6 ms·

I hope they block the merger because our local Krogers all suck and are "ultra-filthy."

bob1029 4y ago
I can't find a grocery chain that isn't run like crap in my area anymore. I may start going to farmers' markets this year.
- TylerE 4y ago
  They exist (e.g Wegmans, HEB). None of them are public companies. I don’t believe this is a coincidence.
  - toomuchtodo 4y ago
    Also Publix, the largest employee owned company in the US. https://www.barrons.com/articles/employee-owned-publix-lesson-supermarket-chains-51642717801 https://www.barrons.com/articles/employee-owned-publix-lesso... (Employee-Owned Publix Offers a Lesson for Other Supermarket Chains) > One chain that stands above the rest is Publix Super Markets. The Florida grocer has net margins (net income divided by sales) of 7% to 8%. Compare that with margins of just 2% for the two biggest grocery chains, Kroger (ticker: KR) and Albertsons (ACI). And Publix earned $2.6 billion in the first nine months of 2021, more than Kroger’s $2.1 billion, despite generating a third of Kroger’s sales.
    - robocat 4y ago
      > employee owned company in the US Hardly a co-op: “The [Jenkins] family owns an estimated 20% stake in Publix, and its wealth is estimated at $8.8 billion, based on the latest Forbes magazine tally. Publix was founded in 1930 by George Jenkins when he was 23.” Barron’s article on archive: https://archive.vn/zIy6g https://archive.vn/zIy6g
      - toomuchtodo 4y ago
        Never said it was. High quality grocer experience, employee owned, and is more profitable than Kroger and Albertsons. Would it be better as a coop? Shrugs, it’s pretty good for what it is. If you want to start a (competing or not) coop, I encourage you to do so.
        lmm 4y ago
        If one guy owns 20% of it, that doesn't seem to jive very well with saying it's "employee owned".
        ISL 4y ago
        If he's an employee, and at least 50% of the company is owned by employees, it checks out.
        lmm 4y ago
        At the point where you own 20% of the company you're not really an employee; you have more control over the company than the company does over you.
        nine_k 4y ago
        The rest of employees (not investors) hold the remaining 80%. If even half of them are bothered enough, their summary 40% of ownership will comfortably outweigh the single 20% share. This, of course, assumes that no one else affiliated with the big share owner has a comparably large share (like 10%). If a small clique owns, say, 70% among them, it's a different ballgame.
        TylerE 4y ago
        Considering the elder Jenkins is a billionaire many times over, I’d wager my money it’s a lot closer to 70% than 20% I kinda have a feeling 40% of the employees were not thrilled when several hundred of thousands of dollars were funneled via a PAC to causes such as outlawing medical marijuana, and getting Ron DeSantis elected.
    - barney54 4y ago
      Is Publix nice? They don’t have them in my area. Wegmann’s are great.
      - TylerE 4y ago
        Step up from Krogers… but more minimally acceptable rather than actually nice.
      - Spooky23 4y ago
        In fancy areas, Publix is like Wegmans. In less fancy areas, it’s less Wegman-y. Wegmans is the same way in their hometown. The new ones are in very targeted demographic areas and like a circa 2001 Whole Foods before Amazon made them dumb.
  - JoshGlazebrook 4y ago
    Kroger doesn't even physically exist in the Austin market anymore. H-E-B basically drove them out of the market years ago. H-E-B and Whole Foods dominate the Austin market. WF because they originated here and there are many locations. H-E-B has a cult-like following in Texas, and are a tier above many national stores (Safeway/etc). They pay well, don't treat their employees like they're disposable, and their in-house brand is oftentimes better than the name brand. H-E-B even is known for being one of the first responders to natural disaster that happen in Texas, they even have their own disaster relief response team. Each store is slightly different in their offers, as they tend to cater them to what people in the area prefer. The list just goes on and on.
- candiddevmike 4y ago
  Why can't each city have a government provided indoor marketplace with shelf space folks could lease, otherwise fill it with other goods without any profit margin? I think the government should provide most services everyone uses at cost, and have folks innovate/compete on top of that. Otherwise the services devolve into middlemen skimming off the top without adding value. If something can turn into rent seeking, have the government provide it too.
  - quags 4y ago
    A model more like a credit union might work or some cooperative. Costco is fairly close where they have a very thin profit margin and excellent supply chain management.
  - JasonFruit 4y ago
    You seem to assume that the government is efficient and incorruptible. I have not seen evidence that is the case.
    - jackson1442 4y ago
      You can see a great example of this actually working in Seattle's Pike Place Market, they're governed by an NGO established by a public vote.
    - Larrikin 4y ago
      Governments in many countries provide good services to their citizens. The US has one party that just tries to dismantle and make government programs worse on purpose so they can personally pay less taxes.
    - woodruffw 4y ago
      The government doesn't need to be particularly efficient or incorruptible to provide a covered marketplace. It's basically touchless.
      - gernb 4y ago
- macintux 4y ago
  Unfortunately the dollar stores are making life hard on the smaller rural grocery stores, and Dollar General in particular is spreading like kudzu in my state.

I can't find a grocery chain that isn't run like crap in my area anymore. I may start going to farmers' markets this year.

TylerE 4y ago
They exist (e.g Wegmans, HEB). None of them are public companies. I don’t believe this is a coincidence.
- toomuchtodo 4y ago
  Also Publix, the largest employee owned company in the US. https://www.barrons.com/articles/employee-owned-publix-lesson-supermarket-chains-51642717801 https://www.barrons.com/articles/employee-owned-publix-lesso... (Employee-Owned Publix Offers a Lesson for Other Supermarket Chains) > One chain that stands above the rest is Publix Super Markets. The Florida grocer has net margins (net income divided by sales) of 7% to 8%. Compare that with margins of just 2% for the two biggest grocery chains, Kroger (ticker: KR) and Albertsons (ACI). And Publix earned $2.6 billion in the first nine months of 2021, more than Kroger’s $2.1 billion, despite generating a third of Kroger’s sales.
  - robocat 4y ago
    > employee owned company in the US Hardly a co-op: “The [Jenkins] family owns an estimated 20% stake in Publix, and its wealth is estimated at $8.8 billion, based on the latest Forbes magazine tally. Publix was founded in 1930 by George Jenkins when he was 23.” Barron’s article on archive: https://archive.vn/zIy6g https://archive.vn/zIy6g
    - toomuchtodo 4y ago
      Never said it was. High quality grocer experience, employee owned, and is more profitable than Kroger and Albertsons. Would it be better as a coop? Shrugs, it’s pretty good for what it is. If you want to start a (competing or not) coop, I encourage you to do so.
      - lmm 4y ago
        If one guy owns 20% of it, that doesn't seem to jive very well with saying it's "employee owned".
        ISL 4y ago
        If he's an employee, and at least 50% of the company is owned by employees, it checks out.
        lmm 4y ago
        At the point where you own 20% of the company you're not really an employee; you have more control over the company than the company does over you.
        nine_k 4y ago
        The rest of employees (not investors) hold the remaining 80%. If even half of them are bothered enough, their summary 40% of ownership will comfortably outweigh the single 20% share. This, of course, assumes that no one else affiliated with the big share owner has a comparably large share (like 10%). If a small clique owns, say, 70% among them, it's a different ballgame.
        TylerE 4y ago
        Considering the elder Jenkins is a billionaire many times over, I’d wager my money it’s a lot closer to 70% than 20% I kinda have a feeling 40% of the employees were not thrilled when several hundred of thousands of dollars were funneled via a PAC to causes such as outlawing medical marijuana, and getting Ron DeSantis elected.
  - barney54 4y ago
    Is Publix nice? They don’t have them in my area. Wegmann’s are great.
    - TylerE 4y ago
      Step up from Krogers… but more minimally acceptable rather than actually nice.
    - Spooky23 4y ago
      In fancy areas, Publix is like Wegmans. In less fancy areas, it’s less Wegman-y. Wegmans is the same way in their hometown. The new ones are in very targeted demographic areas and like a circa 2001 Whole Foods before Amazon made them dumb.
- JoshGlazebrook 4y ago
  Kroger doesn't even physically exist in the Austin market anymore. H-E-B basically drove them out of the market years ago. H-E-B and Whole Foods dominate the Austin market. WF because they originated here and there are many locations. H-E-B has a cult-like following in Texas, and are a tier above many national stores (Safeway/etc). They pay well, don't treat their employees like they're disposable, and their in-house brand is oftentimes better than the name brand. H-E-B even is known for being one of the first responders to natural disaster that happen in Texas, they even have their own disaster relief response team. Each store is slightly different in their offers, as they tend to cater them to what people in the area prefer. The list just goes on and on.
candiddevmike 4y ago
Why can't each city have a government provided indoor marketplace with shelf space folks could lease, otherwise fill it with other goods without any profit margin? I think the government should provide most services everyone uses at cost, and have folks innovate/compete on top of that. Otherwise the services devolve into middlemen skimming off the top without adding value. If something can turn into rent seeking, have the government provide it too.
- quags 4y ago
  A model more like a credit union might work or some cooperative. Costco is fairly close where they have a very thin profit margin and excellent supply chain management.
- JasonFruit 4y ago
  You seem to assume that the government is efficient and incorruptible. I have not seen evidence that is the case.
  - jackson1442 4y ago
    You can see a great example of this actually working in Seattle's Pike Place Market, they're governed by an NGO established by a public vote.
  - Larrikin 4y ago
    Governments in many countries provide good services to their citizens. The US has one party that just tries to dismantle and make government programs worse on purpose so they can personally pay less taxes.
  - woodruffw 4y ago
    The government doesn't need to be particularly efficient or incorruptible to provide a covered marketplace. It's basically touchless.
    - gernb 4y ago
macintux 4y ago
Unfortunately the dollar stores are making life hard on the smaller rural grocery stores, and Dollar General in particular is spreading like kudzu in my state.