Publix or Kroger? (Atlanta, Marietta, Powder Springs: real estate, apartments, housing)

[DiderotsGhost]

Originally Posted by Stars&StripesForever

The outer suburbs tend to have Ingles. You don't see that many of them in the inner suburbs. The stores in the outer suburbs and exurbs, by and large, are nice.

I had not realized there were any Ingles in the ATL area. Of course, I live in the city, rather than the outer suburbs, so maybe that's why I didn't know.

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by DiderotsGhost

Atlanta has the worst selection of grocery stores.

I don't understand why a city of this size is limited to such dismal grocery options. Things are getting a little bit better with Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and The Fresh Market; but still, we don't have any mainstream grocer options other than Publix and Kroger. I guess Super Wal-Mart counts, as well, but there's only one that I'm aware of in the city.

No Harris Teeter. No Wegmans. No Safeway. No Shoppers. No Ingles.

I wish Harris Teeter would start putting stores down here. They are 100% better than either Kroger or Publix.

If I could only shop at one, I'd pick Kroger over Publix, because the prices are less exorbitant and there's better selection. As is, I try to do 80% - 90% of my shopping at Trader Joe's. Sometimes I'll go to the Buford Highway Farmers' Market, as well. And if I need some supplies that TJ's is unlikely to have, I'll go to Publix since it's close to me (not because I particularly like it).

Others have tried to enter this market, but got run out by Kroger and Publix. Case in point is Harris Teeter, which could not effectively compete with them. What H-Ts remained were purchased by Kroger.

[lorilove]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Others have tried to enter this market, but got run out by Kroger and Publix. Case in point is Harris Teeter, which could not effectively compete with them. What H-Ts remained were purchased by Kroger.

I believe Harris Teeters exited the market just before or about the time that Publix entered. At that time Kroger was not at its best. From what I recall, they left Atlanta for other financial issues and not that they could not compete.

One thing that Publix did well that the competitors did not was they went ALL IN when they came to Atlanta. They did not try to open one or two stores to test the waters. When they came in they made their presence known and built up several properties from the start.

[JPD]

Where is Harris Teeter based, and where do they locate most of their stores? I remember shopping at their Sage Hill store. At the time it was one of the nicest grocery stores I'd ever seen.

Publix is based in Florida, so many, if not most, Georgians had already shopped in their stores, or were at least familiar with the name. Surely that helped them integrate into the Atlanta/Georgia market.

[lorilove]

Originally Posted by JPD

Where is Harris Teeter based, and where do they locate most of their stores?

Harris Teeter, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ruddick Corporation, is a food market chain that operates in the eight-state area of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Maryland and Delaware

[JPD]

Originally Posted by lorilove

Harris Teeter, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ruddick Corporation, is a food market chain that operates in the eight-state area of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Maryland and Delaware

Thanks. I guess I should have asked where there stores were primarily located at the time that they entered the Atlanta market. It seemed like they were an unknown brand to most Atlantan's at that time. At least, less well known than Publix was when it came to Atlanta.

[DiderotsGhost]

Originally Posted by JPD

Where is Harris Teeter based, and where do they locate most of their stores? I remember shopping at their Sage Hill store. At the time it was one of the nicest grocery stores I'd ever seen.

Publix is based in Florida, so many, if not most, Georgians had already shopped in their stores, or were at least familiar with the name. Surely that helped them integrate into the Atlanta/Georgia market.

H-T is based out of North Carolina. Most of its store are concentrated in the Carolinas and Virginia. They have a pretty big presence in the DC metro market. I would actually imagine DC to be a tougher market due to the more intense competition up there; but maybe not.

[DiderotsGhost]

Originally Posted by lorilove

One thing that Publix did well that the competitors did not was they went ALL IN when they came to Atlanta. They did not try to open one or two stores to test the waters. When they came in they made their presence known and built up several properties from the start.

That might've helped. When did Publix enter ATL?

I lived here from '03-'05 and I've been back here from '10 till the present. I always remember Publix and Kroger being here. Like I said, it's a bit better now than it was then ... but the market is still dominated by Kroger and Publix inside the perimeter. (I think Winn-Dixie still had remnants here back in '03, but they were run-down and pretty awful.)

Atlanta's grocery market is very bizarre compared to most cities I've been in. DC is very fragmented with tons of different options. Even smaller metro areas like Raleigh-Durham, Tri-Cities (TN), and Charlotte tend to have more options than Atlanta.

I do think Harris Teeter takes a more gradualist approach. That's how they've built up in DC and it's worked very well. But maybe Atlanta is just different.

When did they first come to ATL? I wasn't even aware they had tried to enter the ATL market. They are much better known now, I imagine, than they were, say, 10 years ago.

[Mattie]

Originally Posted by JPD

Publix is based in Florida, so many, if not most, Georgians had already shopped in their stores, or were at least familiar with the name. Surely that helped them integrate into the Atlanta/Georgia market.

This is partly why I don't shop at Publix. The town I lived in in So. FL had 5 Publix stores (within 3.5 miles of each other), and no competition. Whole Foods was about 15 minutes away, but I would sometimes go just to have a choice.

Harris Teeter is nice. I shop there when I'm up in NC. My son goes to school in Statesboro, and they have to choose between Bi Lo (gross store), and a Harveys'. He would settle for either a Publix or a Kroger.

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by lorilove

I believe Harris Teeters exited the market just before or about the time that Publix entered. At that time Kroger was not at its best. From what I recall, they left Atlanta for other financial issues and not that they could not compete.

One thing that Publix did well that the competitors did not was they went ALL IN when they came to Atlanta. They did not try to open one or two stores to test the waters. When they came in they made their presence known and built up several properties from the start.

Publix entered the Atlanta market in 1991 and by 1995 had established a GA distribution center in Lawrenceville. Harris Teeter came into the Atlanta market in 1993 and was out by 2001.

Harris Teeter Inc. Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Harris Teeter Inc.