Two of Harrison’s biggest retail stores are Kroger and Rempke. On two opposite sides of the highway, they offer our community easily accessible choices about where to buy your groceries. Each store has positives and negatives, and read on to find out more about your grocery options.
POSITIVES ABOUT KROGER
Kroger is a grocery store commonly found around the Midwest, and the brand owns grocery stores across the nation under different names, so you may be surprised about where you can use your Kroger Plus card. In Harrison, our retail store is located between our lovely taco bell, and the Planet Fitness Plaza. It’s hard to miss. The best thing about Kroger has to begin with the salaries, starting out for a bagger is $12.40. That’s above minimum wage, and you can began working at just age 15. While you have to be 16 or older to handle the money or scan a needed ID item, you can look forward to turning 16 and becoming a cashier, and making $13.60 an hour.
Kroger is a part of union, and so employees can receive up to a 40-cent yearly raise. The longer you’re there, the more money you’ll receive. Another perk is that after one year, you get a one week paid vacation, paid at the average pay per week.
Kroger is one of the most accessible retail stores, because it is on such a main road that travels through almost the entirety of Harrison. After you get your groceries MOST people head over to the checkouts, where they have a decision: do you wait in line at a register, or do you choose to self-scan. This decision is based on number of items, questions, coupons, or basic knowledge of working a self-checkout machine on your own. As a part of my job working at Kroger, my boss had me test out which option was faster by taking 3 items through a register and a self-checkout lane on one Sunday night. On register it took 1 minute 30, and during the self-checkout process with no line, it took 45 seconds. These times could vary depending on the date, the time, the population etc.
Along with that positivity, Kroger also has made space between aisles, space to be able to walk in and away from people. It can be quick and easy, and they sell many different things. Some of the options are HomeGoods, produce, deli meats, bakery, candles, toys, skin products, clothes. etc etc. If you need it, they probably have it. Kroger employs a vast variety of different people; they definitely pride themselves on diversity creating a welcome environment of teenagers, young adults, middle age, older folk. Brunette hair, blonde, black, dyed hair, different styles different personalities. Despite the differences, employes at Kroger always seem to get along. Many of the workers seem to joke and laugh with each other every shift.
POSITIVITES ABOUT REMKE
Remke has its positives just as much as Kroger does. The salary at Remke for a bagger is 11/HR, and you can begin at 16 here. Kroger hires younger workers (at 15) but Remke might be ensuring the maturity level of their staff, or needing workers who can drive and have easy access to shifts. Cashier pay is the same, and according to a Remke employee, only has one bagger.
Remke is right off exit 1, Interstate 74. It is located next to many other businesses. If you’re in need of hardwood at Home Depot, a sub from Subway or even pet supplies from the Pet Store, Remke puts you close to the action! While many other businesses are near, Remke is the retail/grocery store anchoring this retail area. They have a decent selection of almost everything, bakery goods, frozen goods, pharmacy goods, and even popcorn you can purchase near the front by checkout. I experimented with how long it takes to get through register and self-checkout with 3 items, it took a minute on register and 30-35 seconds with self-checkout, Remke doesn’t stay very busy so it’s likely you will always have a very quick and open space to shop.
Remke is very spacious on the inside, and it never seems crowded. The aisles are large and walkable, and the entire building is one large open space almost. So if you are someone who has issues with crowded stores, this might be the store for you. Remke is a good place if you want little human interaction and lots of open space height wise and length wise.
The quiet environment of Remke makes it a welcoming place; it mainly consists of older workers and teenagers that need an okay job after school every day. On average brown hair seems to be the most reoccurring hair color interestingly enough, the workers seem to converse with each other when nobody is in need of help.
NEGATIVES ABOUT KROGER.
Kroger is a make it right store, so if you have a problem, management and many just normal workers will do what they can to make your situations right. While this is a great thing, it sometimes encourages employees to treat workers negatively. Workers are allowed to argue back with customers to protect their dignity, but upper management should not let customers disrespect their workers in the first place over 5-dollar coupons.
Kroger has made many improvements over the years, and the space is adequate enough for a normal shopping experience. From observation there’s a once in a while issue with getting past people because of display tables. They take up a lot of room in the middle of the back aisles and when you attempt to get your milk, or turn into a aisle you may run into someone coming from the other side or out of another aisle.
NEGATIVES ABOUT REMKE
Currently as off 11/10/25, Remke is currently changing their company holders so the gathered info might change.
A big negative about Remke is that employees don’t get paid vacations, and most of the time to get a raise or make more money you have to get a better and higher work role, like a manager. For a high school student that is very impractical, because you won’t have time to balance school, sports, and being HR for a huge company.
So, in hindsight, if you only can make 11 dollars an hour it’s probably a better choice to work at McDonalds for 12+ a hour.
Remke also doesn’t have baggers, except for the one. Otherwise, the cashiers are the baggers themselves, while Remke isn’t very busy, it could get frustrating being your own bagger all the time and very lonely at your own till.
Another thing to possibly bring into the mix is how expensive Remke can be compared to other stores or even a gas station. When we compare just a simple grocery item like a zipped share bag of M&M’s, Kroger is around 3-4 dollars while Remke is $5-6. that’s a good almost 2 dollars more! And their bakery items can be less product for so much more money.
One more thing to take into consideration is the deli closes quite early, so even if someone’s working back there, that doesn’t mean you’ll get served anything, need some deli meat? find someplace else.
Both of these stores have good qualities, and we are lucky to have two great options for grocery shopping in our small community!
