Fred Meyer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Fred Meyer, Inc. | |
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| Type | Grocery/Department store |
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| Founded | 1922 (Portland, Oregon) |
| Headquarters | Portland, Oregon |
| Key people | Micheal Ellis, president |
| Industry | Retail |
| Products | Food, clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics, toys, lumber, garden supplies and housewares. |
| Parent | Kroger |
| Website | www.fredmeyer.com |
Fred Meyer, Inc is an American company founded in 1922 in downtown Portland, Oregon by Fred G. Meyer. The company was one of the pioneers of the retail supercenter or hypermarket format of store, and has locations throughout the Pacific Northwest. Prior to the company's merger with Kroger it traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol FMY. Although the company is now a division of The Kroger Company, Fred Meyer and the western region of Kroger are still headquartered in Portland. Fred Meyer is sometimes known as "Freddy’s", a nickname the company has used in its advertising and for its mascot, Fred Bear.[1][2]
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[edit] History
Fred Meyer, originally of New York City, opened his first public market at the corner of Fifth and Yamhill in downtown Portland, OR in 1922. 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 2, 1978, 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.
[edit] Acquisitions
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 headquartered in Kalispell, 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.
[edit] Merge with Kroger
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.
[edit] 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 fulfillment 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 five-digit (although often only the last three are used) store number, and, except in the most recently opened stores, a two-letter initial code.
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[edit] 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, stationery, sports and auto, home improvement, garden, furniture, and bed & bath areas and a special area for seasonal merchandise. Fuel centers (SPG) are part of the HOM department.
- Additionally, most Fred Meyer stores possess an Operations (OPS) department, which is responsible for the main bank of checkstands or 'front-end' (CCK); the Customer Service Desk (CSD), also known as the Customer Information Desk, or CID, where services such as Western Union, game licenses, bus passes, tobacco sales, and merchandise returns are offered; U-Scan (a customer self checkout option) and the parking lot. In some stores these areas are a section (known as GR2) of the grocery (FOD) department. Many locations have checkstands in the HOM department, these belong to a section known as HG2, in addition, some locations provide a HOM U-Scan. Playland, a child-care center provided free of charge for shoppers at some locations is also a division of the Operations department.
Home electronics (PEM) departments offers a high tech selection including computers, televisions, etc. as well as a photo station and a music market for CDs, movies, and video games. Most stores also include an outlet of Fred Meyer's jewelery chain, Fred Meyer Jewelers, and a pharmacy.
In some stores' parking lots an FM Fuel Center is added.
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.
[edit] Department structure
Each department is run by a manager, an assistant manager, and often 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. In the major divisions (ALE, HOM, FOD) these PICs are commonly Sectionheads or Department managers, while in the minor divisions (PEM, CCK) PICs are non-management supervisors who assume management duties and responsibilities for the duration of a shift, but are otherwise level with co-workers. In Idaho and some Oregon stores, it is common practice to schedule two PICs simultaneously in CCK, theoretically leaving one to provide customer service functions, and the other to perform the business functions of the department.
[edit] 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 of those in more eclectic neighborhoods.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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"), Moto Tech, Private Selection, HD Designs, Splash Spa, and Naturally Preferred. Former brands associated with Fred Meyer were My-T-Fine, Presidents Choice, F. G. Meyer First Choice, Personal Choice, and Perfect Choice.
[edit] See also
[edit] External link
| The Kroger Company | |
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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 | James A. Runde | |
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Chains owned by: Baker's | 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 | Loaf 'N Jug | Owen's Market | Pay Less Food Markets | Quality Food Centers | Ralphs | Smith's Food and Drug | |
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Net revenue: $60.55 billion USD ( |
