New Kroger Format to Include Furniture

February 26, 2006  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in on February 2006 The grocery giant Kroger is looking to unveil and expand its Marketplace concept, which includes furniture in its merchandise lineup, later this year with two stores just outside its hometown Cincinnati market, according to published reports.

The company plans to add eight more such stores by 2008. The Marketplace stores combine grocers with nationally branded furniture, linens and dinnerware.

Kroger currently operates 30 similar 110,000-square-foot stores in Phoenix and other Western cities.

About 40 percent of the Marketplace floor space is dedicated to nonfood items and products that consumers replace regularly, such as kitchen appliances, dinnerware, ready-to-assemble furniture, linens and decorative items likes picture frames, lamps and area rugs. Brands will include national names such as KitchenAid and Ashley furniture, as well as Kroger's in-house labels.