Kroger takes in “displaced” Girl Scouts
As you may or may not have heard, the folks taking over Ukrop’s have given the Girl Scouts the old heave-ho, upholding their longtime policy to not allow the sale of those beloved cookies (mmmm Tagalongs…) outside of their stores.
As you may or may not have heard, the folks taking over Ukrop’s have given the Girl Scouts the old heave-ho, upholding their longtime policy to not allow the sale of those beloved cookies (mmmm Tagalongs…) outside of their stores.
Well the folks at United Food & Commercial Workers Local 400 (UFCW Local 400) have not only offered Virginia Girl Scouts a place to peddle their cookies, they’re also going to purchase the first 100 boxes.
From the press release…
Unfortunately, just as Girl Scouts outside Richmond have long known, Ahold/Martin’s doesn’t believe in supporting this outstanding community-based organization,” Lowthers said. “So when Richmond Girl Scouts discovered at the last minute that they were no longer welcome at the former Ukrop’s stores, Local 400 knew we could help fill the void. Kroger works with the Girl Scouts and they have great locations for sidewalk sales. Girl Scout troop leaders who have been displaced can contact their local Kroger store manager.”
“I’m especially pleased that Local 400 will purchase the first 100 boxes of cookies at a Kroger store, because we believe in supporting the communities where our members work and live,” said Local 400 Secretary/Treasurer Tom McNutt.
Ahold/Martin’s purchased the locally-owned Ukrop’s earlier this month and the ban on Girl Scout cookie sales was among its first policy changes. Martin’s parent company, Royal Ahold NV, is based in the Netherlands. “This really highlights the difference between a community-oriented, family-owned business and a multinational corporation where foreign executives call the shots with no knowledge of local traditions,” McNutt said. “Customers can decide whether to spend their hard-earned food dollars on a company that’s only interested in making a profit and one that believes in supporting its communities and the people it serves.”
What are your thoughts on this? Will you not shop at Martin’s because Girl Scouts aren’t allowed to sell cookies there? Will shop at Kroger because they do?
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Valerie Catrow
Valerie Catrow is editor of RVAFamily, mother to a mop-topped first grader, and always really excited to go to bed.
Notice: Comments that are not conducive to an interesting and thoughtful conversation may be removed at the editor’s discretion.
I’m in favor of getting rid of the sales outside of stores. What happen to the good old days when people went door to door harrassing you instead of harrassing you when your trying to get some grocery shopping done. I get harrassed enough at work with these cookies. One less place is fine by me.
I don’t know what “United Food & Commercial Workers Local 400 (UFCW Local 400)” means. Someone explain this to me.
Personally I think it’s great. My coworker didn’t send around the girl scout cookie order form, and I live in an apartment. So if I want thin mints, what am I supposed to do? Hunt down girl scouts? No way, I’m a single dude. This way I can just snag some cookies when I’m picking up my ramen noodles and beer.
Yes I will go to Martin’s. It was nice that Ukrops did that, but I shop at the stores for what they have inside… not necessarily their community involvement.
Where was their outpouring of support before Martin’s announced this policy?
And this…this is just douche talk:
“This really highlights the difference between a community-oriented, family-owned business and a multinational corporation where foreign executives call the shots with no knowledge of local traditions,”
Show some grace, McNutt.
This likely has nothing to do with the girl scouts and everything to do with the union.
Under current labor law, if an employer allows outside vendors to solicit on its premises, it would be forced to allow a union to do the same.
Therefore, the girls scouts are “collateral damage” because the UFCW could demand the store allow it to set up a table outside as well.
Justin – UFCW Local 400 is the supermarket workers’ union. Kroger employs union workers, and Ukrop’s does not, and neither does Giant-Carlisle, which is buying Ukrop’s.
Hence the jab. The union is simply sending the message to “shop union.” They don’t care about Girl Scouts any more than Giant does.
If I have to navigate past annoying girl scouts trying to assault me w/ boxes of sugary death the next time I shop at Kroger I will be letting management hear about it. I think a no solicitation policy is a good thing. I still hate seeing that guy trying to push the RTD on me when I walk into the Carytown Kroger.
Yaayyy for the union! Coming to save the Girl Scouts! How did they do with GM and Chrysler!?!? Yeah, that’s what I thought.
Girl Scouts should be out selling product to customers THEY earn, not some other company’s customers! I had to do it when I was Boy Scout, they can do it too! Might make for a better world where people actually KNOW their neighbors again!
If FanGuy is against it then I’m for it. Moar soliciation now!
You all have missed the point. Kroger is capitalizing on every “policy change” that Ahold is making which might alienate any customers. You might not care about Girl Scout cookies and the United Way but someone who shops at Ukrop’s does. Ditto for taking your groceries out, high quality prepared foods, fuel perks, etc. If you haven’t noticed Kroger has been in the news regarding all of these thing at some point since the Ukrop’s sale was announced.
Kroger had Ukrop’s on the run, now they are going for the jugular. If Ahold is not careful they will lose before the race has hardly started.
My guess: At least 1/2 of the Ukrop’s stores that Ahold bought will be closed within three years. Ukrop’s customers valued service, quality and the shopping experience over everything else and Ahold has not yet shown that they are aware of this.
Yeah, but if Kroger becomes the new Ukrops (solicitations, higher prices, etc), those of us who were loyal to Kroger won’t hesitate to leave.
I just want to buy groceries at low prices. I don’t need a life changing experience.
Girl Scouts may just be the tip of the iceberg here… check out the new signage at all he Ukrop’s stores…. looks like the new owners may be expecting labor problems.
As for me, I’m not to let lack of girl scout cookies prevent me from shopping at Ahold/Martin’s, but I will no longer drive past Food Lion and Wally’s World to do so if this new store does not provide a compelling reason in either prices, service or quality of food stuff.
Ok, I actually do pay a little extra for Ukrops because I believe that the income and non-tangibles they put back into the community is much like giving to charity…but I also get benefit from it. It’s kind of like tipping your waitress/waiter extra vs. giving to a panhandler. (not a great analogy, but you get the picture)
Because Giant and Kroger are both big corporations, who couldn’t care less about the community, I’ll probably just go by selection and prices. The Girl Scout move wasn’t out of Kroger’s benevolent heart…it was a calculated business decision to sway costumers like me I guess.
Not impressed Kroger.