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49 °F 5 Day Forecast Monday, October 20, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend October 5, 2003 Niche retailers may have less to fear from Wal-Mart By GREG STILES Mail Tribune So if you’re the niche merchant caught in the economic crossfire between major grocery retailers, do you warm up the cash register or say your prayers? "If I was one of the grocery guys in the area I might be more concerned," says Bill Krompeck, director of Harry and David’s Country Village. "But our business is specialized. The uniqueness of our produce and quality is the focus of what we do." He says WinCo’s arrival in 2001 failed to upset Harry and David’s fruit basket and neither will Wal-Mart’s Supercenter. "I don’t think WinCo caused me to change anything," Krompeck says. Advertisement "Our emphasis has been to move away from the traditional to become a produce person’s paradise." Although there are plenty of what he calls crossover items in his store, Krompeck has a segment of the market Wal-Mart won’t likely penetrate. "When folks are gearing up to entertain, this is their first stop," Krompeck says. "From soup to nuts, we have it all." Plus, Harry and David carries tropical fruits such as rambutan and longan that serve as a conversation piece amid salads and serving dishes. You’re less likely to find the exotic than the staple at Grocery Outlet in the Southside Center, nearly equidistant from the big grocers in the South Gateway area. Grocery Outlet operator Doug Detrick cast a wary eye toward Fred Meyer when the South Gateway Center opened. But he soon welcomed the big retailer’s arrival. "Having more retail is not necessarily bad," Detrick says. "When Fred Meyer South came in, it brought more people in or kept them on this end of town and helped us." Given that his extreme-value store caters to bargain hunters, he’s looking forward to the residual business. "I think more competition is good. Anything that saves people money is good," Detrick says. "If Super Wal-Mart comes in, that’s fine. We’ll still offer excellent service from people who have been here a long time. People will still come in here for the treasure hunt." Although Fred Meyer won’t say what strategic changes it will make to compete with a new entry into its domain, Assistant Vice President for public relations Rob Boley says there is less difference between Wal-Mart and WinCo than Fred Meyer. "We’re going to have a larger selection of a particular category, more brand names and size alternatives," Boley says. "We have a broader range of items that are good, better and best." Ultimately, the Kroger Co. unit hopes to bleed off customers attracted to a Wal-Mart Supercenter. "Very often when a new store come into a market, a lot of people try shopping the new store and comparing stores. It’s an opportunity for us to gain new shoppers." Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times