Disco Kroger: The Final Hours
Kroger #259: The Afterlife
3330 Piedmont Road Northeast
Troubles seem to arise for Kroger in Atlanta: Part III of the Disco Kroger series
Make sure to also check out Part I and Part II of the series
Addendum (12/28/2023): I just found pictures of this store during it's Olympic Spirit days. Scroll down for a blast from the past!
Update (9/28/2023): Plans have gone live for Publix #1867 and show it being Georgia's first 55M store. For those who don't remember, the 55M is Publix's new flagship design and features a layout that is essentially an enlarged GreenWise Market. Most importantly, this will be Georgia's second POURS bar, following the closed location at GreenWise Market #1689 in Cobb County.
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| Disco Kroger while in operation - June 2022 |
Welcome back to The Sing Oil Blog! You've successfully found your way to the second half of my Disco Kroger coverage, and I would encourage you to check out the first half of this post over on The Mid-South Retail Blog if you haven't done so already. The content for today's excitement was unexpected because I thought my previous supermarket auction experience would be my last one for a long time.
I had known for close to two years that the store we will explore was destined for destruction; however, I didn't expect to hear anything else about Disco Kroger following its December 9, 2022, closure. It came as a surprise one April morning when I received notice that the contents of this supermarket would soon be up for auction. Furthermore, it came as a bigger surprise that I already had plans to be in Atlanta the weekend of said auction: the rest is history!
We may have already seen how this iconic store came to be, but I want to take a little time to examine some possible reasons as to why this store ceased to exist. After all, I'd imagine that Kroger and the landlord could have reached some sort of new lease agreement if this location was as successful as it once was (not to mention the fact that the space will continue on as a supermarket). In addition to this outlet, Kroger also shuttered a location in nearby Decatur on December 2nd citing declining sales. We'll get to tour that odd spectacle at a later date, but first, let's learn more about some of the potential problems I've noticed across the chain over the last few years.
To unionize or not to unionize, that is the question.
That statement likely draws some strong opinions from many of you, and I certainly do have thoughts of my own; however, I'd like to take a look at this issue from 10,000 feet in the air and explore some of the larger trends of the grocery market in Georgia's Capital. This topic may not be the direct subject of today's post, but I wanted to bring it up after reading some comments on this post discussing the recent store closures (please, just take a minute or two to read some of those comments). The specific comment I'm referring to brought back memories of the controversy Publix generated when it came to Atlanta in 1992 and caused me to wonder how this has played out thirty-years later. Feel free to chime in with your own thoughts down in the comments because as usual, I'm simply a mildly-informed third-party attempting to draw conclusions from the past.
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| Courtesy Newspapers.com - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - January 3, 1995 |
If you remember my post last year on Store #33, I discussed at great lengths how Publix dramatically changed Atlanta's grocery market when the chain entered the area in 1992. After two short years, the company went from having no stores to capturing over 10% of market share while pulling several percentage points from the top dogs of Kroger and Winn-Dixie.
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| The Atlanta Constitution (Newspapers.com) - November 11, 1992 |
What stood out to me during all of that research, in addition to Kroger and others offering "triple coupons" to combat the competition, is how the union in charge of most Kroger employees, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) was often mentioned as protesting the new Publix stores.
The
group obviously felt threatened, but why should they if they believe
they offer a superior level of service and superior benefits to
employees?
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| The Tennessean (Newspapers.com) - June 21, 2002 |
This wasn't just the case in Atlanta, as I've seen where other union protests were held in Albany, GA, and Nashville, TN, (among other places) as Publix entered those markets.
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| The Atlanta Constitution (Newspapers.com) - January 26, 1996 |
Publix actually took this issue head on when the company purchased a full page ad in The Atlanta Constitution following a discrimination lawsuit filed by the UFCW. The ad states that, "The union fears Publix . . . The UFCW is worried that its income and dues will diminish as Publix grows ~ with new stores, competitive pricing and superior customer service." That line may come off as a bit pretentious, but history seems to show that it isn't entirely out of line.
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| The Atlanta Constitution (Newspapers.com) - July 1, 2001 |
Fast forward to 2001 and the Florida chain had claimed over a quarter of total market share less than ten-years after it arrived. Meanwhile, several of the key players from the 1990's had dipped out and Winn-Dixie was only four-years away from following suit. It's also worth noting that Publix has since entered two more of the metropolitan areas in that chart, likely making the biggest impact in Birmingham following the disappearance of Bruno's and Western. I haven't been able to find any modern numbers on the Atlanta grocery scene, but a 2019 article from Richmond, VA, states that "Publix now has the largest market share in [Atlanta]." Regardless, it is almost certain that Publix has more total stores than Kroger in the Atlanta area considering it had already surpassed them in 2010.
Could it be the case that Publix, who was lauded for being anti-union thirty years ago, is now a more attractive place to work? Does Publix offer higher pay and/or better benefits than Kroger, who negotiates with most store employees through collective bargaining agreements? I know I certainly see more (and happier) employees on average in a Publix than I do in a similarly-sized Kroger, on top of the fact that Publix now has a higher store count.
Could this be why the UFCW was adamantly protesting the non-union Publix entering Georgia?
It
turns out that Kroger has its own troubled past with unions. If we jump back
to the 1980's, we see several instances of the company withdrawing from entire
markets due to negotiation breakdowns with a labor union.
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| The Albany Herald (Google News) - November 14, 1986 |
Take Albany, GA, again as an example. Kroger entered the city in 1971 with a Family Center store on Slappey Boulevard (very close to the future site of the Albany #8 Sing Store) and eventually built a Greenhouse store on the East end of town in 1982. Everything was presumably hunky-dory, until talks with the union broke down causing the grocer to close the two locations in 1986 and sell the properties to Piggly Wiggly Southern.
Albany wasn't the first time this had happened either. Three years prior, workers from six Baton Rouge Kroger stores picketed across the Southeast in protest to the company's closure of those stores following a breakdown in negotiations. Imagine the headlines that would be generated if Publix had to leave an entire market due to labor disputes!
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| Kroger - Lanett, AL |
That being said, union contract disagreements don't always spell the end for a store – just take a look at Lanett Food and Drug (which is notably absent from the UFCW's latest collective bargaining agreement) . . .
So, what does all of this mess have to do with modern times? Let's take a look.
As far as I understand, this statement from the blog post I mentioned earlier indicates employees at "Disco Kroger" and "Baby Kroger" were members of the UFCW since "All 59 associates at the Commerce Drive location ['Baby Kroger'] and all 84 associates at the Piedmont Road location ['Disco Kroger'] will be reassigned to other Kroger locations as outlined in the company’s collective bargaining agreement," said Victor Smith, president of Kroger’s Atlanta Division.
Labor unions have certainly found their place in history by counteracting egregious offenses caused by employers seeking to improve their bottom line; however, are they now necessary in the grocery business, or do they even hinder employees' efforts toward better pay and benefits?
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| Disco Kroger proudly advertised that it was a union shop on the front door - April 2023 |
Something that I remain confused about is how I've heard Georgia described as a "right to work" state where laws essentially prevent an employer from requiring union membership as a condition of employment. As far as I understand, a Georgia Kroger employee is not required to join a union, but it seems that I only hear about the chain as a "union shop". I wonder if, and if so what percentage of, employees at Georgia Krogers are members of the UFCW. The fact that the union can place a sticker on the door to the store makes me think the percentage is high.
According to the UFCW Local 1996's most recent collective bargaining agreement with Kroger, Article 2 states "The Union shall be the sole and exclusive bargaining agent for all workers in . . . the following counties: Baldwin, Bartow, Bibb, Carroll, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Columbia, Cobb, Coweta, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Gordon, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, Houston, Newton, Oconee, Paulding, Peach, Polk, Richmond, Rockdale, Spalding, Troup, Whitfield, Lee County, Alabama, and the city of North Augusta, SC." I suppose this doesn't necessarily mean that every full or part-time clerk at a Kroger in the aforementioned counties is a member, but it does mean that no other union can represent Kroger employees in those areas. The document goes on to say in Article 3 that if Georgia state law is ever changed to allow for "union shops," all eligible Kroger employees will be required to join the UFCW as a condition of employment.
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| Kroger Atlanta Union Coverage by County (UFCW affiliated counties are striped, non-affiliated counties are solid) |
Section 3.06 goes on to answer my earlier question, stating "The Union Card/Decal should be displayed in a prominent location in the front of the store and the meat department in all stores covered by this Agreement (size and location to be mutually agreed upon by the Employer and the Union)." I really wonder where the meat department condition came from because that seems super random! Anyway, Section 3.08 seems to answer another one of my questions: "Kroger and its managers will not coerce and will not interfere with the rights of its employees to choose to join a union or to sign union authorization cards. Local 1996 and its representatives will not coerce and will not interfere with the rights of Kroger employees to choose not to join a union." As the law seems to state, union membership is, indeed, entirely optional (albeit, seemingly encouraged by the union itself considering the mandatory meeting for new hires).
Union membership may be optional to work at a given Kroger, but it seems that it is still required to perform certain job duties in the store. Section 11.20 of the agreement states, "All work and services connected with or incidental to the handling or selling of merchandise (except potato chips, beverages, cookies, bakery products and rack jobbers) offered for sale to the public in the Employer’s retail establishments covered by this Agreement, shall be performed only by employees of the bargaining unit." While I initially read this clause as being some odd form of legalese, I then realized that it seems to prohibit non-union employees from stocking shelves or running the registers – that sounds like a way to ensure job security to me! The document goes on to state that, "To the extent the Employer installs U-Scans in its stores, the Employer agrees that such operations shall not cause any employee (hired prior to May 6, 2001) to be laid off." Otherwise, employees hired after this date are subject to severance pay if they are terminated due to "a major technological change."
Another thing that sticks out to me amongst the typical verbiage found in an employee handbook is the emphasis on seniority with reference to promotions or transfers. I do believe that seniority should have some consideration in upward mobility, but I think it is more important to take a holistic approach toward hiring in order to get the best qualified candidate who will enthusiastically and aptly perform job duties rather than just a person who has been around the longest. I'd be very curious to compare the employee handbook of a Union Shop to a non-union operation such as Publix.
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| The Atlanta Constitution (Newspapers.com) - December 13, 1984 |
One final note I'll add is how a single line in the agreement mentions that, "No employee will be required to take a polygraph examination." It turns out that Kroger seemingly used to require polygraph examinations as a portion of the drug screening process while hiring an employee. The article above mentions a lawsuit which barred Georgia municipalities from requiring polygraph tests as a condition of employment but goes on to say that this did not stop private companies, such as Kroger, from using the tactic. For one reason or another, the practice has obviously fallen out of favor, yet this line in the current bargaining agreement serves as a vestige to the past. I know I wouldn't want to take a polygraph exam in order to work at Kroger!
What brought about my inspiration for this opinion section was a recent visit to a different Kroger and a reflection upon larger trends I've noticed with the chain compared to its green counterpart. My trip began as normal with me aimlessly wandering the aisles as I pondered what I may purchase. I finally made a decision to buy some shrimp from the seafood counter and headed in that direction to place my order; there was only one problem: there was no employee in sight. I simply shrugged and continued on with my shopping, figuring somebody had just gone into another room and would be back soon. After picking up a few more items, I headed back to the meat / seafood counter and still saw nobody in sight. Mind you, there was also not a single employee at any of the other service counters including: the deli counter, bakery, or customer service counter (this was also around 5PM on a weekday during what I would presume to be the store's busiest time). The only employees I saw were two ladies tending to the checkout lines. Anyway, I decided to give up on purchasing any shrimp and make my way to the checkout, where I was greeted with a familiar sight in Kroger: a single standard checkout line open and the line for the self-checkout lines extending halfway to the back of the store. I was pretty disgruntled by that point and decided I'd put my items back on the shelf and leave because Kroger didn't seem to care about me, the customer, so I didn't want to bother them with my business. It was while I was in the process of putting my groceries back on the shelf when I saw an employee at the seafood counter – you've got to be kidding me! Sometimes I feel like I'm living in a sitcom! I then decided to suck it up, get my shrimp, and wait in the long line for me to scan, bag, and pay for my groceries. This was far from the first time I had seen this phenomena at a Kroger, and I quickly found many more examples online from different stores (two are included below).
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| Courtesy Zack (Google Maps) - January 27, 2023 - Checkout line at Kroger #346 |
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| Courtesy Mason Chilmonczyk (Google Maps) - February 12, 2023 - Checkout Line at Kroger #346 |
As I was waiting, I began talking with the lady in front of me about how ridiculous the line was. She stated how companies can't seem to hire enough employees these days and how short-staffed the store seemed. I agree with that statement, based on the fact that I only saw 3-4 employees throughout the entire store, but it made me wonder what the root cause was. I then began to describe how Walmart took the approach of converting nearly all of their traditional checkout space into self-checkouts. I had seen one such store only a few days earlier, and it had 20-30 self-checkout machines in the space typically reserved for conveyor belt lines. In the middle of this space were two lone conveyor belts which felt like a relic of the past forgotten by "progress". Meanwhile, I didn't mention to the lady how Publix doesn't seem to have the same issues. Why is it when I shop in a Publix around the same time of day, they are able to staff 5-6 traditional lines in addition to four self-checkout stations and every single service department? How do I still come across Publix stores which operate just fine without a single self-checkout kiosk, whereas I can't remember the last time I saw such in a Kroger?
This experience reminded me of the comment I had read the day before and made me wonder if unions could be one of the factors as to why Kroger couldn't seem to find enough employees, while a Publix in the same market was thriving. It also made me think of a headline I had read the other day where Apple was automatically offering new benefits to all non-unionized employees while requiring those who had recently joined a union to undergo a new bargaining agreement.
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| Buckhead Landing Map |
The final nail in the coffin (well, Kroger still has a sizable market share in the region, so they aren't exactly dead), is the fact that the developer of the newly-renamed Buckhead Landing shopping center allowed Publix to pull the rug out from under Kroger's feet and replace them as the anchor tenant. Kroger has been in this location for 47-years, and I feel like they wouldn't willingly let it go. I doubt unions are the sole reason Kroger seems to be experiencing issues in the Atlanta Division, as it also seems like management may be distracted by other priorities (namely delivery at the expense of caring for its aging stores).
I would like to take this one step further by exploring how Kroger has seemingly closed more Atlanta-area locations in recent history than opened them. Publix has also seen some closures in the region but has vastly outpaced Kroger on new stores in the region. Publix obviously seems to know something that Kroger doesn't.
I don't think it is a coincidence that I have talked to many friends and relatives who live in the Atlanta area who despise shopping at Kroger. Some of them, like me, have grown used to shopping at Publix and prefer the experience. Others, however, would rather the cost savings incurred at Aldi. It just seems to me like people either shop at a Kroger solely due to its location or they avoid it and will gladly shop anywhere else. Kroger isn't quite as far down on my aversion list as Walmart, but it seems like many of my recent experiences have made my opinion of the two chains ever so slowly converge (and not for the better).
Finally, I recently read a comment on my Publix #119 post stating, "I fully expect physical retail to splinter back down to regional chains,
as the national chains have lost sight of the most important thing -
customer experience.
This also explains to me why Publix is so
successful against Walmart in the South, arguably WM['s] strongest market.
They have slightly higher prices but an entire[ly] different category of
service. People have proven willing to pay for it."
Regardless,
I'd love to hear your opinions on this matter and which parts of my
argument you may see as flawed.
Now that we have some context into this issue (and I've bored you to death with a history lecture), let's head over to Buckhead Landing and dive into our posthumous tour of the famous "Disco Kroger".
Picture
yourself on top of a ladder in an abandoned supermarket, with the faint bass notes of Walker Hayes' "Fancy Like" playing off in the distance and the
sound of several giggles in the corner of the store. You then stop to
ask yourself, "where am I, and how did I get here?" while a giant T-bone
steak stares you in the face.
This may sound like a strange dream where you wake up in a sweat after eating too much surf-n-turf, but no, this was not fantasy, that was exactly the scene I witnessed at the Disco Kroger auction.
I thought my recent Publix Fort Myers auction would be my one-and-done for buying supermarket décor, until I received the email that Atlanta's Disco Kroger would be holding an auction. I jokingly mentioned it to one of my friends, but he responded that he was jealous how he missed out on my last experience and wanted to go. I suggested that we might find something small to buy just to be able to visit the store during one of the removal days that weekend.
Well, it turns out, he wanted the clock which was included with the larger décor lot. Whatever, I've tackled one supermarket's décor, so how hard could another one's be? We also convinced our other friends to join us in "looting a Kroger" rather than sleeping in on a Saturday morning, calling the Sing Oil Chaos Crew into action. I guess we had our weekend activity planned!
The morning arrived, and I found myself standing in front of the partially-demolished shopping center; I was equipped with my ladder, my drill, my pliers, and my full-fledged peanut gallery.
That portion of the shopping center was eerily quiet, with only two-or-so rows of parking spaces remaining accessible. A large portion of the lot had already been barricaded off with construction fencing to prevent curious onlookers from hindering the progress.
I creaked open the sliding glass doors which previously led to the checkout lines to find a man sitting in front of a folding table talking on his cellphone. I wondered if I needed to sign in or if I was just free to wander through the store. The man eventually finished his call, but said that his boss had not yet printed the necessary paperwork and prompted for my bidder ID. I gave him the information and proceeded into the abandoned supermarket with my friends in tow.
Upon entering, the first thing to catch my attention was the "fresh fare" wall at the front of the store; no longer was it adorned by local pictures, instead, it featured a host of signatures from the store's former employees. This was much more impressive than the few signatures left behind on a whiteboard in Publix #1331!
I will say that this wall reminds me more of walking into a retirement home than a supermarket; Disco Kroger was really trying to live up to its alter ego as the "Blue Hair Lounge"! After all, doesn't it seem like tons of doctors' offices and medical facilities use similar off-white wallpaper, faux-wood paneling, plastic chair rails, and muted green accents?
According to that 1995 article, "more than 50 percent of its customers are elderly. The store provides coffee and fat-free snacks in a sitting area, complete with a TV." You know that tube was burnin' up some reruns of The Andy Griffith Show and The Golden Girls! I also suppose it comes in handy to design some of your supermarket décor to resemble the old folks' home when that is half of the target demographic!
You know, I finally realized why fresh fare utilized pictographs rather than textual department signs: most of the seniors wouldn't be able to see the words anyway, so why bother!?
While I neglected to get a decent picture of the floral department during my first two trips to the store, thankfully I managed to take this shot looking across the front end during the auction.
Jokes aside, I don't remember seeing an overwhelming number of older people when I visited this location previously (I guess they have all since passed on to other supermarkets down the road). What I do remember seeing is more product on the shelves – I wonder why everything is so empty in here now?
Here's a look down the front actionway of the store, with the floral department located on the other side of the cooler to my left and the register lines just beyond that.
While we waited to check in, another auction customer arrived and began to strike up some friendly conversation. After casually mentioning how many times he had wandered in here for hangover happy hour following some dirty dancing next door, he said he couldn't let this store go down without taking a piece of it home.
The lucky items wound up being a microwave and toaster oven from the break room; I suppose the memories of Disco Kroger will forever keep him nice and toasted!
As if my jokes aren't cheesy enough, the "grand labyrinth" will next wind us over to the old specialty cheese island. In retrospect, now I'm curious as to whether I paid for those secondary signs or not (I didn't take any of them).
My first signage victim turned out to be the old deli pictograph. I say victim because none of us really had an idea as to how we should actually go about removing these signs from the wall. All of them used carriage bolts to secure the sign to two metal brackets, which themselves were screwed to blocks of wood mounted to the rear face of the light box. We ended up removing this sign by unscrewing the arms from the light box but soon found it was much easier to just remove the bolts from the sign itself and leave the brackets in place (since the light fixtures blocked any easy access for a screwdriver or a drill).
Interestingly, all of the light box bulbs seemed to have been replaced with LEDs at some point while the ceiling fixtures still seemed to use traditional florescent tubes.
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| Courtesy Retail Retell - September 2022 |
Nobody from my group ended up wanting the sign, so we just left it against a wall for somebody else (or the wrecking ball) to take. Likewise, I didn't even take a picture of it! Thanks to Retail Retell's journey, though, we can see how it looked back in September. I just noticed how the crown molding around the left light box was missing as well (the molding around the center one came down while we were attempting to remove the sign).
Continuing on, we'll take a look at the fresh fare awnings located throughout the store. I didn't buy these, but somebody did!
I love when you stare at me; I'm just so fresh, so clean
So fresh and so clean, clean
"Sweet surprises for every celebration"
I have to say that this store was far better put together than the Fort Myers Publix during its auction; it certainly helps that it didn't endure a Category 5 hurricane and still had most of its equipment. The Kroger also had its A/C turned on, to boot!
Well, maybe I spoke too soon! I'm not exactly sure what happened over here by the produce department, but Carole King would have a time singing about this!
I'd have to guess that there was some sort of electrical or mechanical component Kroger wanted to take with them from this part of the store based on all of the missing ceiling tiles. I also wonder what happened to the shelving from the old organic department.
Let's jump up to take an apple's eye view of the back corner of the store. I just noticed this, but it's interesting how the florescent fixtures are more spaced out over here. I guess this makes sense since this department previously featured spotlights to add to the ambiance. Now for another question: what happened to the track lights?
Kroger may have wanted those track lights, but I don't blame them for leaving behind these cauldron lights – brass may be coming back but frosted glass certainly isn't!
It's amazing how much less cluttered the service departments look once a number of the fixtures have been removed. Mort au labyrinthe! Vive la République!
We'll take one final look at the produce department before our final departure, which is the perfect time to mention the bell pepper sign (which nobody seems to have taken a good photo of). I intended to take that sign until I stepped up to it and saw some sort of yellow ooze on it which had dripped from the ceiling above; I had no clue what that was, but I didn't want any part of it!
I decided to continue on in search of the next casualty: cue the peanut gallery.
As my friends and I were evaluating which sign to attempt to remove following the muffin and the apple, someone commented, "Oh my gosh, that surf-n-turf sign looks like a quilted plush meat mattress."
"Oh yeah, I can see that."
Then I hear, "Imagine sleeping on that; then you'd get the night sweats and the meat sweats all at once."
I about fell of the ladder!! Part of what I loved about this adventure was all of the commentary which came in tow!
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| Better hide the wine, and get it gone |
The wine department happened to be one of the most dismantled areas of the store on my final visit, but that proved to be helpful for my removal efforts. The only problems were those stupid ceiling accent pieces; they kept getting in the way of us trying to move the ladder to get the department sign!
Speaking of that sign, it was one of only two suspended department signs in the store (the other being floral). That thing was heavy! The other department signs are manageable for one person to carry (they are roughly 2.5' x 4') but this one had two signs bolted back-to-back with a metal frame sandwiched in between. I'm glad that I had three people helping me because it was precarious to remove! We ended up having two people on the ladder, with one holding up one side of the sign and the other using a pair of wire cutters to clip one of the cables. I then dropped the cut side of the sign to the "ground crew" before we moved over to clip the other cable.
Also, I'd like for you to notice how the camera monitor off in the distance was still proudly displaying the Kroger logo. I may not have noticed this, but my friends sure did when they were filming their "music video" to the aforementioned "Fancy Like"!
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| Better hide the lime, and get it gone |
Another relic I found in the wine department was this lonely lime sitting just under the lip of the beer cooler. Yes, that is a lime and not a lemon (thanks PLU codes).
In addition to this petrified lime, I also spotted another mystery citrus under the soup aisle shelf and a bunch of miscellaneous shelf-stable goods scattered around. Oh yeah, and there was a 1/2 full 5-pound of onions sitting in a buggy by the door – I really hope those hadn't been there since December! I still don't think any of this beats the chicken bones that were keeping an Albertsons price sticker company on top of a freezer at the Fort Myers Publixsons.
In case we needed another one, here is a sign that this store has kicked the bucket! I'd have to guess that one of the construction workers cut down one of the wires holding up this sign in order to access some equipment hidden above the dropped ceiling.
I'll note that all of these aisle signs were initially listed for sale in the auction; however, the listing was removed before the event was over. I'd have to guess that somebody at Kroger didn't want an independent grocery store getting its hands on signs that look strikingly similar to modern ones issued today. Who knows, maybe Kroger will pull a Winn-Dixie and relocate these to a store still using Kroger Spirit / Millennium signs (yes, that store is still sporting the look in May 2023)!
Throughout the store, I could hear saws and machinery buzzing off in
the distance. It turns out that Kroger had sent people to try and
salvage as much copper piping and wiring as possible, and much of this was
sitting in boxes throughout the store. They really didn't want to leave anything behind!
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| Frozen in Time |
"Do you really wanna know where I was April 29th?" At the Disco Kroger auction of course! I guess you could say that some of us were swiftly looting a Kroger by day, and Swifties by night . . . (no, I did not go the Eras Tour concert, but some members of the Sing Oil Chaos Crew certainly did).
But I did go to the lamb nook! Unfortunately, the rack of lamb was another sign that had to be left behind.
Something that wasn't left behind was the lonely, beat up chair we see here. It sold for $16.
Something that didn't sell (and also didn't get photographed) was a single shoe which found its way on top of the baby aisle shelving. I only noticed it as I was removing the next sign, which was located just to my left, but I believe it was placed right behind the "diapering" sign we see here. It's amazing how random stuff finds a final resting place in the various and sundry crannies of a supermarket!
In case you wondered what aromas fill the dairy cooler in a four-month closed supermarket, I can confirm they are primarily described as milk-like with faint hints of musk (and I don't mean Elon!) . . .
The cooler also brought back memories of promotions past; it appears that Toll House Cookie Dough Bars were on special during the weeks leading up to this store's closure.
Popping back out into the real world, I wonder what could've happened to the fresh fare lettering here . . . regardless, here's what the sign used to look like.
In case you were wondering about my slightly scandalous secret shopper song lyrics from Part II, here is the full reprise as promised. Many of you have probably seen that Rock 'n Roll icon Tina Turner passed away this week at the age of 83, and I couldn't let this post go live without a few nods to some of her memorable songs. I happen to have her 1984 album Private Dancer on vinyl which produced the #1 single "What's Love Got to Do with It" along with the song referenced above. I just love how suspenseful the musical interlude is following the bridge!
Continuing down the dairy aisle (which runs down the left wall of the store) we next find ourselves in the presence of the orange juice pictograph. Retail Retell, this one's for you!
For those who want a truly inside look at my auction adventures, here's a glimpse at the removal of said orange juice sign from its home for the last 15-years. Narrated by Tina herself.
The time may have gotten away from us, but I still didn't miss my chance to immortalize the 18' wide collage. No, I didn't take it home, but I did take the time to analyze how it was graphically stitched together.
I say collage because I spy no fewer than six photos which were combined to make this panorama, and the results of my research were surprising. Of the buildings photographed, only two of the twelve easily-identifiable edifices are effectively located in Buckhead – the rest are in Midtown (which is a 15-minute drive on a good day). At least the Lenox and Peachtree Road intersection isn't far from the store! Here is the building rundown (from left to right):
Buckhead scenes:
Photo from north of the 17th Street Bridge over I-75/I-85 (The Downtown Connector):
3. Promenade II (fun fact, it was originally planned to build a Promenade I and III, with the buildings being triplets of varying heights, but these additional two towers never materialized)
4. 1280 West
5. One Atlantic Center (IBM Building)
6. Regions Plaza (Atlantic Center)
Photo from Piedmont Park:
7. 1100 Peachtree Street
8. GLG Grand – The Four Seasons
9. One Atlantic Center (IBM Building)
10. The Campanile Building (original HQ of Bellsouth)
11. Symphony Tower (Batman Building)
12. Mayfair Renaissance
Probably the most interesting thing about this collage is the fact that One Atlantic Center makes an appearance twice: once in the Downtown Connector photo (the tall building to the left of fresh fare) and once in the Piedmont Park photo (the building to the right of fresh fare with the green roof). Fun Fact: for a short time, this structure was the tallest building in the city.
Tina may have been the inspiration for a few captions above, but I feel like Ke$ha does a better job of introducing this specimen . . .
Except for the fact that the clock doesn't work.
It wasn't long after plugging in the clock when I realized the 120V Synchron motor was S.O.L. (and no, that isn't a third companion to yours truly, the S.O.B. and the one who wanted the clock, the S.O.S.)
After the Sing Oil Sidekick read over my post draft, he decided to check out Retail Retell's journey through the store to see what his thoughts were. Shortly thereafter, I received the message above. If only he had done his background research!
Anyway, there's no way I was going to attempt to take all of the signs from this store (or keep my friends here longer than they wanted), so unfortunately, I had to leave a few behind. One such victim was the set of pharmacy signs. Oh well.
For our final glimpse inside the Disco Kroger, we will let Publix serenade us in the style of Tina Turner:
Well Publix has certainly found that life beyond, but I know Disco Kroger will still hold on to the memories of the past for many Atlantans. One lucky person was able to pay $55 to forever cherish this photo which hung in the front of the store, all while I had to pay nothing to take my own photo of the photo! (I just realized that I probably bought several of the local flare photos located throughout the store that I didn't get – oh well, c'est la vie.)
Like I mentioned, at least the Sing Oil Sidekick was able to get his clock, and hopefully I can convince him to get adventuresome and buy a new mechanism for it. I don't think it will be hard for him to find a new motor, the challenge would just be finding one that also fits the existing spray painted hands. I am surprised how heavy the clock is, as it looks like it was custom built for the package considering it is made from thick MDF board (A.K.A. not your typical clock-building material).
Now that I've thrown a little shade at this package, let's take a look at it in the sun. I'm actually really surprised at how well built these department signs are, especially considering that the back of the particle board (which nobody should ever see) even has a black finished surface.
All of these signs are very sturdy which made transporting them very easy. My friend who wanted the wine sign initially tried to see how hard it would be to remove the foam pictograph from the backing, but it was secured with some very strong adhesive which made it nearly impossible to disassemble without damaging it. Thank goodness we had two wine signs!
All-told, we rescued the apple, orange juice, milk, wine, surf-n-turf, fish, and bakery signs from the wrecking ball. We left behind two pharmacy signs, two floral signs, and one deli, wine, lamb, steak, and bell pepper sign.
The main thing I want to point out is how much detail went into the backing. You may notice how subtly shiny it is, and that is because the particle board is covered in a copper-metallic veneer across the entire surface (which matches what was used on the secondary signage). The additional colors are then layered on top of the copper with yellow on the bottom, purple in the middle, and dark purple on top (I believe). With that, you can see how some of the copper shines through even some of the purple "scribbles" in the middle. The last detail I'll point out is how every sign has subtle cutouts in the backing to accentuate parts of the pictograph. I never noticed this in the store, but I'd imagine the intent was for the uplighting to shine through and provide a bit of an outer glow.
Yes, the colors make me think of the hideous purple and yellow used in the former LSU-themed Winn-Dixie in Baton Rouge, but the former Kroger package has a much more intentional execution. I may not personally love how Fresh Fare 1.0 looks, but I can tell a lot of thought went into the details of design. I also feel like the package was generally cohesive, save the H&BA signage. What I really appreciate is the fact that every department sign in the store was the same size (ehm, Publix with your 12-foot wide produce sign)!
Now that we've seen the store, I feel like I'd be beating around the bush if I didn't address the elephant in the room: the potential merger of the nation's second and third largest grocery chains. Based on my recent experiences with Kroger and the stories I've heard of Albertsons' downfall from their former glory, I can't imagine this merger ending well. I suppose divestitures of some stores could provide prime real estate for other chains to expand into new territory, but I feel like two companies who don't totally have their act together won't make one company that does. I also don't think that consolidation on this scale in the grocery business is good for the consumer or the producer since it creates the potential for unprecedented price controls. Add on top of that the fact that the UFCW stands in staunch opposition to the idea. Yes, I will acknowledge that Walmart and Amazon already have national distribution on a larger scale than this deal, but I feel like a dedicated grocery chain has much more influence on food prices, and a duopoly with Walmart doesn't exactly sound attractive. What are your thoughts?
Kroger may be the country's largest grocery chain, but if they aren't careful and lose sight of their core business – which is and always will be brick and mortar stores – they'll end up just like A&P.
Until then,
- The Sing Oil Blogger
Full disclosure: I've neither been a member of a labor union nor been presented the decision to join one. I also do not personally know anybody who is or has been a member of a labor union. This is a topic that I haven't done extensive research into, so feel free to add anything I may have missed in the comments below (just keep it cordial).
Addendum (December 28, 2023)
Disco Kroger: Stayin' Alive
I always seem to stumble across random tidbits when I least expect them, and today's example comes as I was diving through old Flickr pages for an upcoming Publix post. The particular page I was exploring showcased a photo or two from several different Publix stores, but my interest was piqued when I noticed a few photographs from Atlanta-area landmarks. Soon thereafter, I saw some shots of an Olympic Spirit Kroger, only to realize that they were actually from Disco Kroger! I was glad to finally have confirmation that this store remodeled to the package during its major 2001 expansion, in addition to seeing so many vintage photos from the interior. Let's take a look:
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| Courtesy Sachi Gonno (Flickr) - Kroger #259 - December 20, 2005 |
First up is the deli and salad bar. I believe this area was heavily reconfigured during the 2001 remodel so it makes sense for it to have continued to look similar during the Fresh Fare days. Compare this to a similar perspective from 2021:
The deli café seating shifted to a nook to the right, but the counter placement otherwise remained the same.
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| Courtesy Sachi Gonno (Flickr) - Kroger #259 - December 20, 2005 |
Next up, we find the produce department. It didn't move between the two remodels, and was still located in the back right corner during the Olympic Spirit days. Compare this to the department in 2021:
I have to say that Kroger really spruced the place up during the 2008 Fresh Fare remodel. The walls look much less barren with the wooden accents and the fixtures also seem to be of nicer quality.
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| Courtesy Sachi Gonno (Flickr) - Kroger #259 - December 20, 2005 |
The dark ceiling with the sporadically-placed lights makes me think of a starry night sky – that's a cool effect, but seems to play out better in stores with warehouse ceilings. At least we get to see the Art Deco "Produce" sign along with a neat Kosher neon.
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| Courtesy Sachi Gonno (Flickr) - Kroger #259 - December 20, 2005 |
On the back wall, we find the seafood sign and the beginning of the dairy department.
Again, the Fresh Fare remodel really did a lot to warm this space up. The new meat alcove adds a lot of dimension to this space and the removal of the old strip lights makes the store feel less utilitarian.
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| Courtesy Sachi Gonno (Flickr) - Kroger #259 - December 20, 2005 |
Wine also moved from the grocery aisles on the left side of the store to its own dedicated department as part of the Fresh Fare remodel. The pharmacy counter can be seen off in the distance. Interestingly, we'd be roughly looking down aisle 12 if this were taken in 2021.
The best I can do is provide a glimpse down aisle 13, which carried H&BA items during both eras.
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| Courtesy Sachi Gonno (Flickr) - Kroger #259 - December 20, 2005 |
The dairy aisle was still on the left wall of the store back in 2005 . . .
. . . which is also where I found it in 2021.
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| Courtesy Sachi Gonno (Flickr) - Kroger #259 - December 20, 2005 |
One major change I noticed is how the store's natural and organic section used to be in the front left corner of the store, adjacent to the pharmacy.
That wall was later repurposed to house greeting cards and a photo collage of Atlanta skyscrapers.
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| Courtesy Sachi Gonno (Flickr) - Kroger #259 - December 20, 2005 |
Finally, we see a nice overview of the front left corner of the store, complete with the Olympic Spirit dairy and baby signage. If you want to check out how the exterior of the Peachtree-Piedmont Crossing Shopping Center or the interior of the adjacent World Market looked back in 2005, make sure to check out Sachi Gonno's Flickr page.
Until next year,
- The Sing Oil Blogger