Louisiana’s largest Kroger store officially open in Bossier City
The shelves are full. The produce is fresh. The store is ready.
Bossier City’s Kroger Marketplace is now open. Not only is it the first marketplace store to open in the state, but it’s the first store Kroger has built and opened in Louisiana in 17 years.
Gary Huddleston, Director of Public Affairs for Kroger in North Texas & Louisiana, said the store is three times the size of their previous location on Benton Road, which closed for good Tuesday evening.
“The growth in that area of Bossier is very good,” Huddleston said. “The location in relation to the high traffic along Airline Drive and its proximity to I-220 makes it easily accessible to the region. It’s a retailing center with a high school and residential units nearby…there’s a lot of activity in that area.”
Kroger Marketplace offers customers a food-centric shopping experience with chef-prepared items and pastries, fresh fruit and vegetables, wine, specialty cheeses, premium-cut meats, fresh seafood and organic products. But the list doesn’t stop there.
The store has home goods, kitchenware, small appliances, tech accessories, toys, adult and children’s apparel and shoes. It also has a Starbucks, a Kroger Fuel Center and a Kroger Pharmacy.
“It’s truly a one-stop shopping experience for our customers,” Huddleston said.
Since the opening of its new location, the Benton Road location has closed its doors. Pam Glorioso with the City of Bossier City said the property, which is owned by the city, will be appraised and put up for sale.
Huddleston said the pull of customers from that location to the new marketplace would greatly impact the Benton Road location.
“We had the opportunity to build in a new area and that unfortunately meant closing the existing store,” he said. “The marketplace store offers much more for our customers and the employees were transferred to the new store. From the international food selections, sushi in our prepared foods section and our high quality, premium cuts of meat, every area has expanded variety. We’ve done extensive training with our employees to give outstanding customer service and product knowledge of what the store has to offer.”
The new Kroger Market place is the second business to open in the new north Bossier development. Hobby Lobby celebrated its grand opening in October.
Bossier City residents can expect more retailers and restaurants to open in the shopping center. Other known restaurants, which have yet to release their opening dates, include Buffalo Wild Wings, Panera Bread Whataburger and Panda Express.
