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Re: Kroger Family Centers
Posted: 23 Jan 2023 00:42
by BatteryMill
This seems to have flown off my radar, good catch. I don't have anything to confirm it so far, but there are several convincing factors. The facade, location in a periphery Kroger market, and the fact it was a TG&Y afterwards (which at least one other Family Center was).
Re: Kroger Family Centers
Posted: 23 Jan 2023 11:45
by wnetmacman
BatteryMill wrote: ↑23 Jan 2023 00:42
This seems to have flown off my radar, good catch. I don't have anything to confirm it so far, but there are several convincing factors. The facade, location in a periphery Kroger market, and the fact it was a TG&Y afterwards (which at least one other Family Center was).
There's no need for proof. That is about 50-100 miles from Mattoon, another short term FC. It's definitely one, but badly remodeled.
Re: Kroger Family Centers
Posted: 23 Jan 2023 22:10
by BatteryMill
wnetmacman wrote: ↑23 Jan 2023 11:45
There's no need for proof. That is about 50-100 miles from Mattoon, another short term FC. It's definitely one, but badly remodeled.
Looks like per the Galesburg Register-Mail on November 1, 1972, Kroger was indeed operating a Family Center in Macomb. As the FC rollout was taking place Kroger would often mention that they also chose new markets or those they vacated in the 1950s supermarket rise, such as Mattoon.
Re: Kroger Family Centers
Posted: 29 Jan 2023 13:26
by retail_person_247
I think I might've just stumbled upon another former Family Center location (which was later converted into a Kroger supermarket)
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.7184406 ... 312!8i6656
Is this another former Kroger FC?
(I don't know how I keep finding these)
Re: Kroger Family Centers
Posted: 29 Jan 2023 14:01
by BatteryMill
Doubt this one is a Family Center, more a superstore. It opened in the 1976-1979 range (according to the Groceteria spreadsheet and other data) and was bannered as a "Sav-on" for some time. It is also worth noting that Superstores have similar wall patterns, but different column styles.
Re: Kroger Family Centers
Posted: 29 Jan 2023 14:15
by Groceteria
BatteryMill wrote: ↑29 Jan 2023 14:01Doubt this one is a Family Center, more a superstore. It opened in the 1976-1979 range (according to the Groceteria spreadsheet and other data) and was bannered as a "Sav-on" for some time. It is also worth noting that Superstores have similar wall patterns, but different column styles.
Especially
after looking at it from above, I would peg this one as a superstore that subsequently expanded into the space to its left (maybe a SupeRX?). The large building to the far left looks like a discount store that has since been subdivided, which probably would have precluded the possibility of a Family Center as well.
Re: Kroger Family Centers
Posted: 29 Jan 2023 16:26
by Groceteria
On I keep forgetting to add (where you can get a slight taste of the original façade) is this one in Chapel Hill NC:
https://goo.gl/maps/AxdszumgXUQznNKZ8
Opened as a Family Center in 1969, converted to a superstore in 1972-73, and closed in 1989.
Re: Kroger Family Centers
Posted: 31 Jan 2023 11:44
by wnetmacman
I would agree with everyone else here, but for deeper reasons:
This store was built next to a Walmart D1 store. The true Kroger Family Centers were *almost* never in a shopping center, and were usually standalone to promote the One Stop Shopping concept. That, and the layout of the store is Supercenter with adjacent drug store.
Re: Kroger Family Centers
Posted: 31 Jan 2023 11:47
by wnetmacman
Groceteria wrote: ↑29 Jan 2023 16:26
On I keep forgetting to add (where you can get a slight taste of the original façade) is this one in Chapel Hill NC:
https://goo.gl/maps/AxdszumgXUQznNKZ8
Opened as a Family Center in 1969, converted to a superstore in 1972-73, and closed in 1989.
Interesting; I've never seen a Family Center converted into another major competitor like Whole Foods. Well, at least not in a while. Morgan City, LA was converted to a National Tea-owned Canal Villere, but I do not believe they used the whole store. New Iberia may have been as well, but I think it had already been subdivided with the adjoining bowling alley.
Re: Kroger Family Centers
Posted: 31 Jan 2023 17:17
by Groceteria
wnetmacman wrote: ↑31 Jan 2023 11:47Interesting; I've never seen a Family Center converted into another major competitor like Whole Foods.
When Kroger closed in 1989, this one was taken over by Wellspring Grocery, a local natural foods chain that was subsequently acquired by Whole Foods.
Re: Kroger Family Centers
Posted: 29 May 2023 20:35
by retail_person_247
By chance could this building possibly be another former Kroger FC?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Abandon ... 027181700/
The person who posted this said that it was last Big Lots. A lot of Kroger FC's became Danner's 3D Discount stores, and a lot of former 3D locations were later converted to Big lots' I've noticed...
Also I currently have no idea where in Virginia this is
Re: Kroger Family Centers
Posted: 29 May 2023 21:02
by wnetmacman
retail_person_247 wrote: ↑29 May 2023 20:35
By chance could this building possibly be another former Kroger FC?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Abandon ... 027181700/
The person who posted this said that it was last Big Lots. A lot of Kroger FC's became Danner's 3D Discount stores, and a lot of former 3D locations were later converted to Big lots' I've noticed...
Also I currently have no idea where in Virginia this is
It's in Staunton. Doesn't look big enough. It *does* look like it was a Kroger store, but it was very small; it looks more like a Superstore:
https://goo.gl/maps/nNE6sFyUpPV69tDe9
Also, 3D was Indiana, Illinois and Ohio. I wouldn't say a lot of FC stores became 3D; I only know of one in Mattoon, IL. Several did become Big Lots.
Re: Kroger Family Centers
Posted: 29 May 2023 23:00
by retail_person_247
wnetmacman wrote: ↑29 May 2023 21:02
retail_person_247 wrote: ↑29 May 2023 20:35
By chance could this building possibly be another former Kroger FC?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Abandon ... 027181700/
The person who posted this said that it was last Big Lots. A lot of Kroger FC's became Danner's 3D Discount stores, and a lot of former 3D locations were later converted to Big lots' I've noticed...
Also I currently have no idea where in Virginia this is
It's in Staunton. Doesn't look big enough. It *does* look like it was a Kroger store, but it was very small; it looks more like a Superstore:
https://goo.gl/maps/nNE6sFyUpPV69tDe9
Also, 3D was Indiana, Illinois and Ohio. I wouldn't say a lot of FC stores became 3D; I only know of one in Mattoon, IL. Several did become Big Lots.
Yup that does look more like a superstore and less like a Family Center, the pictures on FB made the store look a lot bigger
Ok so I apparently I made a mistake in my last statement about "a lot of Kroger FCs became 3D" that's not true, I only know of 2 locations that went through that transition, Valespro IL & Mattoon, IL
I got it confused with the fact that most 3D locations became Big Lots
Re: Kroger Family Centers
Posted: 30 May 2023 00:22
by BatteryMill
wnetmacman wrote: ↑29 May 2023 21:02
retail_person_247 wrote: ↑29 May 2023 20:35
By chance could this building possibly be another former Kroger FC?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Abandon ... 027181700/
The person who posted this said that it was last Big Lots. A lot of Kroger FC's became Danner's 3D Discount stores, and a lot of former 3D locations were later converted to Big lots' I've noticed...
Also I currently have no idea where in Virginia this is
It's in Staunton. Doesn't look big enough. It *does* look like it was a Kroger store, but it was very small; it looks more like a Superstore:
https://goo.gl/maps/nNE6sFyUpPV69tDe9
Also, 3D was Indiana, Illinois and Ohio. I wouldn't say a lot of FC stores became 3D; I only know of one in Mattoon, IL. Several did become Big Lots.
Rather a late pre-Superstore, has a lot of the Family Center DNA despite not quite being one. Other than that I don't believe there ever were Family Centers in Virginia, though there were some in Roanoke Division territory, across the North Carolina line.
Re: Kroger Family Centers
Posted: 30 May 2023 08:20
by Groceteria
BatteryMill wrote: ↑30 May 2023 00:22Rather a late pre-Superstore, has a lot of the Family Center DNA despite not quite being one.
Agreed. Also the other large building on the site, which was probably some flavor of discount department store, argues against its being a Family Center as well. But yeah, it definitely has the FC design touches.