Kroger interior
Kroger #543 (100,546 square feet)
1050 W Mercury Boulevard, Riverpointe Shopping Center, Hampton, VA
Opened January 22nd, 2020
So Kroger has finally, and I mean finally, opened up their newly built Hampton store. They've been talking about building this store since 2015 or 2016, first as a Marketplace (which the Peninsula still lacks) and then downgraded to a regular supermarket, but it seemed like they were always getting cold feet on construction until last year when the Fuel Center went up on a nearby outparcel. This Kroger replaces their smaller store nearby on Coliseum Drive, which was a former Farm Fresh and always had a temporary feel since they didn't do any interior décor modifications there, which wasn't the case at the six other stores they opened in 2018. That store was #571 and the new one is #543, which is an indicator of how long things had been in the planning stages here. From what I've heard that old building is still in Kroger's possession and they're gonna turn it into a training center, similar to one of their old stores in Virginia Beach. Whether or not this is true remains to be seen.
Anyways, let's talk about the new store itself. You know there was no way in hell I was gonna let this grand opening slip by me; those of you who have been following might remember my attendance at four out of the six Kroger openings in 2018, as well as going to all eight Harris Teeter openings in 2018-2019 (though one or two of those were a day after the opening, but who's counting? :P). There was quite the turnout here- I actually had to park all the way out by Rally's! Luckily the store is much more spacious than any of their old Farm Fresh buildings so it was easier to avoid getting customers in my shots most of the time. Naturally, the brand new building looks gorgeous inside: the aisles are wide, department signage is large, and overall it looks ultra modern with its' warehouse ceiling and polished concrete floor.
Kroger interior
Kroger #543 (100,546 square feet)
1050 W Mercury Boulevard, Riverpointe Shopping Center, Hampton, VA
Opened January 22nd, 2020
So Kroger has finally, and I mean finally, opened up their newly built Hampton store. They've been talking about building this store since 2015 or 2016, first as a Marketplace (which the Peninsula still lacks) and then downgraded to a regular supermarket, but it seemed like they were always getting cold feet on construction until last year when the Fuel Center went up on a nearby outparcel. This Kroger replaces their smaller store nearby on Coliseum Drive, which was a former Farm Fresh and always had a temporary feel since they didn't do any interior décor modifications there, which wasn't the case at the six other stores they opened in 2018. That store was #571 and the new one is #543, which is an indicator of how long things had been in the planning stages here. From what I've heard that old building is still in Kroger's possession and they're gonna turn it into a training center, similar to one of their old stores in Virginia Beach. Whether or not this is true remains to be seen.
Anyways, let's talk about the new store itself. You know there was no way in hell I was gonna let this grand opening slip by me; those of you who have been following might remember my attendance at four out of the six Kroger openings in 2018, as well as going to all eight Harris Teeter openings in 2018-2019 (though one or two of those were a day after the opening, but who's counting? :P). There was quite the turnout here- I actually had to park all the way out by Rally's! Luckily the store is much more spacious than any of their old Farm Fresh buildings so it was easier to avoid getting customers in my shots most of the time. Naturally, the brand new building looks gorgeous inside: the aisles are wide, department signage is large, and overall it looks ultra modern with its' warehouse ceiling and polished concrete floor.