"Kroger Premier"?

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pseudo3d
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"Kroger Premier"?

Post by pseudo3d »

I was looking at the Kroger in Grosse Pointe, MI, which recently rebuilt a few years ago (a still-small store that fits in with the downtown-esque "village"), but prior to the rebuild, it was branded as "Kroger Premier!", a term I have yet to see elsewhere. It seems it was Detroit division only, but I couldn't find anything about it. This topic seems to indicate it was one of a kind.
mburb1981
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Re: "Kroger Premier"?

Post by mburb1981 »

I know, five-year bump!, but I have been researching Kroger Premier for a little bit now, and I have discovered that there were actually more Kroger Premier locations in the past, and that it indeed was exclusive to the Michigan division.

The other Kroger Premier locations:
  • 3675 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI - closed in 2006, now Plum Market. The immediate area wasn't without Kroger for too long, though, as the Farmer Jack across Maple was among those acquired by Kroger in 2007, and that store is still in business.
  • 33300 14 Mile Road, West Bloomfield, MI - Now Busch's Fresh Food Market.
  • 6592 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI - The longest-living Kroger Premier location, closed in 2010. Now Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace.
  • 4099 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI - Still operating as a Kroger, albeit remodeled over.
The December 3, 1994 Detroit Free Press featured an article on Kroger Premier, which features an interior photo. I don't have a newspapers.com account, but from the OCR, I can decipher that Kroger Premier stores featured a selection of upscale gourmet food, and featured a decor package that was burgundy and hunter green with brass accents - which does not seem to describe any currently-known Kroger decor package.
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Groceteria
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Re: "Kroger Premier"?

Post by Groceteria »

Ssshhh
Detroit_Free_Press_Sat__Dec_3__1994_.jpg
. Here's the photo (you can't see much, alas...)
jleyerle
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Re: "Kroger Premier"?

Post by jleyerle »

This was a quick and dirty emulation of A&P/Farmer Jack Food Emporium, which they brought to Detroit in some of their upscale stores. The Bormans (former owners of Farmer Jack) were pretty well ensconced in the wealthy Detroit circles, so had some good locations ready to upgrade to Food Emporium in the wealthier suburbs. Kroger had such a checkered reputation (strikes, pulling out of the market, re-entering, buying Great Scott) that they needed to do something to up their game during the period (don't forget this was when Meijer was completing their advance through SE Michigan. The NIno Salvaggio you mention upthread actually opened in 2018; the Kroger had been closed about 18 months.
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