Lines at new Kroger and lines at Disney have lot in common

My big outing this past week was to the new Kroger in Madison. I’m told it’s the biggest one in Mississippi. It’s over the top big, and it’s fancy. Lots of fancy fake stonework out front. Big pots of mums on the sidewalk. A site to behold.

I don’t live in Madison, but this seemed to be the place to be that Saturday. We were greeted at the door by dignitaries handing out maps of the store layout. I had planned to do some grocery shopping while I was there, but it was too crowded. The produce section was a mob scene, and there was a line at the sushi counter. Forget trying to order anything at the butcher counter. They were three deep.

After getting through all the specialty counters and the bakery, we headed into the main part of the store. It looked like every other grocery store I’d ever been in, just bigger. Not much way to make toilet paper and laundry detergent look glamorous. After spending 15 minutes wandering around, we headed back to the car.

The parking lot looked like the bumper car ride at the fair. I had a few near misses just backing out of my space, and I was lucky to get out of there with my tail lights intact!

Yes, that Madison Kroger is a site to behold, but it reminded me of something. I just couldn’t put my finger on it. As I headed back down Highway 51 past the CVS Pharmacy with the Corinthian columns, it hit me. This was just like DisneyWorld. I guess that’s fine, if you like that sort of thing. Just made me miss Jitney 14.

Nancy Lottridge Anderson, Ph.D., CFA, is president of New Perspectives Inc. in Ridgeland — (601) 991-3158. She is also an assistant professor of finance at Mississippi College. Her e-mail address is nanderson@newper.com, and her website is www.newper.com.

2 Responses to “Lines at new Kroger and lines at Disney have lot in common”

1. Clotee Jackson Says:
   October 24th, 2011 at 8:58 am

   Something to be said about the small community stores, like McDade’s. I love that little store on Northside Drive, and you know what, I can walk right in and know where everything is, even if it’s crowded. While, I admit I do shop at Krogers from time to time, sometimes simple is better. I hope McDade’s never loses that hometown, community feeling, that makes you feel special to just shop there and where the service is really first-class.

2. William Davis Says:
   May 8th, 2012 at 3:38 pm

   The poster’s McDade’s grocery store reminds me of our Ace Hardware store
   here in Florence, AL. It has been in business since 1927, owned by the same
   family. I doubt it started life as an Ace store. Anyway, you can walk in
   (on those old hardwood floors), find what you are looking for in abouit three
   minutes and be on your way in less than five minutes. Of course, there is
   always someone (the owner, one of the clerks or a customer you know)
   there that you might like to talk to about what is going on, like the weather,
   their garden, or how business is going.

   I do shop at the big box stores, but prefer the \mom and pop\ type of
   stores when I find them.