I'm posting this because over the years some people on the south side whether in Englewood (before the Whole Foods Market opened) and perhaps even residents in South Shore were looking for a Mariano's to come in. I wonder if there is a change of perception as far as Marino's now that they now owned by Kroger's as explored in this roughly 20 min podcast from Crain's Chicago Business:
Many of the changes reflect Kroger's efforts to boost profitability and meet a new challenge from Amazon, which in 2017 acquired Whole Foods, a rival to Mariano's in the premium grocery market. Mariano's changing profile also reflects the influence of former parent company Roundy's, a Milwaukee-based operator of low-end stores like Pick 'n Save.How many of you still want to attract a Mariano's store to other parts of the south side? Also note that Food 4 Less is also part of the Kroger family along with Mariano's.
For a while after Kroger took over, the Milwaukee and Chicago chains continued to operate autonomously, with former Mariano lieutenants Don Rosanova and Don Fitzgerald overseeing the Mariano's stores. That changed in September 2018 when Kroger consolidated leadership teams in the Wisconsin-based unit in a cost-cutting move. Fitzgerald and Rosanova were both gone by year-end.
"If there hadn't been the pressure from Milwaukee, the business could have been run better," Bishop says. "They are subject to the budgetary pressures of the folks in Cincinnati."
"Mariano's continues to innovate and lead in this space, and the larger Kroger organization is bringing elements of our programs into other banners to accelerate their Restock Kroger initiatives," a Mariano's spokeswoman says.
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