EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: Inside Kroger’s Newest Marketplace Location
The Kroger Co. cut the ribbon last week on its first new store in Central Ohio in 15 years. The 123,000-square-foot Marketplace location, which is situated in the Jerome Village community in Plain City, opened on Nov. 8 and stands as one of Kroger’s largest stores in the Midwest.
The cost of the new build was $38 million and marks the only new Central Ohio location in the last 15 years that hasn’t replaced an older store. The Jerome Village Marketplace employs about 150 associates, with some department leads and managers transferring in from other Kroger locations.
Store manager Nicole Thomas, who has been with the company for eight years, was chosen as one of this year’s Progressive Grocer GenNext honorees.
Features of the new store include a 3,000-square-foot space dedicated to curbside pickup operations, as well as a sushi kiosk, Murray’s Cheese counter, drive-thru pharmacy, fuel center, and expanded furniture and apparel sections.
Kroger also announced this week that it is investing further in Central Ohio with another new Marketplace location in the Columbus suburb of Powell. The 123,00-square-foot store is expected to open in late 2025 and will cost about $35 million.
The Kroger Family of Companies’ nearly 420,000 associates serve more than 11 million customers daily through a digital shopping experience and retail food stores under a variety of banner names. The Cincinnati-based grocer is No. 4 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named Kroger one of its Retailers of the Century.
