HUTCHINSON, Kansas -- Tom Thumb, a subsidiary of The Kroger Co., has purchased seven convenience stores in the Memphis, Tenn., area currently operated by Schnuck Markets Inc. The c-stores will be operated by Kroger's Tom Thumb division under the Kwik Shop banner name.
Also, the Memphis-based Kroger Delta Division announced that it has purchased eight Memphis-area Schnucks supermarkets that it intends to convert and reopen under the Kroger name over the next few weeks.
The newly acquired c-stores are located in Bartlett, Cordova, Germantown, Lakeland and Memphis, Tenn.; and Horn Lake and Southaven, Miss.
Cincinnati-based Kroger is the nation's largest traditional grocery retailer, with 2,470 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under two-dozen local banners, including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Jay C, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith's.
The company currently operates more than 900 supermarket fuel centers and about 790 c-stores in 18 states: Pueblo, Colo.-based Loaf 'N Jug in Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming; Lancaster, Pa.-based Turkey Hill Minit Markets in Pennsylvania; Crestview, Fla.-based Tom Thumb Food Stores in Florida and Alabama; Hutchinson, Kansas-based Kwik Shop in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska; Fremont Calif.-based Quik Stop Markets in California and Nevada, and Salt Lake City-based Smith's Express in Utah.
Tom Thumb currently operates 116 c-stores in Florida and Alabama. The newly acquired c-stores will be Kroger's first in Tennessee and Mississippi.
"We are pleased to enter this important market with our Kwik Shop convenience store banner," said Van Tarver, vice president of convenience stores for Kroger. "We will strive to operate stores staffed with great people who want to make your shopping experience as efficient and enjoyable as possible."
As for the supermarkets, Mark Prestidge, Kroger Delta Division president, said, "For over 60 years, Kroger has proudly served the Memphis community. Kroger has demonstrated its commitment to the Memphis area by investing over $70 million on remodels, expansions and fuel centers over the last five years. We continue to focus on upgrading our store base in an effort to provide our customers the best shopping experience possible. With this acquisition, we are pleased to be able to provide more convenient locations for our customers to shop at in the Memphis area."
Currently, Kroger operates 37 supermarkets in the Memphis metropolitan area. The latest announcement will increase the number of Kroger stores to 43, with two of the acquired Schnucks locations replacing two smaller existing Kroger locations.
Kroger's Delta Division currently operates 109 stores and 68 fuel centers in five states under the Kroger banner in Memphis and west Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, southern Missouri, and southwest Kentucky.
Founded in St. Louis in 1939, Schnuck Markets currently operates 105 stores (including five Logli stores) in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Tennessee and Mississippi.
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