SMITHFIELD, Va. – Smithfield is finally getting a Kroger!
The grand opening of the more than 45,000-square-foot store, located at 1282 Smithfield Plaza, will take place on Wednesday, December 5 at 8 a.m. It is the seventh store to open of the stores acquired from Farm Fresh in Hampton Roads.
Related: Harris Teeter, other grocers to buy Farm Fresh stores in Hampton Roads
The first 200 customers to enter the new store will receive a $5 Kroger gift card.
“With the Farm Fresh acquisition, we’re having the opportunity to serve two new communities, with Smithfield being one of them,” said Jerry Clontz, president of Kroger Mid-Atlantic. “We’re excited to welcome these customers into Kroger for the first time.”
The store will employ 95 full-time and part-time workers. Thirty-two associates were hired from Farm Fresh, many of whom who have leadership positions throughout the store.
In the next several weeks, the store will offer Kroger’s new “Scan, Bag, Go” technology, which allows shoppers to scan their own groceries for quicker shopping. In 2019, Kroger’s online shopping service Pickup will launch at this new location.
In line with Kroger’s commitment to the community, the grocer will donate $2,000 to the following local organizations:
- Isle of Wight Christian Outreach Program
- Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department Station
- Isle of Wight County Animal Control & Shelter
- Isle of Wight County Schools
The checks will be presented during the ribbon cutting ceremony at the grand opening on Wednesday.
After the ribbon cutting, Kroger and Kraft Heinz will present a $25,000 check to the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore at 8:30 a.m. The donation is the result of a recent partnership between Kroger and Kraft Heinz to raise funds for the Foodbank, and the donation will allow $150,000 worth of grocery products to be distributed into the Hampton Roads community.
“I was the store leader at this same location when it was a Farm Fresh and I can’t wait to welcome so many familiar faces when we open our doors tomorrow,” said Chessie Daughtrey, store manager of the Smithfield Kroger who has more than 16 years of experience in the industry. “The donations we’re making back into our community this morning are going to positively effect so many people in the community.”
The grocer will invest $109,000 into the Hampton Roads community throughout the grand openings as part of the company’s commitment to its Zero Hunger Zero Waste efforts to end hunger in local communities and eliminate waste in stores.
