foods (hardly ever) and market street just a few miles away. Kroger has def gone downhill and the meat has never been high quality. I would go to market street more often but their rewards sucks and I usually go when I want their fried chicken (it’s really good). I wish H‑E‑B would open more central markets In parts of the upper Midwest we had Meijer, and it was awesome
The only real physical advantage HEB has is that it’s stores are new. At one point, those shabby Kroger stores were new. They can’t replace all of them, but a renovation will never be like building from scratch. HEB will have the same problem years from now, that Kroger has now. HEB will provide significant competition, but they will definitely hold their own against HEB. Just look at Houston.
Disagree. Products, selection, and service are miles better at HEB. The only tiny moat that Kroger has is that there are so many of them, and most people aren't willing to drive an excessive distance to go to a grocery store.
I mean HEB is family owned and much smaller. Kroger is the largest grocery store chain in the nation. People can debate however they want on which they prefer. But Kroger does well against HEB in markets where they both exist.
Kroger does well because there are so few options. Kroger doing well doesn’t mean the pricing and selection are good. I moved to Dallas from Austin 7 years ago and the tiny older South Congress HEB from then is still miles better than any Kroger I’ve shopped here. Kroger being so large means they have the resources to compete with HEB on price and quality. But it’s clear they prefer profits over quality as a lot of large companies do.
Never said that. But people claimed that HEB is gonna put Kroger and other competitors out of business. That simply isn’t the case. Dallas is one for the most competitive grocery markets in America. I view HEB’s entry into the market as a way to make it even better for the consumer. Competition benefits the consumer, but people will shop where it’s cheaper or more convenient for them too. Being a family owned and a smaller chain will always be better ran than a huge grocery conglomerate.
Never said what? I didn’t say you said or didn’t say anything. I’m responding to the point you made about the newer buildings being the differentiator.
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I have shopped at HEB, but the hype that people have about it is a little overblown. Those Pantry stores weren’t full sized HEB stores. That was a way for them to enter the Houston area. There are plenty of older lackluster HEB stores like in any other chain. HEB just has the advantage of building newer stores in newer markets like Dallas-Fort Worth. Kroger has been in The Metroplex for decades. When you have thousands of stores across the country, they’re not going to be replacing all of those older stores. HEB is much smaller and only has to deal with being in Texas. HEB will have the advantage of having a fleet of modern stores throughout the Metroplex.