CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Kroger announced today that it will discontinue construction plans for a new store at the corner of Needmore and Tiny Town roads.
“This was a very difficult decision based on business reasons,” said Melissa Eads, corporate affairs manager for the Nashville division of Kroger. “Kroger is shifting capital expenditures in the short term from brick and mortar to focus on the customer experience in our existing stores, ecommerce and digital technology. We are grateful to both Mayor Kim McMillan and Mayor Jim Durrett and their teams for working with us on this project, and are excited about the plans we have to make changes and improvements to our Dover Crossing and Madison Street stores.”
Mayor Kim McMillan released the following statement regarding the cancellation:
“Of course, we are disappointed that a major retailer has discontinued a big project in the City of Clarksville. We know our citizens were excited about the prospect of having this new store near their Northeast Clarksville neighborhoods.
“However, we understand that Kroger must consider emerging digital commerce trends in its business environment and make the best decisions for the company’s future. Kroger officials were very complimentary of the help they received on this project from local governments, and made it clear that they remain committed to the Clarksville marketplace. Kroger has always been a good corporate citizen, and we are thankful the company will continue to be strong part of Clarksville’s economy.”
The remodel underway at the Madison Street store will include the addition of Clicklist, the on-line ordering system that Kroger offers at a number of their stores now including the Lowes Drive store. Customers order groceries on-line and pick up curbside the same day. The service is expected to be up and running at the Madison Street store by September 1, which is when the remodel is expected to be complete. This remodel includes the addition of a fresh sushi shop, and other updates as well.
An even more extensive remodel is underway at the Dover Crossing store. The store will receive new décor, cases, and shelving throughout the store. A fresh sushi shop will be added, frozen food will be expanded, the floral shop will be upgraded, and the Pharmacy will be updated. The store will also receive new self-checkout units, an additional express checkout lane, and a new customer service center. This remodel should be completed by the end of the year.
These two remodel projects represent a $3 million dollar investment in the Clarksville community.
“We certainly remain committed to the Clarksville-Montgomery County area,” said Eads. “We employee over 400 associates in our 3 Clarksville stores, and will be adding 25 more jobs as part of these remodels. We appreciate the support of the community, and we look forward to serving residents here for many years to come.”