For those who haven’t heard, Kroger announced yesterday that they will be buying all the Harris Teeter stores.
While this will likely mean no more double and triple coupon events, the good news is that Kroger does regularly offer some great Mega Event sales and loss leader deals.
What do you think? Will this mean better deals or are you really disappointed about this change?
Colleen says
Totally bad thing… Harris Teeter’s quality, selection and overall stores are head and shoulders above Kroger. Kroger stores are disorganized, dirty and have fallen the way of Kmart. It’s a real shame, Harris Teeter was one of the only remaining grocery store chains that really seemed to care about customers vs. the old mighty dollar.
Lorianne says
Wow, I don’t know where y’all shop at Kroger, but I live in Richmond, VA, and we have awesome Krogers! They have redone just about every Kroger here and are building new ones. They are just as awesome as any Harris Teeter I’ve been in.
I don’t do coupons much, but I’m very happy with the sales and deals I get at Kroger. I hope this change is not as bad as some are anticipating.
ShoppingFool says
My opinion will depend upon how many changes Kroger corp does. Before it was Harris Teeter in my neck of the woods, it was Kroger. Kroger’s was always dirty and expensive and we rarely to never went there. Since Harris Teeter has come to town, we shop there all the time. Double coupons up to 0.99 daily, limit of 20…it’s a dream come true for something looking to save every penny they can! I love the events, the rainchecks that never expire-it’s all awesome. But like others said, it’s the customer service that makes Harris Teeter unbeatable. I love the cashiers and managers at my favorite store. It’s clean, well stocked and everyone is so nice!
I have seen Kroger’s sales and their policies and I wouldn’t set foot in one to shop voluntarily. I have a Food Lion and Lowes Foods down the road from me, so if Kroger devastates the awesome that is Harris Teeter, it’s not likely I’ll ever set foot in it again. I can retain my doubling at Lowes Foods(although that right now is my last resort for a good deal for my family, their sales are super iffy), and I can get best prices at Food Lion and they’re all super nice too! Just my two cents.
ShoppingFool says
someone** LOL what a typo!
thar says
I’m okay with it. Any savings we receive from any store as a family are a blessing. We very much appreciate when we can get food items for pennies on the dollar, but we don’t want to get caught up in any expectations to that end (just a personal conviction). Kroger has some great deals, manager specials, and customer service.
Jennifer says
I hope nothing changes! I love Harris Teeter. It’s my favorite store for saving and great customer service! My kids love getting a cookie.
Lisa says
I am disappointed. I live in the land of HT (the town where they are headquartered) and there is a grocery store every few miles, so it’s very convenient. Over the years, I’ve learned how to shop their sales and love the super double and triple coupon events. But the most important thing for me is their stellar customer service. There have been so many instances of store employees bending over backwards to do something that I needed. It’s one of the few companies I will frequent even if I pay a bit more because the service is great and they seem to treat their employees very well. I genuinely hope that Kroger continues this great example of good customer service. I am certain that I’ll still be able to find a good deal regardless of who owns a store but its people that make a company memorable.
Savvy Shopper says
I wrote an article about this for the Daily Press newspaper in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. Kroger is a huge, $96 billion, company and has acquired dozens of local grocery banners. Their acquisition of Harris Teeter does not mean that store coupon policies will change. Kroger also owns Fred Meyer, which operates much differently than the Kroger banner in Mid-Atlantic states. We will have to see what comes, but it’s not safe to presume just yet that double and triple coupon sales will end.
Here’s a link to a detailed story about the acquisition, for those interested in reading more about what it may mean for shoppers: http://www.dailypress.com/features/shopping/dp-nws-kroger-buys-harris-teeter-20130709-73,0,5650943.story
Keelie says
I see a lot of disappointment from the readers, but truthfully, I believe that if you shop Kroger regularly, you will find that you can get really great deals just like you do at Harris Teeter. Their Mega Event sales work really well for getting things free. I haven’t lived where I can shop at Kroger in two years, but this past summer I was able to shop in one, and had just as much luck as I always have. It will take time to figure it out for those of you who have learned to shop so well with the double coupon events at Harris Teeter. I also think that Kroger tends to have more manager specials than I have ever seen at Harris Teeter. I like Harris Teeter and I like Kroger, so I think either one will be fine to shop at.
Amy Lauren says
None of us here in Charleston, SC are happy about this… we have like 6 Harris Teeter stores and love them. I just hope everyone gets to keep their jobs, but that almost *never* happens during a merger, and they support local produce growers like they do now.
Bethany says
Depends… there’s a Lowes Foods chain here that I actually prefer to HT and if they keep their policies the same even after losing competition, I won’t mind too much. We’ll have to see, though.
Carla says
I do not like this at all.
Amy says
Really bummed – I’m having hard time believing that the customer service and coupon policies will stay as awesome as they are!
Melanie says
Devastated. My husband and I always take advantage of HT’s amazing sales and coupon deals. It won’t be the same now. 🙁
Laura says
oh no!!! Kroger is no where near as good as HT!!!
Megan says
I’m really disappointed in the change. I have not had good experiences with Kroger stores (both here in NC and when we lived in the mid-west). HT is always clean, associates happy to be help you, coupon policies are great and sales are ridiculously good! During their coupon events I get things for free or pennies on the dollar….which never happens for me at Kroger. Our Kroger stores also stopped doubling coupons about a month ago. HT is having a coupon event this week (doubling up to $2 coupons!) and I am stocking up big time on non-perishable items b/c when the sale to Kroger goes through, the free stuff will stop.
Sherri says
Bad, bad, bad. If they keep Harris Teeter as a separate brand with separate sales, then that would be okay. I don’t shop at Teeter often b/c the closest one is in the next town, but I like the access to different sale items. Having more than one grocery chain in town is a good thing.
Diane says
The article in our local paper this morning said customers would not notice any changes. That the Harris Teeter stores would keep their names & personalities as did Ralph’s (Southern CA), Fred Meyer (Pacific NW), and Fry’s in Phoenix which Kroger also owns so maybe you have nothing to worry about.