[Deer Hunter]

For starters, I understand that Kroger did this for money. Being involved in a gun buy-back brings customers to their doors, which I completely respect.

It's not the motive I have a problem with. It was the execution.

This email was sent to me by Chris Hibbard in response to an email I sent that included a link to the newest edition of Gunfacts.

Chris Hibbard

In regards to Kroger’s involvement in the Gun Buyback Program:

I am sending out a mass apology to everyone affected by my response to the Gun Buyback Program. It was entirely my fault – I sent out incorrect information. I was not entirely educated on Kroger’s stance on the gun buyback program, and therefore I took information off of a website provided in our information. I did not properly read the website, and those statements actually came from the State of Oregon, rather than Kroger. Again, this is entirely my fault, I did make a mistake and I am truly sorry for this.

About Kroger’s involvement with the buyback program – Kroger has absolutely NO involvement in this. These states purchased gift cards from our stores because statistically we are the store most shopped at in these states. The states purchased gift cards from us – we in no way had anything to do with what they were using the cards for, nor did we provide any sponsorship or funding to these programs (this includes ALL states I mentioned in my original response). I have also received some statements about the discounts provided on the gift cards. This in no way has anything to do with the program or what the cards were being used for – anyone who purchases gift cards from us in bulk receives a certain discount based on how many they purchase.

I sincerely apologize for my mistake – I in no way intended on offending anyone or intentionally sending out misinformation. I have been coached for the mistakes and am currently working with a supervisor to become more knowledgeable on the subject.

[3pairs12]

Just got it also.

[Deer Hunter]

No, it's an email I received from Chris.

[shaggy430]

I just got the same reply. I wonder how many people sent emails to her? Perhaps she will rethink adding her own personal agendas to company responses. I'm still not shopping at Kroger.

[3pairs12]

I found a link that said no public money was used during the gun buy back in Dallas. A spokesperson for the city of Dallas stated that event sponsors purchased the gift cards from Kroger's for 30% off.

[Rockwell1]

Ok now we need to be gracious and thank her for her response.

[TexasRifleman]

Ok now we need to be gracious and thank her for her response.

If you read the whole other thread it's clear her superiors were unhappy with her responses.

I'm still not sure what the actual Kroger corporate position is on all of this.

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

If they offered a *discount* on the cards, then that's tantamount to making a *contribution*, making them culpable - does anyone know for sure whether a discount was offered to the city - do we have good evidence of that?

[3pairs12]

The discount wasn't offered to the city it was offered to event sponsors. According to the Dallas spokesperson.
Read it here

http://texasfred.net/archives/3716

[nalioth]

If they offered a *discount* on the cards, then that's tantamount to making a *contribution* When last I looked, buying in bulk always offers a discount over buying a single product.

Anyone who desires (state, private parties) who purchase a large enough quantity of gift cards can get the discount. I don't see Kroger playing favorites at all, on a technical level.

Now if some large firearms chain starts a "Buy a gun, get a Kroger gift card." sales campaign and Kroger denies the sale (or doesn't offer the discount), I could see where there'd be a problem.

I work for a widget maker. We offer discounts based on how many widgets a person purchases. Are we "contributing" anything to those purchasers who buy large enough amounts to receive a discount?

[3pairs12]

This Christmas I purchashed 100 $50 gift cards and recieved no discount. Gift cards as good as cash and never remember seeing anybody offer discounts for them.

[TexasRifleman]

When last I looked, buying in bulk always offers a discount over buying a single product.

Anyone who desires (state, private parties) who purchase a large enough quantity of gift cards can get the discount. I don't see Kroger playing favorites at all, on a technical level.

Kroger sells discounted gift cards to registered charities. You or I can't go into a Kroger and buy discounted cards. I asked them at my local store :)

So, they sell to charities. As a private entity they can refuse to do business with some charities.

If NAMBLA wanted to buy Kroger gift cards for a raffle I would expect Kroger to tell them to pound sand.

I expect them to do the same to anti gun activities or I'll spend my money else where.

That whole freedom thing.....

[Dragk913]

Nevermind. I didn't read all the responses.
Please skip over this post :P

[3pairs12]

This wasn't considered a charity though was it? I thought it was an event.

[TexasRifleman]

If you read the email, the discount is offered to everyone that buys cards in bulk (just like when you buy ammo in bulk!).

I asked the local Kroger manager about this the other day, when all of this came up. He told me the offer of discounted gift cards was made to "registered charitable organizations", not just anyone wanting to buy them.

[TexasRifleman]

This wasn't considered a charity though was it? I thought it was an event.

The actual purchaser of the gift cards was a registered charitable organization called "Better Dallas Safer Dallas".

http://www.saferdallas.com/

The money was provided by Schepps Dairy it seems, possibly some radio stations as well.

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

What TXRifleman said!

[3pairs12]

These are the reasons we have put the Cease Fire act in place. Please visit http://www.ceasefireoregon.org/coef/turnin.html (which is our published Cease Fire movement for Oregon from 2008) for more information. I will notate your concerns and forward them to our management.

If you have any further concerns, feel free to contact us.


Sincerely,



Chris Hibbard
Consumer Affairs


They still are on record for being a part of this.

[hso]

Kroger's corporate position has been provided in the other thread in the email from Ms. Diggs.

Corporate was not aware of Ms. Hibbard's email and when I provided it to Ms. Diggs they stated Ms. Hibbard's response was not proper.

Obviously Ms. Hibbard is in a world of trouble right now over her email and Kroger has told her to apologize for her mistake.

When a 501c3 walks in the manager makes the decision about the purchase of gift cards. We still don't know what non-profit purchased the cards and we don't have a good response from Kroger corporate about whether the cards were purchased from a single store, a Kroger office responsible for the Dallas area or whether it was approved at the TX state level. Kroger corporate has been pretty explicit that they did not authorize the purchase or discount, but they don't have to if it is within the individual store manager's range of authority (usually dollar value).

What we should be doing is insisting on some sort of statement from Kroger corporate that they communicated to their individual store managers that this is too controversial an issue for the managers to allow Kroger to get embroiled in the conflict.

[TexasRifleman]

We still don't know what non-profit purchased the cards

Yes, we have that. Better Dallas Safer Dallas bought the cards with money provided by Schepps Dairy.
It doesn't appear that the radio stations contributed money for the cards, just airtime to advertise the event, but that one is turning out to be tough to verify.

http://www.saferdallas.com/

[hso]

Did BDSD or one of their coalition partners do it? That's the problem with these sorts of situations. These organizations are usually a coalition of organizations and I've seen Church A and Non-profit B go do different things for Coalition Z, all in the name of Coalition Z. If we're going to place responsibility we need to know a lot of information to be able to apply leverage at the correct point.

Who purchased the card, did they tell the person they were purchasing the cards from what they were for or did they just walk in and say "Hi, I'm from BDSD/Church B and I'd like to purchase some gift cards. My budget is $X and here's my 501c3 proof. What can I get?"

What we need to find out is what level of management at Kroger ok'd the purchase, exactly who they were purchased by, and what the manager knew about what they were going to be used for.

Putting pressure on the corporate office and the districts will bring about a change in the future, but we need to know what change we want to see and what level it needs to flow down to.

Obviously we want Kroger to be certain that it directs all levels of it's management to not participate in gun buy-backs in any manner.

Since Ms. Hibbard looks to be close to losing her job for the anti propaganda she repeated we should focus on what level of management is actually responsible for this happening in the first place so that their decision has the consequences it warrants.

[chuckusaret]

This email was sent to me by Chris Hibbard in response to an email I sent that included a link to the newest edition of Gunfacts.
This is a reply to everyone that e-mailed Chris in reference to the Dallas Gun Buy back. Some THR members also received e-mails from others at Kroger .

[TexasRifleman]

Did BDSD or one of their coalition partners do it?

All I have is some information from a local reporter. I have no idea what the source of his info is and likely won't be able to get much more.

[chuckusaret]

All I have is some information from a local reporter. I have no idea what the source of his info is and likely won't be able to get much more.

Would you care to share the reporters comments with us.

Corporate was not aware of Ms. Hibbard's email and when I provided it to Ms. Diggs they stated Ms. Hibbard's response was not proper.

There stories were in conflict and I guess Ms. Hibbard did not have the authority to reply to the e-mails that were sent by THR members.

There is an opportunity cost for everything and Kroger's was the lose of business.

[TexasRifleman]

Would you care to share the reporters comments with us.

There's not much to share. A local gun writer/blogger/sometimes reporter, Trey Garrison, brought this gun buyback to light originally and wrote that Better Dallas Safer Dallas bought the gift cards.

Not much else to tell. An email to him didn't get any more detail than what he wrote originally so I suspect that's all the info there will be.

http://www.treygarrison.com/

[chuckusaret]

Thanks, I believe we got Kroger's attention. Now we will have to wait to see if they take our boycott seriously. A chain as large as Kroger will have a hard time to see a reduction in sales across the board if the boycott is only supported by a few thousand people. Kroger's is a large corporation.

[3pairs12]

Well atleast they are aware of what is been happening. That is the first step.

[pbearperry]

What is Kroger?

[3pairs12]

Grocery store.

[bonza]

Here in Washington we don't have Krogers, but we do have Fred Meyer stores which are owned by them.
Kroger also operate the following stores in various parts of the country:
Ralphs, King Soopers, City Market, Dillons, Smith's Food & Drug, Fry's, QFC, Baker's, Owen's, Jay C Food Stores, Hilander, Gerbes, Pay Less Super Markets, Scott's Food & Pharmacy, Food4Less, & Foods Co.. Plus some convenience stores.
The above list was taken from the Kroger website http://www.thekrogerco.com/

[nalioth]

Kroger also operate the following stores in various parts of the country: Fry's That would be Fry's grocery stores, not Fry's Electronics.

[ebarber]

I got the same e-mail from Ms Hibbard

[coachteet]

Local Krogers stores in the Cincinnati area originally had the "no guns" signs posted, shortly after the concealed carry laws were passed. They buckled under the pressure and removed signs from all stores when there were a few muggings in their parking lots and gun rights groups turned up the heat.

I am pretty sure that Kroger was not making any kind of political statement by providing the gift cards, at a discount or not.

[chuckusaret]

I just happened across this tid bit: Myth: Gun “buy back” programs get guns off the streets
*250 Fact: According to the federal government, gun ‘buybacks’ have “no effect”.
Fact: “Buy backs” remove no more than 2% of the firearms within a community. And the firearms that are removed do not resemble guns used in crimes. “There has never been any effect on crime results seen”.
Fact: Up to 62% of people trading in a firearm still have another at home, and 27% said they would or might buy another within a year.* 252
Fact: More than 50% of the weapons bought via a gun buy-back program were over 15 years old, whereas almost half of firearms seized from juveniles are less than three years old.

*252 Jon Vernick, John Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, Sacramento and St. Louis studies
*253 District of Columbia buyback program, 1999
http://www.gunfacts.info/pdfs/gun-facts/5.0/GunFacts5-0-screen.pdf