 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1954; 71 years ago (1954) inContra Costa County, California |
| Founder | Donald Fry |
| Headquarters | Tolleson, Arizona,United States |
Number of locations | 123[1] |
Area served | Arizona |
Key people |
|
| Products | Bakery, dairy, deli, frozen foods, general grocery, meat, pharmacy, produce, seafood, snacks, liquor |
Number of employees | 22,000 |
| Parent | |
| Divisions |
|
| Website | www |
Fry's Food and Drug is a chain of Americansupermarkets that has a major presence in the U.S. state ofArizona. Fry's also operates under the banner ofFry's Marketplace, ahypermarket or combination of groceries and general merchandise. Fry's is a division ofKroger, an American retail company based inCincinnati, Ohio.
Fry's was founded in 1954 by Donald Fry inEl Sobrante, California. A maker placed at the intersection of San Pablo Dam Road and La Colina Rd identifies this spot. With the help of his brother Charles, the chain expanded into the Phoenix market in 1960. Fry's was sold in 1972 toDillons, based inHutchinson, Kansas.[2][3][a] (The sons of Charles Fry used the proceeds from the sale to launchFry's Electronics in 1985; it was otherwise separate from and unaffiliated with the grocery chain.) Dillons merged withKroger in 1983.[4]
In October 1998,Fred Meyer, parent company ofSmith's Food and Drug based inSalt Lake City, announced a strategic merger withKroger, based in Cincinnati,Ohio.[5] Several months later, in May 1999, theFederal Trade Commission (FTC) approved the merger of the two companies, namedThe Kroger Co.[6]
Arizona and Texas were the only two of 31 states where there was an overlap of stores and brands from the merger. The Kroger Co., choosing to operate with one brand in the Arizona market, rebranded most Smith's Food & Drug Centers as Fry's Food & Drug Stores,[7] though Smith's Food and Drug Centers inKingman,Bullhead City, andLake Havasu City remained unchanged (perhaps because of their proximity to Nevada and theLas Vegas market, where Kroger retained the Smith's brand).[8] Fry's Phoenix Distribution Center and administrative offices were moved into the more modern Smith's Food and Drug Distribution Center and office space in the west Phoenix suburb ofTolleson.
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Fry's Marketplace is a multi-department store that offers full-service grocery, pharmacy and general merchandise including outdoor living products, electronics, home goods and toys. Ranging in size from 80,000–105,000 square feet (7,400–9,800 m2), the Marketplace stores are smaller than the original Fred Meyer stores. The Marketplace format was derived from the Fred Meyer concept but on a smaller scale and has since expanded to other Kroger divisions (Ohio, Virginia, Texas, etc.), including the Smith's Food & Drug Centers Division inUtah.
Fry's Marketplace started out asSmitty's, Arizona's first multi-department store. Smitty's was similar to aWalmart Supercenter (but on a smaller scale) and even had a food court with four branded fast food options (such asTaco Bell). Smitty's notably carried thePresident's Choice brand. In 1996, Smitty's merged with Smith's Food and Drug Centers. In 1997, after the Fred Meyer–Smith's merger, Fred Meyer updated and revitalized the Smitty's concept (naming the stores Smitty’s Marketplace) and in January 1999, all Smitty's stores were renamed Fred Meyer Marketplace, ending the Smitty’s name. During this time, management of Smitty’s changed from Smith's Food and Drug to Fred Meyer. Later that year, construction also started on a full size Fred Meyer store in Phoenix, at 35th Avenue and Bethany Home Road, with plans to build more Fred Meyer stores in the Phoenix metro.
In June 2000, Kroger transferred the management of all Fred Meyer stores in Arizona to Fry's Food and Drug. The Fred Meyer stores were rebranded as Fry's Marketplace, unifying the stores under the Fry's brand. The full size Fred Meyer store in Phoenix was completed but never opened and was later demolished to build a Walmart, as the store was too large for Fry's to use, with Fred Meyer’s expansion plans for Arizona scrapped.
Fry's Signature is marketed as a high-end, neighborhood tailored grocery store. One of the locations is on 20427 North Hayden Road inScottsdale.[9] Another Fry's Signature store is located at 10450 N. 90th Street in Scottsdale.[10] There is also a Fry's Signature store at the cross streets of Cave Creek Rd and Carefree Hwy inCave Creek.[11] In addition, there is a Fry's Signature Marketplace at the intersection of Shea Blvd and Tatum Blvd in Phoenix.[12] There is another store located at the cross streets of Gavilan Peak Pkwy and Daisy Mountain Dr in the northern Phoenix suburb ofAnthem.[13]
Fry's Mercado is geared towards Arizona's large Hispanic market. It is located at 43rd Avenue and McDowell in Phoenix. There is a check cashing store, anagua fresca bar, a cocina (kitchen), and a gas station among other attractions at the location. Several other stores are sublet in the Fry's Mercado (including an electronics store, a women's clothing store, and a barber shop).[14]
Fry's offers fuel at some of its retail locations.
