Where I come from, Fred Meyer is a Jewelry Store (Portland: Home Depot, buy)

[christiner81]

so imagine my confusion, when i walk in to Fred Meyer (the grocery store) and see a Fred Meyer (Jewelry store) inside it. I had no idea they were connected at all. I didn't think I could put anything fancier than local/organic stuff on my shopping list...until now!

Are all the Fred Meyer's like that?

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by christiner81

so imagine my confusion, when i walk in to Fred Meyer (the grocery store) and see a Fred Meyer (Jewelry store) inside it. I had no idea they were connected at all. I didn't think I could put anything fancier than local/organic stuff on my shopping list...until now!

Are all the Fred Meyer's like that?

No. They have diversified. At one time they all sold clothes, jewelry, furniture etc. But a few years back that changed. They built large superstores that carried everything but took out items from the smaller stores.

For example, my Fred's on Hawthorne no longer sells jewelry, clothing, luggage and shoes etc but the larger ones still do. So it all depends upon which Freddy's you are going to shop at.

[christiner81]

Originally Posted by Minervah

No. They have diversified. At one time they all sold clothes, jewelry, furniture etc. But a few years back that changed. They built large superstores that carried everything but took out items from the smaller stores.

For example, my Fred's on Hawthorne no longer sells jewelry, clothing, luggage and shoes etc but the larger ones still do. So it all depends upon which Freddy's you are going to shop at.

interesting! All this time i thought they were grocery only.

[Nell Plotts]

Fred Meyer's Jewelry stores is actually an excellent organization. They sell quality merchandise for very good prices. I am not in that industry so can't compare but they should be comparable to Costco in terms of value.

[Hemlock140]

They are one of the 3 biggest Jewelers in the country. We have 2 within 6 miles of us and a third about 8 miles away. All of them have everything from clothes and groceries to jewelry and garden.

[Larry Caldwell]

I think Fred modeled his stores after the old "general store" of pioneer days. All Fred Meyer stores had sporting goods, dry goods, groceries and hardware. Stores even had a cafeteria so employees and shoppers wouldn't have to leave the building to get lunch. As they buildings grew they added home and garden centers. I don't recall that he ever got into automotive repair, but you could buy basic supplies like motor oil, filters, etc. in the automotive hardware section.

Lots of people don't know that Fred Meyer got his start in business running a horse drawn coffee cart to logging camps around Portland, in 1909. The Oregon obsession with decent coffee goes way back. He also founded Java Coffee (Mission Coffee) before he opened his first Fred Meyer store in 1922. His first full city block megastore opened on 42nd and Sandy in Portland in 1933.

He died in 1978, and Kroger bought the Fred Meyer chain about 10 or 15 years later.

[Nell Plotts]

Fred Meyer purchased a jewelry chain some years ago, as I recall they were headquartered in Salt Lake.

[Bluesmama]

Now, in the late-70's and part of the 80's, Freddy's had a better assortment in the hardware department. At least, that's been my husband's complaint for the last couple of decades. Now that I think about it, I don't think the one in Beaverton has a mix center for paint anymore.

I need to share this while I'm at it. It's no secret that some things at Fred's have higher price tags than is expected. But Monday I went there to check out single-piece swimsuits, and the one that caught my eye was $90!!! Now, it is one of those designed to make one "look slimmer" (more spandex, I assume) but that isn't what drew me to it. Needless to say, it went back to the rack. But I had a good laugh over that one.

Going back to jewelry, once in awhile they'll have an "appraisal day" when they staff appraisers for a fair price. Always tended to have it done and never got around to it.

[karlsch]

Originally Posted by Bluesmama

Now, in the late-70's and part of the 80's, Freddy's had a better assortment in the hardware department. At least, that's been my husband's complaint for the last couple of decades. ..............

........They also had lumber and other building materials back then.

What caused the change was Home Depot and then Lowes moving into the PNW.

They decided (correctly) that it was a waste of time and money trying to compete with those category killers.

[christiner81]

Originally Posted by Bluesmama

I need to share this while I'm at it. It's no secret that some things at Fred's have higher price tags than is expected. But Monday I went there to check out single-piece swimsuits, and the one that caught my eye was $90!!! Now, it is one of those designed to make one "look slimmer" (more spandex, I assume) but that isn't what drew me to it. Needless to say, it went back to the rack. But I had a good laugh over that one.

hmm i would fork over that kind of cash for the right swimsuit. it would have to be a magical suit, for sure!