3 hours ago, Lazarus said:

 

My dad didn't take more than 5 vacation days per year until he was about 50.  I didn't understand why he didn't take his full two weeks until I was an adult and saw companies promote people while their competitor was in Florida. 

 

I'm a big proponent of people working in the office, but there should be work-life balance for PTO. If a company is only promoting people who refuse to use more than a week of PTO--but passing over highly-talented folks that are otherwise busting their butt 49/50 weeks a year--there might be a cultural problem there.

 

 

5 hours ago, Lazarus said:

 

People will actually have to do stuff instead of argue with strangers all day on internet forums. 

 

 

Can we get you to apply to Kroger then?

Edited December 12, 20231 yr by Gordon Bombay

WFH is not a universally suitable arrangement; individuals vary in their productivity levels, whether at home or in an office setting. Establishing an appropriate work culture is crucial. As someone who has been working from home for several years, I attribute my success in my role to the dedicated core team I collaborate with daily. While my team operates entirely remotely now, we previously shared a close bond when we had a physical office, deeply integrating into each other's family lives - for better/worse.

 

Our CIO annually inquires whether I feel connected to our college's culture. My response remains consistent each year: my connection to the college is not diminished compared to the times when I had a physical office and the work I do does not involve any sort of physical connection; not everyone can say that. However, the nature of my job now feels more like a turnkey position. I can mail back my laptop and call it quits and that's that.

 

The flexibility to work from anywhere is a significant factor that retains me in my job, aligning with my enjoyment of travel. I can work remotely with just my laptop and an internet connection. This ability and experience are irreplaceable. Adding in generous benefits (PTO/vacation add up to over 4 weeks), I feel like I'm on vacation much of the year. On the downside, I am "on call" and work a lot of odd hours, but it all balances out in the end. But if it wasn't for WFH, I'm not sure I would have stuck around: the biggest issue we have is affordability. The city we are in is very expensive to live in and is one of the top reasons why we have had so much trouble retaining and hiring employees. When someone leaves, we send out a survey and housing costs is generally the #1 or #2 reason. The average cost for a one-bedroom apartment is over $1300/month, and until the College brings back employee housing, the next best thing it can do is allow some folks to work elsewhere.

 

The debate surrounding WFH will continue to be a prominent topic. Start-up companies are more likely to offer WFH options than larger corporations, viewing it as a significant attraction for potential employees and aligning with their company culture. Implementing such a long-term change in a traditional company like Kroger would continue to be challenging. The trend suggests that start-ups and companies heavily invested in technology will persist in offering WFH options, as they have for many years now. Meanwhile, larger corporations are expected to gradually shift towards either fully reinstating office work or adopting a hybrid model, blending in-office and remote work.

 

See also: Smuckers Return-to-Office Policy Works - employees actually want to go into the office (and how Kroger could handle this differently).

Edited December 12, 20231 yr by seicer

On 12/12/2023 at 4:29 PM, Gordon Bombay said:

 

Can we get you to apply to Kroger then?

 

I did work at a Kroger for a summer.  They put me in the video store.  People constantly called to ask if we had whatever movie back.  I'd say no.  They'd ask when the last time I checked the drop box.  I said 5 minutes ago.  They'd accuse me of lying and insist that I go check the drop box while they waited.  If they were there in person they'd insist on me checking the drop box and one time someone actually followed me to the drop box because they didn't believe that I'd "actually look". 

 

Another big annoyance was people dropping Blockbuster videos in our drop box and vice-verse.  People would flip out over us fining them for their videos being late because they gave them back to Blockbuster instead of Kroger.  It's like, get a life.  You're a blob who sits on the couch watching movies because the internet doesn't exist yet.  Now you're a blob who scrolls through Instagram. 

 

The other thing was that when it wasn't busy, they made me go around with a feather duster to dust the videos.  Except it often wasn't busy so I dusted the stupid videos 5X per day. 

 

Also, for some reason we sold expensive baseball cards in the video store, and we had to watch helplessly as teenagers shoved packs of cards into their Starter jackets.  We could see them stealing.  There was a camera in the ceiling pointed directly down at the cards.  But nothing could be done because they'd call Blake Maislin if we went over there and knocked their teeth out. 

 

 

 

12 hours ago, Lazarus said:

 

I did work at a Kroger for a summer.  They put me in the video store.  People constantly called to ask if we had whatever movie back.  I'd say no.  They'd ask when the last time I checked the drop box.  I said 5 minutes ago.  They'd accuse me of lying and insist that I go check the drop box while they waited.  If they were there in person they'd insist on me checking the drop box and one time someone actually followed me to the drop box because they didn't believe that I'd "actually look". 

 

 

 

They were probably on the Autism spectrum. Let's say they were in the store and you had two copies of the same tape with one in front of the other then a couple more inches to the next pair of tapes. They can't just be like "Oh, I see, they stack them." No they have to move each tape to verify that a different tape isn't hiding behind the front one.

 

But the whole idea of everyone whizzing around in their cars every other night having to pick up then return all of these tapes and video games just to keep from being bored out of their minds every night does sound kind of wasteful now.

Edited December 16, 20231 yr by GCrites

2 hours ago, GCrites said:

 

 No they have to move each tape to verify that a different tape isn't hiding behind the front one.

 

 

 

It's not like these people were the sort of people who show up two hours early to a garage sale and try to buy stuff they see as you're setting up that isn't for sale.  They just wanted to see every single movie, ever, and ASAP, to avoid being the person in a conversation who hadn't seen said movie.  The same impulse, now called FOMO, is what is driving social media addiction.

 

2 hours ago, GCrites said:

 

They were probably on the Autism spectrum.

 

There was no such thing as a "spectrum" in the 90s, except for in Philadelphia. 

 

2 hours ago, GCrites said:

But the whole idea of everyone whizzing around in their cars every other night having to pick up then return all of these tapes and video games just to keep from being bored out of their minds every night does sound kind of wasteful now.

 

This is when cell phones were new and minutes were precious.  I remember rolling my eyes when people would call their spouse and have an extended conversation over which movie to rent. 

 

Sometimes, if people couldn't decide, they'd rent two movies, then declare to me at the counter that they were going to decide which to watch when they got home.   Thanks for the info. 

 

Krogers acquisition of Albertsons is starting to feel less likely by the day. The combined company would be just too large and control so much market share according to the feds and others. Kroger is already giant as is. There is a chance it could still go thru with more store divestitures but too many more and the deal may not be worth it to Kroger but we shall see.

 

Also with inflation Biden Admin doesn’t want grocery industry consolidation I’m sure. Especially in election year.

 

 

Edited January 16, 20241 yr by 646empire

30 minutes ago, 646empire said:

Krogers acquisition of Albertsons is starting to feel less likely by the day. The combined company would be just too large and control so much market share according to the feds and others. Kroger is already giant as is. There is a chance it could still go thru with more store divestitures but too many more and the deal may not be worth it to Kroger but we shall see.

 

Also with inflation Biden Admin doesn’t want grocery industry consolidation I’m sure. Especially in election year.

 

 

I think Kroger is getting a raw deal in this and it shows how politics and the perception of politics plays a role in this. Even the combined Kroger/Albertsons is still considerably smaller than Wal Mart Groceries, plus Amazon is going to be significantly growing market share over the years and Costco is also a sleeping giant when it comes to groceries. 

39 minutes ago, Brutus_buckeye said:

I think Kroger is getting a raw deal in this and it shows how politics and the perception of politics plays a role in this. Even the combined Kroger/Albertsons is still considerably smaller than Wal Mart Groceries, plus Amazon is going to be significantly growing market share over the years and Costco is also a sleeping giant when it comes to groceries. 

I 100% agree. I think the timing/politics is just very bad right now. If the Feds blocked the JetBlu/Spirit merger (today) I can’t see them not blocking this Kroger deal too. Different industries but still similar optics. But Kroger could still go to court and try to get it done.

Edited January 16, 20241 yr by 646empire

I hate what all this M&A activity has done to the middle class by concentrating all the white-collar jobs in only a few cities while making everywhere else just work in the companies' warehouses.

I went back to the "new" Corryville Kroger tonight.  I was immediately hit up for money by a guy standing in the front lobby next to the carts.  I glanced over to see if security was aware of this guy and saw that security (which sometimes comprises 3-4 guys) consisted of a solitary woman sitting on a stool who was about 8 months pregnant and flipping through Instagram (I'm assuming) on her phone. 

 

When I left, the guy in front of me set off the alarms.  She sort-of looked up from her phone but waved him through.  

 

Nobody cares.   

Kroger launches sports betting kiosks at 20 Greater Cincinnati and Dayton stores

STEVE WATKINS

By Steve Watkins – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier

Jan 18, 2024

 

Kroger Co. has begun offering sports betting in many of its Greater Cincinnati stores, just as the NFL playoffs kick off and in time for the Super Bowl.

 

Downtown Cincinnati-based Kroger (NYSE: KR), the nation’s largest operator of traditional supermarkets, has installed sports betting kiosks in 20 Greater Cincinnati and Dayton area stores, a Kroger spokesperson told me. The kiosks, which are Kroger's first to offer sports betting, began operating within the past month.

 

“This new feature allows Kroger to join other retailers in Ohio already offering this service,” the Kroger spokesperson said. "The introduction of these kiosks will offer customers a new, convenient way to engage with a variety of sports and teams through sports wagering."

 

MORE

What are the possibilities that the Kroger/Albertsons merger doesn’t happen? I keep hearing more and more about lawsuits against it. 

On 1/16/2024 at 3:28 PM, 646empire said:

I 100% agree. I think the timing/politics is just very bad right now. If the Feds blocked the JetBlu/Spirit merger (today) I can’t see them not blocking this Kroger deal too. Different industries but still similar optics. But Kroger could still go to court and try to get it done.

Reports are starting to come out that the Feds do plan to block The Kroger-Albertsons merger. 

Getting blocked wouldn't have happened under the neocons and neolibs we had running things in the '90s and 2000s which destroyed a massive amount of whire-collar jobs while leaving blue-collar jobs unaffected. They let every merger run free then wonder why everyone works in a warehouse now. 

US government sues to block Kroger and Albertsons’ $25 billion mega-merger
 

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/26/investing/kroger-albertsons-merger-blocked-ftc/index.html

Good. Kroger already ruined my Mariano's.

Kroger opts not to renew big downtown lease, moves workers to suburbs

 

https://local12.com/amp/news/local/kroger-not-renew-downtown-cincinnati-lease-moves-workers-suburbs-suburb-blue-ash

Somebody shoots out window at the new downtown Kroger:

https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/cincinnati/downtown/police-shot-fired-through-kroger-window-in-downtown-cincinnati-no-injuries-reported

 

We're seeing why Kroger left the OTR store to rot a few blocks north of the HQ for so many years.  The new store is a huge liability.  Sooner or later something crazy is going to happen inside the store or on the front steps.

Sorta like when some nut drives his Built Ford Tough F-150 through the front of a semi-rural Kroger.

1 hour ago, Lazarus said:

Somebody shoots out window at the new downtown Kroger:

https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/cincinnati/downtown/police-shot-fired-through-kroger-window-in-downtown-cincinnati-no-injuries-reported

 

We're seeing why Kroger left the OTR store to rot a few blocks north of the HQ for so many years.  The new store is a huge liability.  Sooner or later something crazy is going to happen inside the store or on the front steps.

 

The store is crazy successful and an isolated incident doesn't change that. 

7 hours ago, 646empire said:

Kroger opts not to renew big downtown lease, moves workers to suburbs

 

https://local12.com/amp/news/local/kroger-not-renew-downtown-cincinnati-lease-moves-workers-suburbs-suburb-blue-ash

Apparently the offices had been unused for a while so it's not as sudden of a blow as it seems

On 2/26/2024 at 11:26 AM, TBideon said:

Good. Kroger already ruined my Mariano's.

In the merger, Marianos was supposed to be sold to Piggly Wiggly to satisfy the anti trust problems. I have no idea if that would be better than Kroger since I have never stepped foot into a Piggly Wiggly.

 

I have a Jewel by me that is a dump (Sheridan/Montrose) as are most Jewel stores in the city. They have sand bags along the leaking freezers in the freezer aisle as a normal thing. Albertsons has no idea what they are doing when it comes to urban stores like Jewel. I feel like Jewel under Kroger would have been an improvement.

What kind of competition do these Jewel locations have in that market? If it's little to none, there's your answer and is another reason why we shouldn't have gone so overboard with mergers starting in the '90s.

I remember the $3/lbs salad bar special at Jewel on Southport. A glorious deal and a very clean Jewel.

 

Now I go to the Roosevelt one. My goodness what a colorful s**tshow. I think Krogers would nope out of that particular lease the second it bought Jewel. Or burn the building down and salt the earth. 

16 hours ago, metrocity said:

In the merger, Marianos was supposed to be sold to Piggly Wiggly to satisfy the anti trust problems. I have no idea if that would be better than Kroger since I have never stepped foot into a Piggly Wiggly.

 

I have a Jewel by me that is a dump (Sheridan/Montrose) as are most Jewel stores in the city. They have sand bags along the leaking freezers in the freezer aisle as a normal thing. Albertsons has no idea what they are doing when it comes to urban stores like Jewel. I feel like Jewel under Kroger would have been an improvement.

 

Strangely, now Ohio has a few Piggly Wigglys, partially because Kroger closed their Wellston store. I suppose they can work with smaller format stores than Kroger. A couple look like they were Krogers not too long ago. West Virginia used to be smattered with small-format Krogers in the 2000s with some being only 10,000 sq ft. They have closed tons of those since.

Kroger inks two new leases for Cincinnati-based tech employees

By Steve Watkins – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier

Jul 23, 2024

 

Kroger Co. has completed two large leases in Greater Cincinnati so it can bring its technology and digital employees back to the office more frequently.

 

Downtown-based Kroger (NYSE: KR), the nation’s largest operator of traditional supermarkets, has leased 83,000 square feet on multiple floors in downtown’s Atrium Two office building at 221 E. Fourth St. It also has subleased a portion of Ensemble Health Partners' headquarters campus at 11511 Reed Hartman Highway in Blue Ash.

 

MORE

Corporate greed = re-regulation/breaking up of monopolies and conglomerates.

 

During Antitrust Trial, Exec Admits Kroger Jacked Up Milk and Egg Prices Above Inflation

"The thing is, execs all over the economy were saying this stuff on their earning calls back in 2021," said one progressive economist. "This was not a secret."
https://www.commondreams.org/news/kroger-egg-prices

 

I made the mistake of visiting the Corryville Kroger tonight for the first time in several months.  Same story - aggressive panhandling inside and outside the store.  I had some guy flip out on me for not letting him borrow my cell phone...right in front of two security guards...who did nothing to the guy.  So apparently you can harass Kroger customers right in front of security guards with...no repercussions.  In fact you're the bad guy for even making note of the incident.  

Kroger-Albertsons merger decision handed down in federal court

 

A federal judge blocked Kroger Co.'s planned $24.6 billion acquisition of Albertsons Cos. Inc. in a court decision handed down Tuesday, Dec. 10.

 

U.S. District Court Judge Adrienne Nelson sided with the Federal Trade Commission’s request for a preliminary injunction, halting the deal.

 

“Evidence shows that defendants (Kroger and Albertsons) engage in substantial head-to-head competition and the proposed merger would remove that competition,” Nelson wrote in her ruling. “As a result, the proposed merger is likely to lead to unilateral competitive effects and is presumptively unlawful.

 

“Plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits and the equities weigh in favor of an injunction,” she added.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/12/10/kroger-albertsons-merger-decision-handed-down.html

 

More of these types of judgments please.

Kroger cuts hundreds of jobs at Cincinnati headquarters, other local facilities

By Steve Watkins – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier

Feb 10, 2025

 

Kroger Co. has cut jobs at its three major office sites in Cincinnati as it strives to become more efficient.

 

Downtown Cincinnati-based Kroger (NYSE: KR), the nation’s largest operator of traditional supermarkets, has eliminated a couple hundred jobs as it shuts down or lowers the priority of projects the company has opted not to continue because they aren’t working out, according to sources with knowledge of the cuts who asked not to be identified. Most of the people whose jobs have been cut are consultants, many of whom worked outside Cincinnati, but numerous others are full-time employees.

 

The job cuts, which took place late last week, include people at Kroger’s downtown headquarters, its 84.51 data compilation and analysis unit at Fifth and Race streets downtown and its Kroger Technology & Digital team in Blue Ash and downtown in the Atrium Two building, those sources said.

 

MORE

Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen resigns, interim leader named

By Tom Demeropolis – Editor, Cincinnati Business Courier

Mar 3, 2025

 

Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen has resigned from the grocery giant following a board investigation of his personal conduct that was unrelated to the business but was inconsistent with the company’s policy on business ethics.

 

Downtown-based Kroger (NYSE: KR) made the announcement Monday, March 3. The company’s board appointed Lead Director Ronald “Ron” Sargent to serve as chairman of the board of directors and interim chief executive officer, effective immediately. 

 

The board also announced Mark Sutton will serve as Kroger’s lead independent director, also effective immediately.

 

MORE

On 3/3/2025 at 8:24 AM, The_Cincinnati_Kid said:

Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen resigns, interim leader named

By Tom Demeropolis – Editor, Cincinnati Business Courier

Mar 3, 2025

 

Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen has resigned from the grocery giant following a board investigation of his personal conduct that was unrelated to the business but was inconsistent with the company’s policy on business ethics.

 

Downtown-based Kroger (NYSE: KR) made the announcement Monday, March 3. The company’s board appointed Lead Director Ronald “Ron” Sargent to serve as chairman of the board of directors and interim chief executive officer, effective immediately. 

 

The board also announced Mark Sutton will serve as Kroger’s lead independent director, also effective immediately.

 

MORE

 

Id really like to be a fly on the wall and find out exactly what he did to be pushed out the door on ethics violation

Kroger fires back, countersues as Albertsons makes fresh accusations tied to merger collapse

By Steve Watkins – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier

Mar 25, 2025

 

Kroger Co. has filed an answer to Albertsons Cos. Inc.’s lawsuit against it regarding the companies’ failed $24.6 billion merger and made counterclaims against its former acquisition target, claiming Albertsons actually undermined the deal.

 

In what’s shaping up as a he-said, she-said case, those claims are in response to Albertsons’ claims in the lawsuit filed last December that Kroger itself took actions that caused the deal to fall through.

 

Downtown Cincinnati-based Kroger (NYSE: KR), the nation’s largest operator of traditional supermarkets, detailed its answer and counterclaims in a 248-page filing that was unsealed Tuesday, March 25, in the Delaware Court of Chancery. Kroger actually made the filing March 17, but it wasn’t publicly available until Tuesday.

 

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Kroger reveals pay for interim CEO Ron Sargent in wake of Rodney McMullen's resignation

By Steve Watkins – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier

Mar 24, 2025

 

Kroger Co. has revealed the pay for its interim CEO in the wake of Rodney McMullen’s sudden departure earlier this month.

 

Downtown Cincinnati-based Kroger (NYSE: KR), the nation’s largest operator of traditional supermarkets, will pay Ronald Sargent $8.3 million this year, based on information the company disclosed last week in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

 

Kroger said in the filing it will pay Sargent an annual base salary of $4.35 million. The company also issued Sargent a grant of 60,515 shares of restricted stock that will vest in one year. Those shares are worth $3.96 million, based on Kroger’s closing stock price of $65.48 March 19, the day before Sargent’s compensation package was revealed.  

 

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