Fred Meyer
Encyclopedia : F : FR : FRE : Fred Meyer
- An unrelated hypermarket chain is Meijer.
History
In 1928, Mr. Meyer opened the first self-service drug store. In 1931, he opened his first suburban one-stop shopping center in the Hollywood District of Portland. Innovations included a grocery store alongside a drug store plus general merchandise, off street parking, gasoline station, and—eventually—apparel. In 1973, after several decades of growth in the Portland area, Fred Meyer purchased the Pacific Northwest-based Valu Mart chain of stores and converted them to Fred Meyer stores. In 1975, Fred Meyer opened their first stores in Alaska.
On September 21978, Mr. Meyer died at the age of 92. Mr. Meyer played a huge role in the day to day operation of his company until his death.
In 1982, the company was purchased by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts in what was one of KKR's first major leveraged buyouts. In 1985 Fred Meyer acquired Grand Central of Salt Lake City, Utah. The Grand Central stores in Utah and Idaho were converted to Fred Meyer stores, although most did not receive full supermarket departments until the mid 1990s. Also in the mid-1980s Fred Meyer acquired B & B from Montana. In 1997, Fred Meyer Inc. acquired Smith's Food and Drug of Salt Lake City, though both companies maintained separate operations. In 1998, Fred Meyer acquired Ralphs Grocery Company of Los Angeles, California, and QFC of Seattle, Washington. Both acquisitions also maintained separate operations with Fred Meyer, Inc. as the holding company. In that fast string of mergers, Fred Meyer quickly became the nation's fifth largest food and drug store operator with leading market shares in most western markets. In May of 1999 Fred Meyer, Inc. merged with Kroger of Cincinnati, Ohio. In 2000, the Arizona Fred Meyer stores, all of which were formerly Smitty's stores that Fred Meyer acquired in the Smith's merger, were rebranded as Fry's Marketplace. In 2004, Smith's Food and Drug assumed the operations of the Utah Fred Meyer stores, which were rebranded as Smith's Marketplace.
Locations
Fred Meyer currently operates 128 stores divided into seven merchandising zones as well as an online special order site for their postal prescription service, online photo ordering, online music/movie/video game sales through partner The Store 24/7, and an Alaska bush fullfillment center allowing those in remote areas of the state to shop Fred Meyer. Stores are identified by a store name which reflects the city or region of its locale, a six-digit (albeit, often only the last three are used) store number, and, expect in the most recently opened stores, a two-letter initial code.
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Store design
Fred Meyer stores are well known for their huge floor space. To compete, other supermarket chains operating in Oregon (like Safeway) often build stores that are much larger than their standard store format.A typical store is divided into four major departments:
- An apparel (ALE) and leisure division with full service shoe, women's and men's ready-to-wear, intimates, cosmetics and accessories, and teens department called Elements.
- A grocery (FOD) which includes a Nutrition Center as well as full-service meat, seafood, deli, produce, and bakery areas.
- A home division (HOM) featuring toy, stationary, sports and auto, home improvement, garden, furniture, and bed & bath areas and a special area for seasonal merchandise.
- Additionally, all Fred Meyer stores possess a central checkout (abbreviated CCK), or Operations department which is responsible for a large amount of the checkstands; the front end of the store; the customer information center where services such as Western Union, game licenses, bus passes, tobacco sales, and merchandise returns are offered; and the parking lot. Included in the Operations department is Playland, a child-care center for shoppers.
In a some stores' parking lots an FM Fuel Center is added.
Each department is run by a manager, an assistant manager, and often times a third or a fourth manager, depending upon the size of the department. In addition to the management staff, persons-in-charge (PIC) have responsibility in a given department. The store is managed by a store director and one or two assistant directors.
Most Fred Meyer stores lease peripheral retail space to other businesses. For example, an average store in Oregon and Washington would have a Hollywood Video store and a Washington Mutual Bank branch, and a locksmith in the store's parking lot. Many stores also house a Starbucks Coffee outlet, some of which are operated by Fred Meyer under contract.
Alternate store formats
Not all Fred Meyer stores conform to the conventional hypermarket format that the majority of stores do. While still department-style stores, Fred Meyer has two additional formats for stores too small to fit the vast space requirements or those in more ecclectic neighborhoods.Fred Meyer Marketplace
Fred Meyer Marketplace is a comparatively compact Fred Meyer, centered on a full service grocery section, with many of the other departments missing or considerably smaller than a full size Fred Meyer store. These are usually older locations in more central locations in Portland, with limited, often unique parking arrangements (like the Burlingame location's multistory parking garage, or the rooftop parking at the Hawthorne location). Most Marketplace stores in the Seattle area were once standard supermarkets that have been acquired from other grocers.Some marketplace locations are early examples of Fred Meyer in its typical mall format, being the anchor store in a small Fred Meyer shopping center. Locations from this early era are typified by having the lawn and garden department in a different building immediately across the street or parking lot.
Fred Meyer Northwest Best
Fred Meyer Northwest Best is the company's "new concept" store in upscale Northwest Portland near PGE Park. It was converted from the Fred Meyer Stadium Marketplace in 2004 to compete against newly arrived retailers such as the Pearl District Whole Foods Market and Northwest Portland Trader Joe's. Fred Meyer also has Northwest Best stores in Gig Harbor, Washington and Redmond, Washington.Private label brands
Fred Meyer employs Kroger's manufacturing by adding its own private label brands alongside national brand products. Aside from products labeled Kroger or Fred Meyer, one might also find the following brands at a Fred Meyer store: Kivu, Everyday Living (and the more upscale EL2), F°M°V ("For Maximum Value": lower prices than other private brands on selected staple items), Moto Tech, Private Selection, HD Designs, Splash Spa, and Naturally Preferred. Former brands associated with Fred Meyer were My-T-Fine, President's Choice, F. G. Meyer First Choice, Personal Choice, and Perfect Choice.See also
External link
| The Kroger Company |
| Corporate Directors: David B. Dillon | Robert D. Beyer | John T. LaMacchia | Edward M. Liddy | Katherine D. Ortega | Bobby S. Shackouls | John L. Clendenin | David B. Lewis | Susan M. Phillips | Reuben V. Anderson | Don W. McGeorge | W. Rodney McMullen | Clyde R. Moore | Steven R. Rogel |
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Chains owned by: Bakers | Cala Foods | Dillons | Food 4 Less & Foods Co. | Fred Meyer | Fred Meyer Jewelers | Fry's Food and Drug | Gerbes | Hilander | JayC | King Soopers & City Market | Kroger Food and Drug | Kroger Convenience Stores | Owens Market | Pay Less Food Markets | Quality Food Centers | Ralphs | Smith's Food and Drug | |
| Net revenue: .55 billion USD ( 7.3% FY 2006) | Employees: 290,000 | Stock Symbol: NYSE: [KR] | Website: [www.thekrogerco.com] |
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