I'm a Midwesterner who shopped at Kroger for the first time and I wish I lived near enough to go more often
- On a recent trip to Tennessee, I went grocery shopping at Kroger for the first time.
- I loved the low produce prices, customizable seafood counter, and book section.
On a recent trip to Tennessee, I shopped at Kroger for the first time.
Kroger has around 2,700 locations in 35 states.
I grew up in Wisconsin, where I grocery shopped at subsidiaries of Kroger like Pick 'n Save and Metro Market, but I've never been to a Kroger store itself. I now live in New York City, where there are no Krogers, but I have tried out other grocery giants like Wegman's.
I also visited Publix for the first time while in Tennessee.
The entrance to this Kroger store in Maryville, Tennessee, opened up into the produce section.
A display showed red bell peppers on sale for 89 cents.
There were more sale signs above the shelves of fresh greens.
The signs advertised celery on sale for $1.89 as well as green onions and green cabbage for 89 cents.
Kroger also highlighted organic produce with a prominent sign.
As expected, the organic produce came with a steeper price tag. Regular red bell peppers were advertised at 89 cents each at the entrance, whereas organic red bell peppers were priced at two for $4.
Nearby, a wall of flowers contained bouquets at a variety of price points.
I appreciated the wide range of prices, from $7 for a small bunch to $50 for a more grand gesture.
Like Publix, Kroger had bakery and deli sections with a variety of prepared foods to choose from.
The bakery section featured sheet cakes and other ready-made desserts, while the deli offered sliced meats and cheeses as well as soups, salads, and platters for entertaining.
There were also plant-based meat alternatives available.
Kroger stocked both Beyond Meat and Impossible brands of plant-based meat substitutes.
Kroger had grab-and-go sushi, but not as many options as I had seen at Publix.
The Kroger I visited didn't stock any vegetarian sushi rolls.
I loved the customizable fish counter where shoppers could choose a seafood and its seasonings and purchase it in an oven-ready bag.
If I lived near a Kroger, that would probably become one of my dinner staples.
I was surprised by how low the prices were on some of Kroger's house brand items, like their boxed mac and cheese.
A box of Kroger's boxed mac and cheese cost 55 cents, while a box of Publix's brand cost 99 cents.
A promotion for Lipton tea featuring country singer Brad Paisley felt uniquely Southern to me.
Shoppers could scan a QR code to win tickets to see Paisley in concert.
Kroger also stocked Dolly Parton's limited-edition Duncan Hines cake mixes.
The Duncan Hines collaboration includes cake mixes and frostings inspired by Parton's family recipes like Coconut Cake and Banana Puddin' Cake.
The paper goods aisle was wide and open, just like the Midwestern grocery stores I'm used to.
As a Midwesterner living in New York City, it's rare to find a grocery store with enough room to move around in.
Like many stores around the US, the Kroger I visited was limiting the amount of baby formula shoppers could buy due to the nationwide shortage.
Kroger limited supplies to four per customer as the shortage of baby formula in the US has triggered a crisis among parents.
The Kroger pharmacy section was stocked with essentials like Tylenol.
There was a counter with pharmacists on staff, as well.
One thing Kroger had that I haven't often seen at grocery stores was a book section.
In addition to paperback romance novels and bestsellers, Kroger also sold cookbooks like "As Cooked on TikTok."
Kroger also sold picnic essentials like lawn chairs and coolers.
I would expect to see items like that at stores like Target or Walmart. I loved that shoppers could pick up food and supplies for a picnic in one place.
With a mix of self checkout and cashiers, checking out was quick and easy.
I opted for self checkout and was out in the parking lot in no time.
I wish I lived close enough to a Kroger store to shop there more often.
Kroger won me over with its low produce prices, customizable seafood counter, and book aisle.
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