A new 100,000 square foot Kroger Marketplace in Savanah, Georgia opened this month with high expectations and customer excitement.  The Savanah Marketplace location emphasizes many aspects of what makes the huge format successful – a full service retail experience offering everything from jewelry to name brand clothing to sports equipment.

Within Kroger’s 3,500 store fleet, less than 80 operate under the ‘Marketplace’ format. Marketplace stores follow the same large format; however each uniquely tailors its product mix and department sections to its geographic area. The Savanah location offers every aspect of an upscale supermarket, including a deli and sushi bar, floral shop and full service pharmacy. Customers can also purchase fine cheese in the Murray’s Cheese Shop, baby products in the Baby World department, and then find large selections of bulk organic foods.

The supermarket giant is fresh off an eventful fiscal year, one that experienced record sales, a new CEO, and the multibillion-dollar acquisition of Harris Teeter. There seems to be endless possibilities forthcoming during its current fiscal year, as well: The company is entering a new market organically, although the specifics have not been publicly detailed yet. Kroger was rumored to be interested in Safeway, but ultimately did not make a competing offer after the 21-day ‘go-shop window’ built into the Albertsons deal expired. However, other acquisitions are rumored to be in the planning stages.

Executives have also discussed the possibility of blending characteristics of Harris Teeter and Kroger together into new formats. The former has been successfully operating smaller, urban formats of 15,000 to 20,000 square feet in downtown Charlotte, NC and the Washington D.C. Beltway area, while Kroger has had success with large Marketplaces like the new Savanah location. Out West, the company’s Fred Meyer division is also well received by consumers, while holding top grocery market share positions in major metro markets including Portland, Oregon and Anchorage, Alaska.

Kroger has been in Savanah for nearly 40 years, where its nine traditional area supermarkets hold the #1 grocery market share position. The new Marketplace store will further strengthen the company’s leadership in this market.

SAVANAH, GA CBSA*
Includes BRYAN, CHATHAM, and EFFINGHAM Counties

*Source: Chain Store Guide’s 2014 Grocery Industry Market Share Report. Data is fiscal 2013