# Daggone it, Kroger, this was a GOOD idea **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 21, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864 "2008-11-21T17:14:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864/1 "2008-11-21T17:14:11Z")
A Kroger in a neighboring county allowed a local food pantry to run a food drive from their parking lot. What they did was offer a list of suggested foods and supplies to shoppers as they entered the store, then when people came out, they could just donate any items they chose to buy from the list. It was very simple, no muss, no fuss, not pushy at all, and you could tell it was working because nearly all of the items on the list were sold out when we got there that morning. So, we thought maybe we could do the same thing at the Kroger here in the county where I live. Our food pantry has been completely hammered with requests. Most of the county is eligible for assistance from the pantry, their donations are drying up, the demand is increasing, and it’s getting bad. All of the pantry volunteers were really excited at the idea, but they warned me about the new management. I just got off the phone with Kroger. “No,” they said. “We already do enough.” I was told ahead of time this store wouldn’t allow it. I was warned going in that they wouldn’t help, that they have said in the past that any food someone gets from a food pantry is food that person didn’t buy from Kroger. But dammit, this food would ALL have been from Kroger! This was going to be a sales pitch for your store, you stupid people! You were going to sell peanut butter and tuna helper to people who wouldn’t have bought that extra jar or extra box! I’m so frustrated I could bite someone. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864/2 "2008-11-21T17:22:14Z")
Are Krogers independently owned? Could the manager at Kroger 1 call the manager at Kroger 2 and tell him/her that it was a good idea? Did Kroger 1 get good publicity from it that could be shown to the manager at Kroger 2? (Free “advertising” often sets the hook.) ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864/3 "2008-11-21T17:29:01Z")
This is when you go to the paper or a TV station and show them that free publicity is a double-edged sword. ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864/4 "2008-11-21T17:30:19Z")
It sounds like they thought they were being asked to _donate_ the food. ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864/5 "2008-11-21T17:33:04Z")
[QUOTE=Kroger] …any food someone gets from a food pantry is food that person didn’t buy from Kroger. [/QUOTE] Whoa. Major failure to catch a clue, there, Kroger! Here, I’ll give you one of these – free, all donated-like. :smack: Feel free to imitate and repeat as necessary. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864/6 "2008-11-21T17:33:16Z")
I’m not sure if they’re independently owned, but the person I spoke to said they didn’t care what the other Kroger did. I could understand if we were asking them to donate, but we weren’t talking about Kroger giving up anything. ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864/7 "2008-11-21T17:35:16Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > I’m not sure if they’re independently owned, but the person I spoke to said they didn’t care what the other Kroger did. > > I could understand if we were asking them to donate, but we weren’t talking about Kroger giving up anything. Of course you weren’t but I just wonder if that was made clear enough. Some people really need things explained in very simple terms. Isn’t there another grocery store in the county you could approach? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864/8 "2008-11-21T17:47:53Z")
> [@WF\_Tomba](#): > > Of course you weren’t but I just wonder if that was made clear enough. Some people really need things explained in very simple terms. Yeah, she understood. I even said, “This would be great for sales. I can show you the list of suggested items for people to buy in your store,” etc. > [@](#): > > Isn’t there another grocery store in the county you could approach? There are small stores, but this is the only supermarket. It’s a small, impoverished county. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864/9 "2008-11-21T18:23:52Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > It’s a small, impoverished county. No wonder it’s impoverished, if that’s how its entrepreneurs think. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864/10 "2008-11-21T20:07:54Z")
Yeah, sheesh, wake up and smell a clue, people! This story actually reminds me of a radio drama I heard years ago, about a small-town store like this, co-owned by a brother and sister, with the brother being the acting manager, and the sister a silent partner. The brother set up a ‘donation bin’ for the local food bank, and encouraged shoppers to ‘pick up something for the needy’ and drop it in the bin - and he was getting all kinds of good publicity for it and being treated as a humanitarian, like people couldn’t realize he was making money off the deal, not giving anything of his own to charity. The sister, meanwhile, quietly donated from her share of the store’s profits directly to the food bank, and also, IIRC, put them in touch directly with the wholesalers that the store bought from, so that they could get more food with her money by not having to pay a retailer markup. There might have been a mystery mixed up in there too, but I can’t remember what it was. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864/11 "2008-11-21T20:21:50Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > This is when you go to the paper or a TV station and show them that free publicity is a double-edged sword. This. Abso-frickin-lutely do this. If your county’s impovershed, then the local media should lap the story up like there’s no tomorrow. If you want to be nice (all Kroger’s are corporate owned, BTW), call the _regional_ manager first and explain to him/her the situation and that you’ll be talking to the media about it as you think that its really distasteful that Kroger would refuse to agree to do something which would _improve_ their sales and aid the poor without costing them a cent. Frankly, I tend to avoid the local Kroger’s as in recent years they’ve turned into really grubby places with the faint scent of garbage just past its prime filling sections of the store. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864/12 "2008-11-21T20:48:23Z")
They don’t have Kroger’s around here, but, as a contrast,[here’s what Hannaford is doing](http://www.hannaford.com/Contents/Our_Company/Community/programs/hhfh.shtml?lid=6b). We’ve already bought and donated a Fund a Feast. The interesting thing is that I haven’t seen any publicity or ads (outside of the web page and signs in the stores) announcing the programs – they are doing it without fanfare. Kroger is truly clueless here. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864/13 "2008-11-21T20:51:30Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > This is when you go to the paper or a TV station and show them that free publicity is a double-edged sword. No, don’t do this. Not yet anyway. What happened is that you ran into one of life’s little tiny roadblocks that are set up to weed out the people who don’t really want something. Whoever you talked to was probably busy, didn’t feel like hearing you out at that particular moment, thought it was a sales call, etc etc etc. What you need to do is go up there and meet with her (or, better, her boss) in person, with a nice BIG smile on your face, and explain how beneficial this will be to them and oh yeah it’ll help some needy people out too. Badda-bing, you’re done. No need to start by ratting them out to a news crew who might not care anyway. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864/14 "2008-11-21T20:59:17Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > This. Abso-frickin-lutely do this. If your county’s impovershed, then the local media should lap the story up like there’s no tomorrow. We don’t have local media to speak of. The most frustrating thing is that the median income in this county qualifies for the food pantry. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864/15 "2008-11-23T18:33:01Z")
That is just stupid on the part of the Kroger manager. In West Hollywood, almost every weekend for several years, they had people with small lists of items needed at the local AIDS Hospice - toothpaste, mouthwash, soaps, some food items…and people gladly threw in a few items in their shopping cart as they checked out and then donated them to the people out front. It was a win-win…grocery store sold more, the hospice got what they needed and, most importantly, I would often hear people say “at least I know what I am buying is going directly to the source!” You wouldn’t believe how quickly the volunteers were scratching items off their list, as they had reached their goal! Perhaps the Kroger manager really didn’t understand? I cannot imagine any other reason he/she would not want to see sales uptick, even a bit. I mean, if I buy 8 cans of soup instead of four, and then donate four cans on the way out, Krogers still sold double the amount and made a profit! Someone in the grocery store hasn’t thought this out very well. ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864/16 "2008-11-23T19:34:21Z")
I agree that you should try talking to the regional manager. It really is a great idea. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864/17 "2008-12-02T22:42:58Z")
Bumping to post a followup. No success with Kroger. Even more frustrating is I approached the only other store of any size in the county and they said they were already doing a food drive for a whole week in December for the food bank. I was really surprised that no one at the food bank had mentioned it to me and asked them what was what. Everyone was very confused. It turns out one of the neighboring counties is running a large food drive for their county and they got to this local store before I did. So not only are we not able to run our food drive, but what food is gathered in this county is being taken out of the county. Ho ho ho. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864/18 "2008-12-02T23:12:46Z")
When a store gives you grief you try something different, and leave the store alone. That is shitty of the other county to do that in your county when you need it there. I bet the donators don’t realize it’s not helping the people in your county. You can still give out lists and have collection points. The grocery just makes it more convenient. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864/19 "2008-12-02T23:17:55Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Bumping to post a followup. > > No success with Kroger. Did you try what I suggested? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864/20 "2008-12-02T23:26:26Z")
Here’s a food drive that comes through here in December, and it’s different. [Canadian Pacific Railway Holiday Train](http://www8.cpr.ca/cms/English/General+Public/Holiday+Train/Schedules/US+Midwest+schedule.htm) [The Dells page for Canadian Pacific Railway Holiday Train](http://www.dellsholidaytrain.com/) Your best idea didn’t work, I hope you keep trying. Anything you manage to do helps no matter what the scale. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daggone-it-kroger-this-was-a-good-idea/473864.md?page=2)