Kroger is seen in Oxford, Miss., Monday, March 23, 2015. (DM Photo | Cady Herring)
Oxford Kroger will double in size with the building of a new Kroger Marketplace. The current store is 54,000 square feet and will be expanding to 123,000 square feet with its new addition. To put that in perspective, Oxford’s Walmart is 203,000 square feet.
Construction will begin in 2016 and includes the addition of clothing, home goods, small appliances and a bistro. Teresa Dickerson, spokeswoman for Kroger, said that among those changes will also be an open-air seafood market and an expanded natural food section. The new store will retain the groceries, pharmacy, produce, meat counter and gas station found at the current store.
Customers will not have to put their shopping on hold during construction. While the new store is in its various phases of construction, customers will still be able to shop at the building.
Kroger is looking to provide a pleasurable shopping experience for its loyal Oxford customers, but students do not see this expansion as an entirely positive change.
“I think that Oxford is growing way too fast,” said Michael Drew Turner, Ole Miss freshman and Oxford native. “They keep trying to put a bunch of franchises in Oxford instead of one-of-a-kind stores and restaurants that make Oxford the unique place it is.”
Other students expressed concern for other reasons.
“What we really need is a Target,” freshman Kelsey Knecht said. “I wish they would use the money to obtain a good Target instead of using it towards a mediocre Kroger.”
Sophomore Madeleine Kay expressed excitement for the expansion of the organic food selection and the new seafood market; however, she also showed displeasure for some of the other additions.
“I don’t think it’s smart that they will be selling clothes because Walmart’s prices will obviously be cheaper. Kroger should stick to what it does best instead of trying to become a version of Walmart.” Kay said.
