It's kind of weird to see a platitude that pretty much everyone has been repeating over and over showing up in a decor package that was designed over a decade ago! (It's also weird to think of Bountiful being that old at this point, which is also why I'm not a huge fan of calling it "2012" since it started showing up around here prior to then...) Back in December when I visited this store, obviously the world was a much different place, hence why I didn't think to take a better picture of it at the time. Also, keep the weird waiting area thing under the sign in mind for (much) later...
Yeah, I have the same problem with the name of the package, but for better or for worse 2012 has become so ingrained in the community that it's more recognizable and thus, in my opinion, better to use even though it's technically incorrect. (Why couldn't it have been like millennium and just had a general timeframe attached, haha!) In all seriousness though, it is pretty cool to see just how much pull the Memphis crowd has had on Kroger décor names... all of the ones up to Urban Mix they've had some hand in naming, even if several of them are just obvious choices (neon, fresh fare). Also can't quite remember where fresh and local came from, but I'm pretty sure both you and l_dawg denied it, so maybe it was me even though I don't remember it?! XD
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the name 2012 of course came from the fact that the Memphis crowd first happened upon it in that year. I think it was present shortly before then in Memphis though, and had been around since at least 2009 per RetailWatchers. 2012 is also a lot shorter to type than bountiful, so there's that XD
Yep, you Memphis guys certainly seem to run the show when it comes to Kroger! You also seem to have the highest concentration of retail fans in your area too, something I'm still jealous of 😉 Anyways, I've always liked to use the official names for decor packages, which is why I often go with the extra long designation of "2012/Bountiful" even though I'm pretty sure everyone knows what I'm talking about even without going to that trouble.
DeleteAs for Fresh and Local, I'm not sure where that name came from, but I think last time we had this discussion we decided it may have come from RetailWatchers. (I still think it might have come from you... 🤷♂️) I can say for sure it's not from me, since the name was certainly around before I started!
I'll concede that we've had a lot of Memphis-area folks in the community -- most of them active in the past, but not currently -- but wow, I've always thought there were soooo many more people in places like the northeast and in Florida! Those are the two highest-concentration areas I'm familiar with. As always though, I guess everything is relative :P
DeleteYep, I can understand that preference. Honestly, I didn't really know about official names when I started this hobby (besides ACME Style knowing a handful, but still using the made-up ones!). It's cool to know them for reference purposes, and I do like the name "Urban Mix" (as well as "bountiful"), but in other instances I prefer just to stick with the made-up names ("banner" and "neighborhood" come to mind on those :P ). You've been very instrumental in uncovering these names in the first place though, so your work is definitely appreciated!
I guess it could have been me, but geez, I feel like that's something I'd stay proud of, and not forget about XD To my knowledge all I've been able to name are the "flytraps" in 2012/bountiful. I tried to name the new package in the Delta Division, but l_dawg's name ("2012: The Remix") stuck instead :P It is admittedly better than mine though, so it's all good.
Maybe it's just that I follow you Memphis folks more closely than those other areas -- I know there are many people out there that I really should be paying attention to that I just haven't been. Anyways, it's certainly much different from up here!
DeleteI didn't know about official names when I started either, which is why I've mostly used the same ones you use for Kroger and the AFB/Acme Style ones for Albertsons. It was a while until I figured out how to dig up the official names (and glad I could be helpful with that!). I do agree that some of the official names are kind of dumb (and I'd add Artisan to that list -- hopefully someone will come up with a better name for it at some point!).