2022 Fred Meyer 100th Anniversary

The Shelby Report of the West

About this section

Shelby Publishing EVP Bob Reeves recently visited Portland, Oregon, to catch up with the folks at Fred Meyer. The grocery retailer in the Pacific Northwest is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2022, which is the focus of this special section. Join us in the pages that follow as we learn how it pioneered the one-stop shop concept and what makes the chain tick today.

Editor’s note: Interviews conducted by Bob Reeves and compiled by Kevin Atwill. Photos by Reeves.

Company celebrates a century of service

Founded in 1922, Fred Meyer is known throughout the Pacific Northwest for its “full, fresh, friendly” approach. A division of The Kroger Co., the company operates 132 stores in four states. There are 11 locations each in Alaska and Idaho, with 51 in Oregon. Washington has 59 stores.

Fred Meyer has more than 36,000 associates. According to the company, its conventional stores are 30 percent food and 70 percent nonfood. The new integrated nutrition stores have a 50-50 percentile breakdown.

Dennis Gibson, president of the company, marvels at its evolution.

“You think about 132 stores and average size of 165,000 square feet. Everything under one roof. Mr. Meyer created the concept,” he said. “Before Mr. Meyer opened his first new store, customers went to separate shops for meat, produce, cheese and other goods. Mr. Meyer placed these all under one roof to provide customers a convenient ‘one-stop shopping concept’ to save time and money.”

According to the company, Fred Meyer’s retail business dates back to 1908 when he started selling coffee to people working farms in the Portland area.

His was one of the first stores in the country to open with so many categories under one roof – truly one-stop shopping. Its first suburban mega-store opened in Portland’s Hollywood district in 1931.

In 1928, Meyer opened one of the first self-service drugstores in the world, at a time when people usually had to buy toiletries and pharmaceutical products from a pharmacist. Per the company, not only was this convenient for customers, it was another cost-cutting measure, allowing him to offer better prices.

Please see page 48

Grocer’s ‘friendly first’ approach engrained in associates, executives

“Let’s say I fell in love with the apparel industry, first and foremost, and then grew to love the food.”

In the early 1990s Gibson was given the opportunity to learn about the food business by creating a store director training program for the company. During the year it took to get it up and running, he gained “all the information that you need to have hands-on experience with food.”

“That was an amazing experience,” he said. “And it truly did teach me the importance of food in the Fred Meyer Company.”

‘Never as easy as it looks’

Reflecting on his career in the grocery industry, Gibson said he has “loved every aspect of learning each department.”

“I understand what it feels like to be a cashier and have long lines,” he said. “I understand what it feels like when things aren’t ringing up correctly. I understand what it’s like to run the front end and to be able to keep the service level high. I was provided the opportunity to gain insight and understanding of each specific department at Fred Meyer. I learned so much from our very experienced team at our Hollywood store in Portland.

Gibson was quick to point, COVID-19 was “new to all of us.”

“None of us had been through a pandemic,” he said. “But we did all the things we could do to continue to be a reliable provider of food and also for other necessities that people were looking for…it was just a different world than you’ve ever had.

“If somebody had told me 10 years ago, ‘Hey, you’re going to come to a period of time when you’re not going to be able to keep the stock.’ Yeah, right.”

Gibson attributed a lot of the company’s ability to weather the pandemic challenges to Kroger.

“Kroger is an outstanding company,” he said. “As our parent company, they provide us with great resources, great advice, but still allow us to make decisions that are right for our business.”

To that point, Gibson noted that the Fred Meyer team works in lockstep with Kroger.

“As a group, we have the same vision and goals within Kroger,” he said. “You look at any division out there, it doesn’t matter if it’s Ralph’s, Smith’s, Fry’s or QFC – we all operate somewhat differently but still very much the same. The common theme is to be full, fresh, friendly.

Dennis Gibson had a choice to make. It was 1984 and Fred Meyer had just acquired Grand Central Stores, a grocery chain for which he was working in Utah.

“One of my best decisions ever was staying with the company at that point because it’s just been an amazing journey,” said Gibson, who later became president of Fred Meyer, a position he holds today.

The Portland, Oregon-based company, a division of The Kroger Co., operates 132 stores in four states –Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Among the first one-stop shops in the country, it is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2022.

Gibson had taken part in Grand Central’s management training program, then became a store manager and later a merchandise supervisor with the company.

“When Fred Meyer bought Grand Central, I became an apparel product supervisor,” he said. “We had a district of 22 stores. I was in charge of helping the stores with merchandising and growing their business.

“And I then went to Eugene, Oregon, where I became a district manager of apparel and did that for many years.”

“I learned them hands on, which is one of the best ways to learn, as we all know, because it gives you an ingrained knowledge of working with it…and it’s never as easy as it looks.”

Indeed, over the course of his career, Gibson and family have lived in Salt Lake City; Portland and Eugene, Oregon; Vancouver and Bellevue, Washington; Columbus, Ohio; and Denver, Colorado.

“It’s been a wonderful journey. I’ve really enjoyed the kind of nomadic opportunity to get out and see different parts of the country,” he said. “I am always amazed about the great people I have met.

“I always miss the Pacific Northwest when I leave because of the greenery. There are so many great parts of our country, but none that make me feel like the Northwest. But the people I have met on my journey in the Kroger family of stores have been fantastic.”

As Fred Meyer marks a century in operation, Gibson marveled at its evolution.

“At Fred Meyer, you are not just running a food store. Our customers can find quality meat, seafood, groceries, natural foods, apparel and electronics.”

“Our e-commerce business continues to grow year over year. We provide our customers the choice to shop inside the store, pick-up or delivery. It is important that our customers know that they can choose. We just need to continue to provide ‘anything, anytime and anywhere options to shop.’”

COVID-19 pandemic

Like many food retailers, Fred Meyer saw a big uptick in business as a result of the pandemic.

“Definitely, we saw all aspects of the business improve,” Gibson said. “It was natural, in the fact that many restaurants were closed or had limited hours or didn’t have staffing or they were reduced to 50 percent capacity. Families now are eating more at home.

“We were able to survive through that period of time and thrive in many ways, because we are doing all the right things to take care of the customer. I would say that the pandemic itself was a very hard world for a lot of smaller businesses. And many businesses didn’t survive, many restaurants didn’t survive. It’s unfortunate that it transpired to that level.

Please see page 24

Dennis Gibson President of Fred Meyer

From page 22

“Fred Meyer created a safe place where customers could find everything on their list and more.

1922•2022

E-commerce played a role in that format as well.

“That’s why a lot of people use the e-commerce side… do you want to go to three or four different stores or do you want to come to one? Fred Meyer makes a good match and has great quality products, fresh produce,” Gibson said.

“We are experts at sourcing locally grown fruit fruits and vegetables. Our produce departments offer customers their favorite regional produce at its peak. Fred Meyer prides itself with fresh seafood, meat and wild Northwest salmon, which is top of the list.

“My favorite Fred Meyer quote is, “Take care of our customers so well that they will want to return with us again and again.’

“So much of it is a people business. The customers that come into our store truly want to have that friendly smile and that ‘hello.’ “We don’t know what they’ve gone through, but we know we can make it a better day for them every time they come in. It’s our choice and we choose to be friendly every customer, every time.

Friendly first

Gibson continued on the topic of customer service.

“I learned early on in my career that it’s much easier to hire friendly people and then teach them the skills that they need. That’s what we really strive for at Fred Meyer,” he said.

“We’ve got a great company package. We’ve got great benefits. We take care of our associates. There are so many individuals that started out as baggers and are now executives within the company. It’s just amazing to see the upside potential.

“For people who want to work hard and do the best job they can each and every day, it’s noticed. Again, the cream rises to the top – always. You see a lot of individuals that have done that throughout the years and have continued to advance within our company.”

According to Gibson, the company has different ways to assess job and store performance.

“We’ve got a lot of different programs…but the one that’s working for us best right now is measuring friendly,” he said. “We have an outside service that actually measures friendly and gives us a true time stamp of how things are going.

“We do a lot of observations of our associates. We give them good accolades for being friendly or accolades for running a great department. That motivates people a lot when you can thank them for the work that they do. We strive to do that every day.”

The company conducts recognition at every level, according to Gibson.

“We always recognize the associates on their perfect shops,” he said. “And we recognize the stores for their performances on financials, the work they are doing to run great stores. We’re creating a lot of fun excitement with 100-year anniversary shirts, buttons and vests for our team to wear proudly.”

But it’s the personal touch that Gibson

most appreciates.

“There’s something to be said for a ‘thank you.’ Look them in the eye [and say], ‘Great job. Appreciate everything you’re doing for us.’ That’s just as impactful, right? It just big time.”

Mentoring and more

Talent development is as equally important as retention for Fred Meyer.

Please see page 26

Fred Meyer President Dennis Gibson, far right, with Mike and Erika, who have been with the company for 52 years and 18 years, respectively.

From page 24

“We’ve all been there. We’ve all seen people that don’t look like they enjoy their jobs very much. And it’s kind of a painful situation, right? We’ve also seen that engaging person who loves their job. We really try to thrive on that and to develop engaged associates. Most of our associates came for a job and found a lifetime career.”

world called Kroger. And I’ve been on both sides. I’ve been able to experience both. Kroger and Fred Meyer have many great career opportunities.”

1922•2022

Gibson acknowledged that employees are at different levels.

“We really pride ourselves on our associates, and we really value them,” he said. “We focus on going above and beyond to ensure they feel welcome. We just announced that every hourly associate is getting a $100 on their loyalty card to use however they want to use it.

“The past two years through the pandemic, The Kroger Co. and Fred Meyer and other divisions have done multiple incentives to take care of our associates, to do more than what’s expected or do more than is required.”

Mentoring also is key within the company’s culture.

“Mentoring to me is a really important aspect of the business,” Gibson said. “Because what I’ve found is that most people sell themselves short. Most people don’t believe that they can take on a new role unless somebody else believes in them first. As I see individuals that have a light about them, that have passion, have purpose, work hard and do a good job, I like to tell them, ‘There’s more you can do. There are so many more opportunities for you.’

“There’s this world called Fred Meyer, which is great. And we’re located in four states. Or there’s this big

Gibson himself benefited from “so many great mentors over the years.”

“It’s important that we need to help people see what their possibilities are. I know it helped me so much, with having leaders believing in me,” he said. “I try to make sure I take time to talk to people and get to know them a little bit.

“You can see excitement and energy when they see that you have that interest. I had many people believe in me. I think it’s kind of giving back and it’s helping people on their journey. Because once they know that you’re believing in them, they’ve got so much more confidence in what they can do.”

Weekly routine

Gibson is not one to sit still, as his weekly schedule can attest.

“A normal week for me would be that Mondays I’m out in stores, visiting the stores to see how the weekend went,” he said. “On Tuesdays, I’m jam-packed with meetings all day long. The rest of the week, I want to be in stores again. I love being in the stores.

“I love being in the action. I love being able to talk to associates and love being able to solve problems with associates and teams. One question I always ask our store managers, ‘What can I do for you?’”

To that end, Gibson is known for alerting his colleagues to issues.

“I don’t send notes off to get people in trouble. I send notes off to resolve the problems that they’re having,” he said. “And in most cases, I can make their life so much easier.

“We have a plane every other week that we use to travel to the outlying markets. We get up to Alaska, Idaho, Seattle.”

Gibson noted that Kroger is very data driven.

“Kroger collects more data on everything you could possibly want to know, really item specific, store specific, customer specific. As a customer, if you were shopping our stores, you should be receiving only coupons for products you buy.

“We have all the information needed to help us drive the business. But the Alaska market is not the same as the lower 48 [states]. It takes four days on the water to get product to our stores in Alaska.

“Our transportation departments do a great job of really determining how best to get the goods there. We

Dennis Gibson, president of Fred Meyer, and Mary Beth, who has 50 years of service with the company.

1922•2022

From page 26

do everything we can to have fresh products,” he said.

What’s next

For Gibson, retirement is “definitely” in the near future.

“At this point, I’ve got a lot of years in the business. And I love the business still to this day,” he said. “I have enjoyed giving people guidance over the years as they looked at advancing and taking on a new role or a new job. I always told them this, ‘If it’s the right thing to do for your family, then do it. If it’s not, don’t do it.’ Because

there’s nothing more important than your family.”

Family for Gibson includes his wife of 45 years, Karen, and their four children and eight grandchildren, most of whom live in the Pacific Northwest.

“I use that same advice with myself,” he said. “All of the different moves that I’ve made, I had conversations with my kids. When Grand Central was bought by Fred Meyer…I said, ‘Hey, Pacific Northwest, what do you think?’

“We started talking about all the beaches only an hour away [from Portland]. Now we thought it was a beach like California, not a cold beach. We were a little surprised when we went to the beach in our swimsuits and tank tops and had to stop at Newport Fred Meyer for sweatshirts.”

Asked how he would like to be remembered, Gibson didn’t pause.

“As a caring leader,” he said. “It’s always about the people. I truly care about people and their families.”

World-class service, experience build loyalty among customers, employees

over the West Coast, including Alaska and California.”

Richard left Safeway and joined Cincinnati, Ohiobased The Kroger Co. in December 2019, pre-COVID-19 pandemic. He later beccame the VP of operations for Fred Meyer during the peak of the pandemic. With his experience in Alaska, Washington and Idaho, he had grown to really understand Fred Meyer stores

Richard has been married for 26 years and has one adult child studying computer science at Washington State University.

Asked for his primary responsibilities within the company, whose headquarters are in Portland, Oregon, Richard mentioned several objectives.

“I have objectives from our parent company, Kroger, that I blend with our own. My focus in retail has always been around fresh and in-stock. This lines up well with our objectives,” he said.

“Fred Meyer has world-class service and a friendly environment. I am dedicated along with my team to ensure that we sustain and build on this daily. Friendly is what we build everything around.”

Richard knows that his role at Fred Meyer is quite extensive. He leads asset protection, facilities, pick-up and fuel, just to name a few.

great experience and really opened my eyes to how truly different each operated.”

Turning to the COVID-19 pandemic, Richard said it “really brought Fred Meyer to life in so many ways.”

“Customers had to reimagine how they purchased and we could see the power of what Fred Meyer could contribute,” he added.

During the pandemic, shoppers might have been wary of visiting multiple stores for clothing, bedding and bath items, but Fred Meyer has “all of those things.”

Dave Richard, VP of operations for Fred Meyer, began his food retail career nearly four decades ago.

“I’ve been in the business my whole life,” he said. “I started as a bagger over 36 years ago. I have worked all

“What makes Fred Meyer special is that it is not only a fantastic grocery store but simply has a lot more to offer,” he said. “Furniture, electronics, outdoor garden are a few of the non-food offerings. It truly is a one-stop shop.

“Learning the non food side of the business was a

When it comes to competitors, Richard cited big box retailers such as Walmart and Costco.

A typical week for him involves travel.

“We operate in four states, three different time zones,” he said. “There are 132 stores. So realistically, my

Dave Richard VP of operations

1922•2022

From page 30

time is out in the stores quite a bit helping the district managers and the store managers.

“Monday, maybe a half day Tuesday is our office day. And then the rest [of the week] I’m on the road traveling. I travel quite a bit. It’s about driving in-stock condition, especially during the pandemic, and focusing on what we can control.”

Richard averages two to three store visits a day.

“For me, it would be two to three hours minimum in a store for me to hit all areas of the store and visit with associates…your average Fred Meyer has almost 300 associates. To really make a connection with people, you have to pay attention to what they are telling you.

“We’re in the people business and it’s about driving results and getting things done through our store teams.”

Richard has found the people culture at Fred Meyer,

which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, to be “quite amazing. It’s very family oriented.”

Richard also cited the complexity of Fred Meyer.

“A large investment has been made in our pick-up and delivery services, which has helped cater to customers’

needs during the pandemic. We have 130 stores out of our 132 that offer pick-up.”

“From the company perspective, we talk about feeding the human spirit,” he said. “Our focus is to uplift store teams and make people feel great.”

Grocery retailer was early innovator of ‘one-stop shop’ business concept

Drug in South Ogden, Utah, where I grew up. The store was close to home and my high school, so it worked out well,” he recalled.

“Quickly, I realized how much I enjoyed working there and interacting with the people. It was fun to work hard, but also make friends with customers and other associates. I worked there through high school and into my first year of college.”

At age 19, Kammeyer took a two-year leave to serve an LDS mission in Europe.

“Once I returned home to Utah, I planned to get back to school and start working to get through college,” he said. “I returned to Smith’s, because I enjoyed the fastpaced work, alongside so many great people.”

Kammeyer was offered a role in management and credited his store manager for tremendous support.

“My store manager, Mike Fisher, really took me under his wing. Mike offered me the chance to run the store at night and attend school during the day,” Kammeyer said. “When I got there at four o’clock, we would do a full store walk together. He would teach me what to look for and what needed to get accomplished. He’d ‘pass the baton’ to me upon every shift.

“Although he taught me the fundamentals of running a store, most importantly he taught me the importance of taking care of your people and the big impact you can have on those you lead,” he said.

During this time, Fred Meyer acquired Smith’s, which was later followed by Cincinnati, Ohio-based The Kroger Co. acquiring Fred Meyer.

“There became a lot of opportunities,” Kammeyer said. “There was a position that came open at the corporate office in Salt Lake City to help with system conversions. I went and helped with several projects and later became a district operations supervisor in 2001. I oversaw front-end, scanning and bookkeeping for 25 Smith’s stores, while continuing to finish my degree.”

Later, after graduating with a business degree from Weber State University in 2003, Kammeyer completed the Food Industry Management Program at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business. Kammeyer said he “thoroughly enjoyed” the learning experience.

When he returned to Utah, the company tasked him with rolling out new shrink-prevention tools, leading the division’s ordering and in-stock focus, along with partnering with the division’s strategic initiatives.

What started as a part-time job after school in 1992 has evolved into a fulfilling career for Todd Kammeyer, VP of merchandising at Fred Meyer.

“I was 16 years old and started at Smith’s Food and

“I took great pride in making sure the store looked outstanding, that we took good care of customers and that the place looked ready to go when he walked in that next morning.”

Looking back, Kammeyer was inspired by Fisher’s mentorship.

“I worked for a dynamic, supportive executive team that exposed me to many different areas of the business,” he said. “It was an incredible time of learning for me.”

In 2006, Kammeyer recalled, Smith’s leaders

Please see page 36

Todd Kammeyer VP of merchandising

1922•2022

suggested he become a store manager. He started managing a store in Cottonwood Heights and later moved to the store in Syracuse, Utah, until 2008.

Kammeyer then oversaw the launch of the company’s new communications platform and developed its first associate website and several impactful customer and associate programs.

In 2012, he joined a district team as a merchandising manager before becoming a district manager for Fry’s in Phoenix.

“Moving to Fry’s and leading district teams was an incredible experience for me,” he said. “It taught me the importance of building a strong team with great people, leading with high expectations and coaching others to be at their best.

“I saw the ‘magic’ that can happen when you build a great team that believes and works together. I truly loved coaching, mentoring and watching people flourish and grow. It’s the most satisfying part of leadership.”

A promotion to VP of operations for the Fry’s division followed. Two years later, Kammeyer switched over to lead merchandising.

In 2019, he joined the Portland, Oregon-based Fred Meyer division as VP of operations, transitioning to his current role as VP of merchandising in March 2020.

“Being a part of the Fred Meyer leadership team has been an honor for me,” he said. “Fred Meyer is a unique division within Kroger with all the expanded general merchandise, including home, apparel, extensive garden centers and Fred Meyer Jewelers. We operate in four states, across Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska.”

Although his background began in groceries, Kammeyer immediately appreciated the complexity of the Fred Meyer organization.

“Truly, we’re a one-stop shop where customers love coming to Fred Meyer,” he said. “Today, customers come to us for their food needs, but also to find great items for homes and gardens, electronics, sporting goods, toys, apparel and jewelry.

“It’s amazing that over 100 years ago,

Fred Meyer had the vision of a true ‘one-stop’ shopping experience and how he innovated the concept. It’s interesting to hear of the many items we’ve carried over the years – everything from lumber to fabric to tires.”

Kammeyer also realized the learning opportunities that come with working within the division.

see page 38

From page 36

Kammeyer currently leads the merchandising team and oversees Fred Meyer Jewelers

1922•2022

“I typically spend Mondays and Tuesdays regrouping with my team, analyzing the prior week – where we’re doing well, where we have opportunity gaps and coming up with different plans. Typically, the rest of the week is spent in the markets to assess what’s happening, the impact of our decisions in stores and where we need to innovate.”

When visiting the company’s 132 stores, Kammeyer often travels with members of his team.

“I typically feel that I’m most effective when I’m with other people – to teach and gather feedback,” he explained. “When I go, I typically take several merchandisers, along with our district managers, because I want us to be connected and aligned. Solid alignment between the operations and merchandising team is critical to helping us move fast and pivot where necessary. Plus, the camaraderie of spending time together keeps the business fun.”

In addition, Kammeyer spends a lot of time in the market assessing competition.

“Obviously, we’re not the only retailer and we can constantly learn from others. Plus, it keeps us customer-focused in everything we do,” he said.

As for the rest of 2022, Kammeyer is looking forward to celebrating the company’s 100th anniversary.

“Fred Meyer has a long, rich legacy of selling products that customers want in clean, friendly stores. Plus, it’s our people that help make Fred Meyer special and how we’re really there for our communities,” he said.

“From my start back in 1992 at the South Ogden Smith’s to today, I’m proud to be part of the Fred Meyer team.”

1922•2022

Providing positive environment key to staff development and retention

“My dad worked for a food processing company when I was growing up, and he was a director of quality control, so I have always been very exposed to the food industry – especially from the food safety side,” she said.

After graduating from Linfield University, Parker went through an executive training program that prepared college grads for the merchandising side of the business.

Parker was quick to add that Fred Meyer has been “part of my entire life,” recalling how her father would take her there to buy lumber to build a deck.

Today, she and her team lead people processes for more than 36,000 associates.

“I have a team of HR professionals here at our division office and a talented field team in our nine districts,” she explained. “They’re responsible for partnering with the district managers to help ensure talent development and executing on our total rewards strategy and associate relations initiatives in their particular districts.

“We want to create opportunities to empower our associates and enable them to be their best.”

Sara Parker, director of human resources for Fred Meyer, was no stranger to the food business when she joined the company in 2002 from a general merchandise retailer in Portland, Oregon.

Parker works closely with Dave Richard, VP of operations.

“As you can imagine, most of the talent falls under the operations umbrella because that is all of our store teams,” she said. “It’s

a partnership and a commitment to providing ongoing leadership development opportunities to strengthen current abilities, provide diverse growth experiences and develop our leaders for future roles.

“Additionally, we are very focused on staffing from the very first connection with potential candidates. We have consistent onboarding processes so we create a welcoming new hire experience and provide role relevant training so our associates have a terrific start with us.

“As part of our focus on the associate experience, we also measure retention. Kroger provides us key data and

Please see page 42

Sara Parker Director of human resources

1922•2022

insights to identify opportunities to strengthen retention. It’s a priority to all of us.”

Parker noted that the candidate pools for food retail were smaller last year than the year before.

“I think it puts additional focus on leading through positive influence to make sure we’re providing a good environment where people want to continue working,” she said.

“We have 10 associates who have 50 or more years of service. They are incredible examples of ‘Feeding the Human Spirit’ and taking care of our customers and fellow associates.

“To create a friendly and caring culture for all associates, two areas we actively focus on are supporting our shared company values and associate well-being. As an example, our associates have had the opportunity to take diversity, equity and inclusion training. This is important to us because as part of our leadership model, we emphasize deeply listening to our teams and working inclusively across all levels and departments.

“I am also really proud of how we continue to expand our focus on investing in associate well-being by meeting associates where they are personally and professionally, this includes care through an employee

assistance program, feeding their future with educational opportunities and an internal support fund that uplifts associates during hardships.

Surveying the supermarket landscape, Parker thinks many of the changes have been customer driven.

“Food brings people together and is very celebratory,” she said. “We look for new ways to provide experiences that inspire our customers’ passion for cooking and love for food.

“Our general merchandise business enables the DIY spirit of creating and personalizing indoor and outdoor living spaces that bring our customers joy.”

She also pointed out how Fred Meyer has been a “pioneer in having our own nutrition centers, and

having products that people respect and trust…food as medicine.”

Parker also cited the broad selection of relevant, trusted local products that are organic or natural.

“We understand our customers want healthy, accessible options and we can provide that value under one roof,” she said.

Parker also described another “big piece” of the company’s successful formula.

“We have very capable store leaders, leading all of our 132 locations,” she said. “They’re making good, informed decisions based on years of experience, data and listening to associate and customer feedback.”

Parker is a world traveler, having visited about 20 different countries and living in Costa Rica.

“One of my favorite quotes – and I have it framed –is, ‘I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.’ I love that perspective.”

Fred Meyer has ranked among the top places to work in Oregon.

“We’ve been on that list a couple times,” she said. “It’s something [job applicants] look at when considering a career. We also measure associate engagement on an annual basis and look for meaningful opportunities based on this feedback to improve every day.

“I am excited to celebrate our 100-year anniversary with our associates and customers.”

In closing, Parker reiterated that she is “really proud of our store leaders.”

“They lead in a way that inspires a friendly and caring associate and customer experience. They motivate, inspire and put our customers first,” she said.

“I really think that is where we invest our energy, making sure that team feels very supported. They’re critical to our success.”

Robust non-food side of stores gives company edge in marketplace

Cope, manager of marketing and customer communications at Fred Meyer, started working for the company in high school. He continued doing so in his first year of college. The company offered him a good career path and he took it.

Cope attributes his staying power at the Portland, Oregon-based company, in part, to having had good mentors over the years.

“Most of them aren’t around anymore; I’ve been around for such a long time,” he said with a chuckle. “There were and are today some great mentors that are willing to show you the way.

“One of the biggest lessons that I follow would be – to be able to listen, be humble and really just capitalize [on opportunities].”

Learning how to manage people is key, according to Cope.

Despite opportunities to move within the company to other parts of the country, Cope has stayed primarily in the Pacific Northwest. The married father of three and grandfather of two – all of whom live in Oregon or Washington – cited family as a factor in that decision.

“I have had the opportunity to live in many new communities within Fred Meyer while opening new stores and operating in different districts, etc. I moved my family around quite a bit,” he said.

“In marketing we wear a lot of hats – from analyzing customer trends to producing signs for the stores,” he said. “We develop many projects with our team. A good example was a rewards card transition we did in 2019. We had to develop a campaign, have POS behind it and all of the other aspects to support the campaign.

“I work closely with our PR department to help get media developed. We don’t do the actual ads any longer. Those are done in Cincinnati for all of our divisions, but we do all of the proofing and the price adjusting, etc.”

Cope’s versatility and experience make him ideally suited for the marketing role.

“The interesting thing about retail is that if you stick around long enough [you can do] so many different things,” he said. “I’ve been in the operations part of our business. I have been a merchandiser, field specialist and store manager.”

When asked, he stated: “Out of all of the divisions in Kroger, we have a robust GM side, which is more of a department store.”

Cope has worked for years with Fred Meyer President Dennis Gibson, who has been a mentor and grew up in the same business of non-food.

Like many of his colleagues, Brad Cope had not planned on a career in the grocery industry. “Not at all,” he said.

Cope added that his older son works for Fred Meyer as the grocery manager of the store in Wenatchee, Washington.

“There’s very few presidents that we have had – even when we were not a Kroger division – that came from the non-food side of the business, that really understand that business intricately. And he definitely does,” Cope said.

Returning to his specific duties, Cope appreciates the

Brad Cope Marketing and communications manager

From page 44

variety.

“A typical week is hard to explain. I do have some routines, for sure. But on the other hand…marketing is a little bit different. What I plan to do today often is replaced with another priority, because there there’s so many different points that come into this job.”

1922•2022

In his spare time, Cope enjoys mountain climbing and playing music with his sons. He has even climbed Mount Ranier.

And no interview would be complete these days without asking the requisite question about how the company weathered the COVID-19 pandemic. In his marketing role, Cope cited the need to make signage, memos and help the stores navigate it.

“Marketing has been a joy to work in,” he said. “As stated before, it touches so many ends of our business. It has allowed me to be a large part of how our business faces our customers and associates”

1922•2022

From page 21

During the late 1950s, Portland dairy and bakery plants were established to bring fresh goods to the Northwest. By 1968, the company operated in Oregon, Idaho, Washington and Montana.

Fred Meyer entered the Seattle market in the 1960s through the purchase of Marketime Drugs. In 1984, Fred Meyer purchased stores from Grand Central in Salt Lake City, as well as Smith’s in 1997.

Also in 1997, Fred Meyer bought Ralph’s of California and QFC of Seattle. That same year, Fortune Magazine ranked the company as one of the top 48 in the U.S.

Though independent since its beginnings, Fred Meyer was purchased by KKR in 1981 after the death of Mr. Meyer. The company merged with Kroger in October 1998.

Evolution, innovation

Fred Meyer opened its first nutrition center in 1971, offering only 100 percent natural foods and supplements.

Expanding on the one-stop shopping concept in 1973, Fred Meyer hired a professional jeweler to start two catalog showrooms. The rooms evolved into Fred Meyer Jewelers, which are located within most stores.

The company opened stores in Alaska during 1975 via the acquisition of ValueMart locations. Now with a store count of 11, Fred Meyer has established itself as one of the few food (and nonfood) retailers to deliver goods from the lower 48 in a timely manner.

Goods shipped to Alaska travel via barges and can be on the water for four days. As the company notes, it delivers fresh products to Alaska. This includes bananas that are ripe yet in perfect shape and crisp lettuce ready for a salad. It also points out that Alaska is farther from the company’s warehouse than Chicago.

In addition, Fred Meyer is the top Kroger division in sales, consistently ranking high for sales in grocery, produce, drug GM and pharmacy.

Mr. Meyer himself

On the company’s website, the late Fred G. Meyer is described first and foremost as “a retailer with a great idea – one-stop shopping.” But he was more than that. He

was also a philosopher, semanticist and teacher The Wall Street Journal once described as “the last of the great American entrepreneurs.”

Meyer, originally Frederick Grubmeyer, came to Portland at age 22 in 1908. Drawing on his experience working for his family’s grocery business, he began selling coffee from a horse-drawn cart to workers at farms and lumber camps. As he watched and listened to them, he began planning a new type of store.

In 1922, he opened the first Fred Meyer at the corner of SW 5th and Yamhill in Portland. His vision was to give customers more reasons to shop in his store than any competitors. Prior to his store, customers went to separate shops for meat, produce, cheese and other goods.

Meyer placed these all under one roof and put an expert in charge of each area, setting the stage for the Fred Meyer stores known today. His ideas still resonate because the company’s service, selection, quality and prices continue to save people time and money.

With food, health and beauty care, clothes, home products and electronics under one roof, people can get more shopping done in one stop than at any other store.

Defining Fred Meyer

Fred Meyer is unique – its executives are quick to note that no other store is quite like it.

According to the company, its locations are not big box stores, hypermarkets or supercenters, nor are they warehouse stores, discounters or department stores. Instead, each is a collection of several specialty stores under one roof.

Fred Meyer is a:

• Great food store, with fresh produce, meat and seafood, deli, bakery, wine, cheese, health and beauty, cosmetics, pharmacy and Natural Choices.

• Complete apparel store for women, men, kids, juniors and young men, plus shoes and accessories.

• Store for any home – inside and out - featuring home décor, housewares, bed and bath, furniture, hardware and paint, garden and outdoor living, electronics, sports and auto and toys.

The stores are further differentiated from many competitors by their strong lineup of famous brands. These include: Apple, Ashley, Bose, Calphalon, Carhartt, Champion, Columbia Sportswear, Dickeys, Cuisinart, Hanes, Dyson, Jockey, Keurig, KitchenAid, Krups, Levi’s, New Balance, Samsung, Skechers, Sony and Carters.

1922•2022

Tours of three stores illustrate Fred Meyer’s ‘full, fresh, friendly’ approach

Fred Meyer President Dennis Gibson and Bob Reeves, EVP of Shelby Publishing, recently toured three of the company’s stores in Portland, Oregon – Hillsboro, Beaverton and Hollywood.

According to Gibson, the produce department is always the lead at Fred Meyer because the company has determined it’s one of the main reasons customers shop there.

“Fred Meyer really prides itself in fresh quality products, a great sizing. We do a lot of extra work to make sure that we’re getting the best of the best each and every day,” Gibson said. “And then we have a very stringent policy in place of making sure

that we’re culling the products and we do that multiple times, probably eight to 10 times a day. We’re going through the products to make sure they’re the freshest.” That high-quality approach extends to other departments within each store, from fresh meat and cheeses to wines and sushi. And it wouldn’t be a true one-stop shop concept without the general merchandise.

During the same trip for groceries, customers can also browse electronics, home furnishings and apparel, among other departments. In effect, they can find Christmas presents in the toy aisle while also picking out the latest craft beer and a premium cut of meat for the grill.