Community Efforts Help Change Kroger’s Mind

O&AN returns to 8 of the 34 Kroger locations, while Harris-Teeter has yet to respond.

by Joyce L. Arnold Ph.D.

After several weeks of news coverage, e-mails and a “return receipt” campaign, Kroger announced that Out and About Newspaper will be returned to eight of the store distribution sites for free publications.

For a couple of weeks, the May issue of O&AN was carried in 34 local Kroger stores. When Kroger made the decision to pull the publication, local organizations and individuals contacted the corporation, to express their concern, and urge a return of the monthly. The Tennessee Equality Project, the GLBT Chamber and the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition, along with the support of several other organizations, developed a campaign, asking people to do their shopping somewhere rather than Kroger, save their receipts for that one week, and send them to be included in a total. According to campaign organizers, over 255 receipts were submitted, totaling $15,132.29. Projecting for a year, that total comes to $786,879.08.

The eight Kroger stores are located in ZIP code areas that have 300 or more subscribers to Out & About. No start distribution date has been announced. The publication was also pulled from three Harris Teeter locations. According to a statement from TEP and the GLBT Chamber, there has yet been a written response from Harris-Teeter. The statement urged community members to “continue to press them for answers.”

One July 2, Kroger issued a statement in which Lynn Marmer, Kroger’s Group Vice President of Corporate Affairs says, “Nashville is a diverse city, similar to Atlanta, Dallas and other major metropolitan areas. Having free special interest publications, for example for seniors, families with young children or the GLBT community, is a way of serving local interests.”

At the time the publication was removed, Kroger explained that, “We have had a long-standing policy in place that prohibits the third-party from distributing publications that promote political, religious or other specific agendas.” DistribuTech, through whom O&A contracted for the actual distribution, stated, “This is an instance where the May edition of Out & About Newspapers was placed in Nashville retail locations, by DistribuTech, prior to completion of our standard internal and external review and approval processes.”

In addition to local organizations, the Human Rights Campaign and the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce became involved. Other local organizations participating in the “return receipts” campaign include PFLAG Nashville and Nashville Pride.

Chris Sanders, Chair of TEP, stated, “Our community bargained from a position of strength. We should show our strength again in a reconciling gesture by expressing our appreciation to Kroger for reconsidering their position. At the same time,” he continued, “we cannot fail to express our disappointment with Harris-Teeter for failing to engage in dialogue as Kroger has done.”