The company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Fred Meyer Jewelers, is the nation's third-largest fine jewelry retail chain, with about 326 stores in 30 states under the Fred Meyer Jewelers and Littman Jewelers names.

Geographic Reach

More than half of the Fred Meyer stores are located in Portland and Seattle. The rest are scattered across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska (home to 7 stores).

Sales and Marketing

Fred Meyer's fine jewelry is sold in stand-alone units in malls and shops inside multi-department stores such as Fred Meyer, as well as in certain Kroger Marketplace, Dillons Marketplace, Fry's Marketplace, Smith's Marketplace, and King Soopers Marketplace stores across the US.

Strategy

Fred Meyer is a breed apart in the retail industry. Unlike traditional supermarkets, warehouse stores, or supercenters, Fred Meyer's multi-depatment stores combine several specialty stores -- including food, apparel, home department, and even jewelry counters -- under one roof. Amenities at Fred Meyer Stores include seating areas in the book department, drive-up pharmacy windows, gas stations, and produce sections designed to resemble a farmers market. Also, following a popular trend in retailing today, Fred Meyer is teaming up with in-store health clinic operator SmartCare Family Medical Centers, to operate clinics in its stores in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

In addition to its private-label products that offer high-quality and low prices, Fred Meyers focuses on selling national brand products to give it a competitive advantage. These brands include: Levi's, Columbia Sportswear, Nike, Kitchen Aid, adidas, Dockers, Apple, Panasonic, Nikon, Canon, Jockey, Ashley, and Sony.

Company Background

Fred Meyer Stores, Inc. was acquired by The Kroger Co. in 1999.