When I heard that the Kroger located at 3855 Buford Highway in Brookhaven would close in October, I knew that my life would become more difficult as a result. This branch is close enough to my home in the Drew Valley subdivision that I can run over there whenever I need something.
The traffic is tolerable when I drive there, and I can always find a parking space even when the store is crowded. This branch shares its parking lot with only two other businesses: Chase Bank in the front, and Donnie’s restaurant on the side.
I drive to the store, but I’ve noticed other customers walking there, including seniors and parents with their children. I’m not sure why they walk to the store, instead of driving there. Perhaps they do not have cars or drivers’ licenses. For them, this may be the only supermarket close enough to be easily accessible. If they use the pharmacy there, this branch is doubly important.
The store is a good size—not so large that you can’t find what you need in the plethora of products, not too small like some of the boutique grocery stores where you can’t find what you need because it’s not there. I can almost always find what I want. The people who work here will try to help me if I need it. With them, I feel at home.
For me, the pharmacy represents a lifeline. As a senior citizen with quite a few prescriptions, I need a nearby pharmacy staffed by reliable professionals whom I can trust. The people who work in the pharmacy in this store will let me know if a medication is extremely expensive, or not available because it is currently out-of-stock or there is a problem with the prescription. I have confidence in them. That has not always been the case with other drugstores where I’ve taken my business.
I sent an email to Tammie Young-Ennaemba, the Manager, Corporate Affairs, Kroger Atlanta Division, to express my displeasure at hearing the news of this planned closure. In my email, I explained to her why the branch is important to me and others in the surrounding communities along Buford, Clairmont Road, Dresden, and other nearby streets. I also asked why this branch was considered “underperforming.” Was it not profitable, or just not as profitable as Kroger executives thought it should be? Was it losing money? If so, was it losing a lot of money, or a little? Finally, what would have to happen to keep the branch open?
Ms. Young did not answer any of these questions. She merely said that I could have my prescriptions filled at any Kroger pharmacy in the metro area. She also suggested that I could shop at other Kroger stores, including the one at 3871 Peachtree Rd. NE, in Brookhaven, which is located in the Cherokee Plaza Shopping Center.
Occasionally, my husband and I shop at that branch. It seems much larger than the one on Buford Highway, and each department (e.g., soft drinks, canned beans, etc.) appears to be much larger, too. It also includes a sushi bar and a place where people can sit and eat. This variety might appeal to many people but when I go there, I find that I must search through a ton of things I don’t want to find the ones I do.
However, the main reason I don’t like shopping at the Cherokee Plaza branch is that I must contend with a lot of traffic to get there. It’s no wonder. That store is located on a heavily travelled stretch of Peachtree Road. It is near several very popular businesses, such as a Chick-fil-A and Dunkin’ Donuts, as well as the MARTA train station, and the new city hall. A Starbuck’s sits right outside the shopping center.
When I do arrive at the shopping center, the parking lot is much more crowded. Besides Kroger, there are several other businesses in Cherokee Plaza whose customers also use that parking lot: Willie’s, Chin Chin, Jersey Mike’s, Dutch Cleaners, Salon Lofts, Buckhead Nails, and a space available to be leased.
If the Kroger located on Buford Highway closes as scheduled, I doubt that I will do more shopping at other Kroger branches. I will probably spend more money at Publix, Walmart, and Aldi.
Readers of this piece might conclude that it was written by an old lady who just objects to change of any kind. It is not. I am writing to advance the ideas that bigger is not necessarily better, and that the importance of a business—in this case, the Kroger on Buford Highway—cannot be measured simply by its profitability. There are other factors to consider. I hope Kroger executives will look again at this branch and take those factors into consideration.
