King Soopers
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryRetail / grocery
FoundedOctober 1947; 76 years ago (1947-10) in Arvada, Colorado, U.S.
FoundersLloyd J. King
Charles W. Houchens
HeadquartersDenver, Colorado, U.S.
Number of locations
118 [1]
Area served
Colorado, Wyoming
Key people
ProductsBakery, dairy, delicatessen, frozen foods, fuel, grocery, lottery, pharmacy, photographic processing, produce, meats, snack food, liquor, flowers, and Western Union
ServicesSupermarket
RevenueUS$4 billion
Number of employees
Increase 20,000
ParentDillon Companies (1957-1983)
Kroger (1983–present)
Websitekingsoopers.com

King Soopers is an American supermarket chain located in the Rocky Mountains of the United States. It started as its own brand, and is now a subsidiary of Kroger. It is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.[2]

King Soopers has a significant presence in the state of Colorado on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains. The stores are located along the Front Range from Cheyenne, Wyoming, to Pueblo, Colorado. There are also a few locations in the foothills west of Denver and Colorado Springs.[3]

History

Early history

Lloyd J. King opened the first King Soopers with Charles W. Houchens[4] in November 1947 in Arvada, Colorado.[5] This location has since been demolished for Arvada's Public Library, built in 2005–06.[6]

The name "King Soopers" was derived from Lloyd's family name and an alternate spelling of the word "super!" from the Archie comics series that one of his two sons, Larry, read.[7] Within the next five years, King Soopers became the first grocery store in the country to open an in-store pharmacy[6] and one of the earliest to have a meat department.[7][6]

Ownership changes

King Soopers grew to be five (or nine[8]) stores large, including in Denver and Colorado Springs,[9] before being bought out by Dillon Companies in 1957.[10] The original King Soopers location was relocated from Olde Town Arvada to Arvada Plaza.[11][6]

King Soopers' then-parent, Dillon Companies, was bought out by The Kroger Company in 1982–83, and King Soopers and Dillon's are both still owned by Kroger today.[12]

Fresh Fare King Soopers

In 2012, Kroger expanded its Fresh Fare style of supermarkets into the King Soopers brand, opening the first Fresh Fare King Soopers in Englewood, Colorado.[13] This is a concept that first appeared in Kroger as early as 2007[14] and actually seems to have started with Ralphs, another Kroger subsidiary primarily located in California in 1998.[15]

The main idea of Fresh Fare is to be a bit more upscale in that it sells more organic foods while still selling traditional groceries; it follows the themes of the 'Green Grocer' Concept.[16]

King Soopers Marketplace

In 2012, the first King Soopers Marketplace opened,[17] just one year after the first Kroger Marketplace in Texas.[18] As of 2017, there are ten King Soopers Marketplace locations all located in Colorado.[19]

The marketplace concept is based on Fred Meyer stores (which have spawned multiple Marketplace stores under other Kroger banners), and features a wider selection of products besides just food and other necessities.

Modern day

A rough total of 118 King Soopers have been opened over the brand's lifetime,[20] many of which are still open today.[21] All are located in Colorado except for one, located in Cheyenne, Wyoming.[22]

In October 2022, Kroger and major competitor Albertsons announced a merger agreement.[23] That plan has been challenged in court by a couple of states. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser summarized consumer and worker opposition: the merger "would lead to stores closing, higher prices, fewer jobs, worse customer service, and less resilient supply chains.”[24]

References

  1. ^ "King Soopers - Supermarkets". Supermarket Page. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  2. ^ "Our Divisions". Kroger. Retrieved on November 28, 2012. "65 Tejon St. P.O. Box 5567 Denver, CO 80217"
  3. ^ King Soopers[permanent dead link] at 9News Colorado Shares website
  4. ^ "Charles W. Houchens Obituary (2003) Denver Post". Legacy.com. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  5. ^ Roberts, Michael (July 14, 2009). "Grocery-workers Union Recalls Soopers' First King". Westword. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d "From Farming Community to Atomic Age Suburb, Historic Building Survey of Olde Town Arvada and the Allendale and Alta Vista Neighborhoods" (PDF). March 24, 2015. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Lewis, Shanna. "Where Did The 'Sooper' In The King Soopers Name Come From?". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  8. ^ Jensen, Dave (March 2, 2021). "How King Soopers Became Colorado's Largest Grocery Chain". Retro 102.5. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  9. ^ Grocer, Master (February 20, 2011). "King Soopers". Grocery.com. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  10. ^ "A King Soopers grocery store in Boulder had an active shooter kill 10 people, here's who owns the chain and who of the chain is". meaww.com. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  11. ^ "Lloyd King". COLORADO BUSINESS HALL OF FAME. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  12. ^ "Kroger to Acquire Dillon, a Retailer". The New York Times. AP. November 16, 1982. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  13. ^ "King Soopers' Fresh Fare market highlights Kent Place development". The Denver Post. December 11, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  14. ^ "Kroger expands with biggest 'Fresh Fare' store". The Herald-Dispatch. The Associated Press. November 15, 2008. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  15. ^ "Ralphs' Fresh Fare Stores Exceeding Firm's Expectations". Los Angeles Times. December 24, 1998. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  16. ^ "1st [Atlanta] 'green' Kroger planned". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  17. ^ "King Soopers bringing a king-sized grocery to Colorado Springs area | Evergreen Devco Inc. | Real Estate Development and Commercial Realty". Evergreen Devco Inc. October 14, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  18. ^ Micek, Kassia (August 12, 2011). "First Kroger Marketplace in Montgomery County opens in Willis". The Courier. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  19. ^ "'Sooper-sized' King Soopers opening in Colorado Springs". KKTV. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  20. ^ "King Soopers - Supermarkets". supermarketpage.com/. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  21. ^ "Colorado King Soopers locations". Google My Maps. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  22. ^ "King Soopers · 3702 Dell Range Blvd, Cheyenne, WY 82009". King Soopers · 3702 Dell Range Blvd, Cheyenne, WY 82009. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  23. ^ "Kroger and Albertsons Companies Announce Definitive Merger Agreement". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  24. ^ Chuang, Tamara (February 14, 2024). "Colorado AG sues to block merger between parent companies of King Soopers and Safeway". The Colorado Sun. Retrieved February 14, 2024.

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