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7/9/2013 9:04:59 PM

Quote :

"I been knew this was gonna happen, I avoided their stock because of this. Some company from overseas (I think from Sweden) was the first serious potential buyer a few months ago."

That would be Ahold, Dutch parent company of Giant. Based on what's happened to Ukrop's in the Richmond market since they got taken over by Ahold (and rebranded Martin's, a Giant sub-brand) I think we're lucky that Ahold stayed away. (Fun fact: Food Lion is also owned by a European company, Belgian to be precise, Delahaize).

Quote :

"Just wait until Wegmans gets down here."

Not anytime soon. Also, Publix's NC expansion plans are to take it slow and steady. They could be a concern for Teeter within 5 years perhaps, but not sooner. There was a lot of hope that Publix would buy out Teeter as the two stores are very similar in concept, but Publix didn't seem to want to put down the cash.

Quote :

"Why does HT need cash?? They are bankrupted already?"

No, quite the opposite, they're turning a healthy profit. However, as the stock price wasn't super high, there were rumors of a hostile takeover by a private equity firm, who would have grabbed their cash reserves and liquidated the rest of the company. To keep this from happening management went public with a possible sale of the company, which priced out the equity firm, and ended up with what you have today. If they don't muck with things very much, that would be the best course of action possible, and with several regional upscale grocers in their portfolio, I think they might know what they're doing. Fuck the union though.

Quote :

"The Kroger in Richmond is probably the nicest regular grocery store I've ever been in."

Which one? The Carytown store is pretty good actually, though they'll be out of the most random things at times. I've not been to the new "Marketplace" on Midlo turnpike though.

7/9/2013 9:15:27 PM

FYI, this is a MERGER and is NOT AN ACQUISITION - EXPECT SOME STORES CLOSURES.

7/10/2013 12:56:24 PM

What about a store that was just remodeled at the beginning of the year? Should it be fairly safe? Or what about one that is currently being built. Both are Harris Teeters.

7/10/2013 12:59:02 PM

Hope my store is not closed.

7/10/2013 1:04:56 PM

Dear Harris Teeter Customer,

Harris Teeter announced that it is merging with Kroger. While a contract has been signed, the merger will not be complete for a few months. We announced in January that we were going through a process of looking at strategic options; this announcement completes that process.

While details are still being finalized, we can tell you our name will remain Harris Teeter; our own brands will continue to reflect our name; Boar’s Head Brands will be in our Deli and the same high-quality Angus Beef will be sold in our meat departments. We do not anticipate any Associate changes with this merger, so rest assured you should find your favorite meat cutter, cake decorator or cashier at your Harris Teeter. We will continue to be committed to delivering excellent customer service and outstanding quality. You will continue to find fast check-out lanes and friendly Associates when you visit your Harris Teeter store.

Kroger is the second largest food retailer in the US with sales approaching $100 billion. By joining them, we will become even more efficient in our ability to deliver outstanding value to our customers. In addition, they will provide growth opportunities for our company and our associates.

We appreciate your business and support over the years. Your loyalty is valued more than you will ever know. Rest assured it is the desire of both Kroger and Harris Teeter to only make Harris Teeter better through this merger for many years to come.

Sincerely,

Fred Morganthall
President & Chief Operating Officer

7/10/2013 1:11:09 PM

Publix had "verbally committed" to opening a store at the intersection of Davis Drive and HIgh House in Cary in December. I haven't heard anything since so not sure if that is still happening or not

http://www.wral.com/publix-rumored-to-be-coming-to-cary/11891554/

7/10/2013 1:28:27 PM

I need a whole foods or trader joe in RTP.

7/10/2013 1:37:25 PM

I've never been to a nice Publix either, though the only place I've encountered one is Panama City and Daytona Beach

Looks too much like pubic IMO though

7/10/2013 2:15:38 PM

^^theres a nice food lion on TW alexander.

7/10/2013 4:14:04 PM

Quote :

"FYI, this is a MERGER and is NOT AN ACQUISITION - EXPECT SOME STORES CLOSURES. "

True, but the two companies' territory doesn't have much overlap. Ever since they did a store swap about 15 years ago which took them out of contention with each other in the NC Triad and western VA, the only market where both have stores is Raleigh/Durham. So there could be local closures, but probably only if there are two stores close together.

7/10/2013 4:38:20 PM

^^ I'm talking about high-end grocery store.

7/10/2013 4:41:36 PM

Quote :

" That would be Ahold, Dutch parent company of Giant."

wow, I just finished writing a letter to Ahold (Giant) like a minute before I read this post

very weird and random

[Edited on July 10, 2013 at 4:42 PM. Reason : support thank you/receipt]

7/10/2013 4:42:00 PM

^^^^ The best Food Lion I ever have seen (even better than Harris Teeter no joke) is on Lake Boone in the shopping center where Chubb'y Tacos is located.

Quote :

"What about a store that was just remodeled at the beginning of the year? Should it be fairly safe? Or what about one that is currently being built. Both are Harris Teeters."

Well, I have seen companies start a project with 100s of thousands or even million sometimes, to just can it abruptly. But you could or could not be safe, but the point is not to base the safety net on some recent investment in appearance.

[Edited on July 10, 2013 at 4:43 PM. Reason : /]

7/10/2013 4:43:03 PM

Quote :

"theres a nice food lion on TW alexander."

I live right across the street from that Food Lion. It is nice but would be so much better if they have self checkout lanes. They never have more than 2 lanes open at any time

I'd say if they are going to close any HTs, the first one to go will be the mini Teeter outside Cary Towne Center

[Edited on July 10, 2013 at 4:44 PM. Reason : f]

7/10/2013 4:43:22 PM

Quote :

"^^^^ The best Food Lion I ever have seen (even better than Harris Teeter no joke) is on Lake Boone in the shopping center where Chubb'y Tacos is located. "

Wat.

That's a nice Food Lion, but I can't think of many Teeters that aren't better than it is. Maybe the one on Buck Jones or the Cary miniteeter.

7/10/2013 4:45:55 PM

Neve4 und3rstood ht. Its nice inside but whole foods prices for kroger food. Trader joes prices are cheaper than kroger. Its high quality but not really high end price wise. Whole foods and fresh market are high end.

7/10/2013 4:52:03 PM

It's not remotely whole foods prices. No, it's not as high end as Whole Foods or Fresh Market, it's high-end for a "regular" grocer.

The shopping experience is worth the prices for some people. I was one of those. I haven't found much comparable in Richmond yet, though I will say the Krogers here are generally nicer than the Krogers in NC. Some of the bigger Martin's are OK but the general consensus seem to be that they've all gone way downhill under Ahold ownership.

7/10/2013 4:56:41 PM

RTP has no high-end stores.

[Edited on July 10, 2013 at 5:10 PM. Reason : LV, Burberry are in Charlotte.]

[Edited on July 10, 2013 at 5:11 PM. Reason : triangle, not rtp]

7/10/2013 5:09:47 PM

Quote :

"Kroger owns a bunch of other chains such as Ralphs. I used to work there and its a pretty decent company for a shitty dead end job. It still has a union. I think its the only grocery store in the US with a union"

yeah, ralphs (kroger) in socal is not shitty at all, basically on par with harris teeter (though i was a vons/safeway + tjs girl myself)

i know nothing directly about grocery store unions but remember when the vons union went on strike when i lived in san diego (had a friend in between jobs who got hired as a 'scab' and was like the most intelligent person in the store by far), thought it was so silly that grocery stores had a union but it's california so...

and publix sandwiches are the best, can't wait to have one in miami this weekend -- i hear they're opening in asheville soon

7/10/2013 5:12:02 PM

Not only is it whole foods prices but I consistently found it to be higher than whole foods for products they had in common.

7/10/2013 5:14:54 PM

and no ralphs , is very shitty. Maybe u just went inside once ane dont fully understqndd. Rqlphs is food lion withou5 the low pricew. Tjs dominayes cali because it has lower prices and higher quality than ralphs vonns albertsons.

Not only qre ralphs and food lion shitty they are two of the worst in America
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-12-worst-supermarkets-in-america-2013-4/10-ralphs-3

7/10/2013 5:21:53 PM

Fresh Market prices and Whole Foods prices are pretty aligned, but I think Fresh Market is a little higher. HT is definately not as pricey as Whole Foods.

7/10/2013 5:28:06 PM

Well obviously h5 carries some shotty producta that wf doewnt but check the prices on similar products next time and ull be done wo5h ht forever

7/10/2013 5:32:24 PM

Are you having a stroke?

7/10/2013 5:37:32 PM

That SWYPE keyboard is going bananas.

7/10/2013 5:38:32 PM

I for one ♥ Kroger, but I still get most of my groceries from Wal-Mart because it is closer, I have no car, and the prices tend to be lower (basically I only go to Kroger to redeem those periodic coupons in the mail); BTW, given what I have to say later in this post, the irony of doing my regular shopping at the most union-unfriendly retailer in the civilized world is not lost on me.

Quote :

"Just wait until Wegmans gets down here."

Wegmans is like the best grocery store ever.

Quote :

"Fuck the union"

How DARE workers have any sort of leverage in negotiating close-to-decent wages and working conditions! It's almost like they have value as human beings...

7/10/2013 6:07:12 PM

Quote :

"So Kroger is apparently some huge grocery chain, that apparently only exists in the southeast? B/c I've never seen them in the NE, the mid-west, the rockies, or the west coast. "

Kroger is based out of Ohio. Come to Indiana and you'll see a shitload of Krogers.

7/10/2013 6:39:35 PM

And kroger runs other storws all over theplace

7/10/2013 6:55:25 PM

Yup. I fucking cringe because people are serious when they say shit like that

7/10/2013 7:27:07 PM

Quote :

"and no ralphs , is very shitty. Maybe u just went inside once ane dont fully understqndd."

i lived in socal for almost 9 years, i've been inside ralphs plenty -- they're not shitty (nowhere near food lion level)

was never a fan of albertsons, and i really like vons (not shitty at all) -- tjs is great but i couldn't shop there exclusively, would buy my produce from henrys or sprouts

7/11/2013 12:12:48 AM

I, too, like Harris Teeter. The deli alone beats out food lion's, with their 4 slimy, tasteless meat and 3 moldy cheese selection.

7/11/2013 9:03:52 AM

Obviously they stay in business so there are a lot of proles out there that somehow think ralphs is good. They do a good job at presentation, the store is neat and looks nice so maybe that allows you to think it is not shitty while you buy your groceries. Theres a reason they made that business insider list.

Why can't you buy produce at tjs?

7/11/2013 1:35:28 PM

lol i remember albertsons and jewel osco

7/11/2013 1:46:40 PM

Survey on Triangle business journal:
Where do you do your grocery shopping in the Triangle?

On July 9th, Kroger announced it will buy Harris Teeter. Kroger is the 4th largest grocer in the Triangle, Harris Teeter is 3rd. Where do you shop for your groceries?

Wal-Mart
7%
Food Lion
9%
Harris Teeter
48%
Kroger
18%
Lowes Foods
7%
Sam's Club
0%
Other
10%

7/11/2013 2:41:31 PM

HT and Kroger pretty equally

but i hoof it over to whole foods when im cravin that rare ass bloody roast beef from the deli

[Edited on July 11, 2013 at 2:44 PM. Reason : e]

7/11/2013 2:43:23 PM

That poll is obvious on a site read by well educated business people or else walmart and foodlion would be high. Pretty sure most of the triangle shops at walmart as theres one on every block just about.

7/11/2013 7:56:38 PM

Quote :

"rare ass bloody roast beef from the deli"

tell me more

7/11/2013 8:08:34 PM

Harris Teeter sold to Kroger because they are scared to death of Publix.

If Publix opens in HT markets, HT goes bankrupt. Publix is just better at doing the exact same thing that attracts customers to HT.

By selling to Kroger, HT doesn't "lose" to Publix. It's nothing more than a refusal to have a pissing contest with a similar, overpriced grocery store.

7/12/2013 12:20:59 AM

^ I'm not saying competition from Publix has nothing to do with the sale but you are making a lot of problematic assumptions to get to that conclusion.

7/12/2013 1:30:38 AM

Pwnt.

7/12/2013 2:18:35 AM

going from NC to a kroger heavy area and then back to NC, i gotta say I really prefer Kroger. Their kroger brand stuff is incredible and their prices are better than HT. and the kroger "freshfare" stores are quite nice. Oh yeah and the kroger brand ice cream is worth HT going down by itself.

also: the new food lions in mooresville is quite nice. (but i know that is more of the exception than the rule).

[Edited on July 12, 2013 at 8:23 AM. Reason : .]

7/12/2013 8:19:50 AM

Every Kroger I've been in was garbage. Must really not be an NC business.

7/12/2013 9:56:57 AM

Quote :

" The best Food Lion I ever have seen (even better than Harris Teeter no joke) is on Lake Boone in the shopping center where Chubb'y Tacos is located."

wat wat wat??????????????

This dump is better than Harris teeter? Fuck no. It's not even better than the worst Harris Teeter. I've been to plenty of nice Food Lions. This is one is not even close.

7/12/2013 10:00:59 AM

^^must not have been to lots in NC, b/c I've been to several nice ones. Where are the ones you've been to?

7/12/2013 10:03:57 AM

Greensboro, Raleigh, and Durham. Years ago though. They were crap then/there and haven't been back

7/12/2013 10:05:45 AM

I like Kroger

7/29/2013 9:58:08 PM

the Krogers in North Raleigh are great.

They have $8/lb steak pretty much as a standard (strips, ribeyes, tbones) that you can have cut and have better specials often. They also have a great seafood section (always have fresh Salmon, Ahi, and lots of other fish, mussels, clams, scallops, etc.) and they have $2/lb chicken breasts and pork chops pretty much all the time.

The HT and CV has a better produce section (more variety and bunches of fresh herbs) but Kroger shits all over their prices. Way cheaper pharmacy/health items and pretty much everything packaged is cheaper.

The Kroger on Creedmoor Rd. is also very big and has a badass buffet bar type area, too.

7/30/2013 10:38:11 AM

There are two Krogers on Creedmoor

I assume you are talking about the one at Creedmoor & Strickland as the other Kroger is ghetto as fuck

7/30/2013 10:42:19 AM

Kroger meat always sucked for me. They never have grass fed or dry aged. Same meat as walmart

7/30/2013 10:47:49 AM