Dillons

Dillons is a regional grocery retailer serving Kansas and nearby Midwestern markets under the ownership of The Kroger Co. Its roots trace to John S. Dillon's general-store business in Sterling, Kansas, in 1890. Dillon later developed a cash-and-carry grocery format in Hutchinson, opening the J.S. Dillon Cash Store in 1913. The model eliminated customer credit and home delivery, allowing the business to reduce the financial and labor burdens associated with those services while concentrating on store-based grocery sales. The enterprise expanded through the 1910s and was incorporated under the Dillon Mercantile Company name in 1917. After John Dillon's sons returned from military service in France during the First World War, the family resumed operating the business and opened a J.S. Dillon and Sons store in 1919. The company incorporated again in 1921, establishing the corporate foundation for the later Dillon Companies organization. Dillons grew from a Kansas grocery operator into a broader regional food-retailing group. Its division structure has historically included related banners such as Gerbes in Missouri and Baker's in the Omaha, Nebraska, area. Dillons' principal market remains Kansas, with notable concentrations and influence in Wichita, Topeka, Manhattan, and Lawrence. The company also operates distribution facilities in Goddard and Hutchinson, supporting its store network and regional supply chain. In 1983, Dillon Companies was acquired by The Kroger Co. of Cincinnati. The transaction brought the Dillons operation into a national grocery company while preserving Dillons as a regional retail banner. The acquisition also connected Dillons to Kroger's wider operating capabilities, including purchasing, distribution, pharmacy, private-label products, and supermarket technology. Members of the Dillon family continued to have significance within Kroger's leadership; David Dillon later became Kroger president and chief operating officer and was appointed chief executive officer in 2003. He retired from that role effective January 1, 2014. Dillons has operated conventional supermarkets offering packaged groceries, fresh foods, produce, meat, dairy, bakery items, household goods, and pharmacy services. In 2006, Kroger introduced the first Dillons Marketplace in Wichita. The large-format concept, described as comparable to Kroger's Fred Meyer format, combined a substantial grocery assortment with general merchandise in a store of approximately 110,000 square feet. This expanded the brand beyond a conventional supermarket proposition and gave it a format suited to one-stop shopping. The chain has also experienced market retrenchment. Four Dillons stores in Springfield, Missouri, closed in 2015, and a Dillons pharmacy in Joplin closed on February 12 of that year. The Joplin store had previously been destroyed by the 2011 Joplin tornado. These events illustrate the brand's regional footprint and the way individual locations have been affected by local competition, operating decisions, and natural disasters. Dillons remains a Kroger regional banner centered on Kansas, combining conventional supermarkets with larger Marketplace locations and associated pharmacy and grocery services.

Dillons developed from the retail activities of John S. Dillon, who opened a general store in Sterling, Kansas, in 1890. His early experience exposed the operating costs of extending credit and delivering groceries to customers' homes. In response, Dillon opened the J.S. Dillon Cash Store in Hutchinson in 1913. The cash-and-carry approach required customers to pay at the time of purchase and collect their goods from the store, reducing the labor and financial risks associated with delivery and credit accounts. A second store opened in 1915. Dillon managed the new location while placing his son Ray E. Dillon in charge of the original Hutchinson operation. The business was incorporated as Dillon Mercantile Company, Inc., in 1917. During the First World War, both John and Ray Dillon served overseas in France, and John sold the company to investment partners. After the two sons returned, they established a new J.S. Dillon and Sons Store in 1919. The enterprise was incorporated again in 1921, creating a more formal family-company structure. Over the following decades, the business expanded beyond its earliest stores and became known as Dillon Companies. Its regional organization eventually included other grocery banners. Gerbes, founded in Tipton, Missouri, by Frank J. Gerbes in 1933, merged with Dillon Companies in 1966 and became part of the Dillon division. The division also included Baker's in the Omaha area. This multi-banner structure allowed the parent organization to tailor store identities to local markets while consolidating purchasing and operating resources. The most important corporate turning point came in 1983, when The Kroger Co. acquired Dillon Companies. The transaction expanded Kroger's geographic reach and made Dillons part of a nationwide grocery organization. Dillons continued to operate as a recognizable regional banner, with Kansas as its core territory. Its strongest market influence has been in and around Wichita, Topeka, Manhattan, and Lawrence. The business has also maintained distribution centers in Goddard and Hutchinson, reinforcing its Kansas-centered supply network. The Dillon family remained connected to Kroger after the acquisition. David Dillon rose to senior leadership at Kroger, serving as president and chief operating officer before becoming chief executive officer in 2003. He retired from the chief executive position effective January 1, 2014. His career represented the continuing relationship between the acquired regional company and Kroger's corporate leadership. Dillons expanded its retail proposition in 2006 when Kroger opened the first Dillons Marketplace in Wichita. The format was modeled in part on the larger Fred Meyer concept and combined supermarket groceries with general merchandise. At approximately 110,000 square feet, a Marketplace store was substantially larger than a basic neighborhood grocery store and was intended to support one-stop shopping. The chain's later history includes both continued Kansas operations and selective closures outside its core territory. Four Dillons stores in Springfield, Missouri, closed in 2015. The same year, the Dillons pharmacy in Joplin closed on February 12; the associated Joplin store had been destroyed by the 2011 tornado. Dillons therefore remains best understood as a Kroger-owned regional supermarket banner, with conventional grocery stores, larger Marketplace locations, pharmacy services, and a distribution infrastructure centered on Kansas.

• 2015

  Missouri locations close

  [1]Dillonsen.wikipedia.org

  Four Springfield stores close, and the Dillons pharmacy in Joplin shuts on February 12.

• 2014

  David Dillon retires as Kroger CEO

  [1]Dillonsen.wikipedia.org

  David Dillon retires from Kroger's chief executive position effective January 1.

• 2011

  Joplin Dillons store destroyed by tornado

  [1]Dillonsen.wikipedia.org

  A Dillons store in Joplin is destroyed by the 2011 Joplin tornado.

• 2006

  First Dillons Marketplace opens

  [1]Dillonsen.wikipedia.org

  The first Dillons Marketplace opens in Wichita, combining groceries and general merchandise.

• 1983

  Acquisition by The Kroger Co.

  [1]Dillonsen.wikipedia.org

  Kroger acquires Dillon Companies, integrating Dillons into a national grocery group.

• 1966

  Gerbes joins the Dillon organization

  [1]Dillonsen.wikipedia.org

  Gerbes merges with Dillon Companies and becomes part of its regional division structure.

• 1921

  Family business incorporated

  [1]Dillonsen.wikipedia.org

  The J.S. Dillon and Sons business is incorporated, strengthening its formal corporate structure.

• 1919

  J.S. Dillon and Sons Store established

  [1]Dillonsen.wikipedia.org

  John and Ray Dillon establish a new family-operated store after returning from military service in France.

• 1917

  Dillon Mercantile Company incorporated

  [1]Dillonsen.wikipedia.org

  The company adopts the Dillon Mercantile Company, Inc. corporate name.

• 1915

  Second store opens

  [1]Dillonsen.wikipedia.org

  The growing business adds a second store, with John S. Dillon managing the new location and Ray E. Dillon overseeing the original store.

• 1913

  J.S. Dillon Cash Store opens in Hutchinson

  [1]Dillonsen.wikipedia.org

  Dillon introduces a cash-and-carry grocery model that avoids customer credit and home delivery.

• 1890

  John S. Dillon opens a general store in Sterling

  [1]Dillonsen.wikipedia.org

  John S. Dillon begins the retail business that ultimately develops into the Dillons grocery organization.

Regional, mainstream supermarket retailer offering everyday groceries, fresh foods, pharmacy services, and selected general merchandise, with larger Marketplace stores designed for one-stop shopping.

• Supermarket

  Dillons supermarkets

  The core Dillons format sells everyday grocery categories including packaged foods, fresh produce, meat, dairy, bakery items, frozen foods, beverages, and household products. Stores also provide access to pharmacy services and other routine supermarket services. The banner is primarily associated with Kansas and serves urban and regional communities through a conventional full-service grocery model.

• Supermarket and general merchandise · 2006

  Dillons Marketplace

  Dillons Marketplace is the chain's larger-format concept. Introduced in Wichita in 2006, the format combines a broad supermarket assortment with general merchandise in a store of approximately 110,000 square feet. It was developed as a one-stop shopping proposition and has been compared with Kroger's Fred Meyer format.

• Retail pharmacy

  Dillons Pharmacy

  Dillons Pharmacy provides pharmacy services through selected Dillons stores. Pharmacy operations form part of the chain's full-service supermarket proposition, although individual pharmacy locations may open or close separately from grocery stores.

• 2015

  Closure of Missouri locationsStrategy

  Background

  Dillons had a smaller presence outside its principal Kansas market, including stores in Springfield and Joplin, Missouri.

  Action taken

  Four Springfield stores closed, and the Joplin pharmacy closed on February 12. The Joplin grocery store had previously been destroyed by the 2011 tornado.

  Aftermath

  The closures reduced Dillons-branded operations in Missouri and emphasized the chain's Kansas-centered regional footprint.

  Source

• 2006

  Launch of the Dillons Marketplace formatProduct launch

  Background

  Kroger sought to extend Dillons beyond the conventional supermarket format and offer a broader one-stop shopping destination.

  Action taken

  Kroger opened the first Dillons Marketplace in Wichita, combining groceries and general merchandise in a large-format store.

  Aftermath

  The Marketplace concept added a larger store format to Dillons' regional portfolio.

  Source

• 1983

  Sale of Dillon Companies to KrogerM&A

  Background

  Dillon Companies had developed into a regional grocery organization with multiple banners and a substantial Kansas presence.

  Action taken

  The Kroger Co. acquired Dillon Companies and incorporated its operations into Kroger's national grocery network.

  Aftermath

  Dillons continued as a regional banner while gaining access to Kroger's broader corporate, purchasing, and distribution infrastructure.

  Source

• 1913

  Adoption of a cash-and-carry retail modelStrategy

  Background

  John S. Dillon found that extending customer credit and delivering groceries created financial and labor pressures for the general-store business.

  Action taken

  The Hutchinson J.S. Dillon Cash Store required customers to pay at purchase and collect their groceries rather than relying on credit or home delivery.

  Aftermath

  The format became the operating foundation for the early grocery business and supported its subsequent store expansion.

  Source

1. 1Dillonsen.wikipedia.org