Fred Meyer Jewelers

Fred Meyer Jewelers is an American jewelry retail chain associated with Fred Meyer, the multi-department store operator owned by The Kroger Company. The business began in 1973 as a catalog showroom concept created by Fred G. Meyer. As the catalog-showroom format lost momentum, Fred Meyer identified strong sales in fine jewelry and shifted the jewelry operation toward dedicated departments inside its large multi-department stores and, later, standalone or mall-based locations across the Western United States. The company expanded through acquisitions during the 1990s. In 1995 it purchased 23 jewelry businesses operating in California and the Midwestern United States, together with Merksamer Jewelers. These acquired businesses were subsequently brought under the Fred Meyer Jewelers name. In 1997 the company acquired Fox's Jewelers, a chain operating in six Midwestern states; those stores were also eventually renamed Fred Meyer Jewelers. A further expansion came in October 1998, when Fred Meyer Jewelers acquired Littman Jewelers, an established chain with stores in the eastern United States. Unlike most of the earlier acquisitions, the Littman locations retained their existing name and continued operating as Littman Jewelers for many years. In 1999, Fred Meyer, Inc., the parent company of Fred Meyer Jewelers, was acquired by The Kroger Company. Fred Meyer Jewelers therefore became part of Kroger's broader portfolio of retail businesses while continuing to operate as a jewelry specialty business connected to the Fred Meyer store network. Its retail presence has included jewelry departments in stores, shopping-mall locations, and online commerce. The corporate main office is in Portland, Oregon. The company later reduced its physical footprint. During 2020 and 2021, Fred Meyer Jewelers closed 71 stores, including all locations operating under the Littman Jewelers name. The closures marked a significant contraction of the legacy store network, although the Fred Meyer Jewelers business remains an active jewelry retailer. Its core assortment is fine jewelry and related products, sold through a combination of department-style retail locations, mall stores, and digital channels.

Fred Meyer Jewelers originated in 1973, when Fred G. Meyer introduced the business as a catalog showroom concept. The company developed during a period when catalog showrooms were a significant retail format, but that model later weakened. Fine jewelry nevertheless produced strong sales for Fred Meyer, prompting the company to reposition the jewelry business. It began installing fine-jewelry departments in its large multi-department stores and subsequently expanded into shopping-mall locations across the Western United States. The 1990s were the company's principal acquisition and geographic expansion period. In 1995, Fred Meyer Jewelers acquired 23 jewelry operations in California and the Midwestern United States, as well as Merksamer Jewelers. These businesses were eventually converted to the Fred Meyer Jewelers identity. In 1997, the company bought Fox's Jewelers, a chain with locations in six Midwestern states. Those stores likewise transitioned over time to the Fred Meyer Jewelers brand. In October 1998, Fred Meyer Jewelers acquired Littman Jewelers, which operated in the eastern United States. Littman was treated differently from the other acquired chains: its stores continued to trade under the Littman name rather than being immediately converted to Fred Meyer Jewelers. This gave the parent jewelry operation a multi-brand history, with Fred Meyer Jewelers serving as the principal name and Littman remaining a distinct retail identity. A major ownership change occurred in 1999, when Fred Meyer, Inc. was acquired by The Kroger Company. Because Fred Meyer, Inc. was the parent of Fred Meyer Jewelers, the acquisition placed the jewelry chain within Kroger's corporate structure. The business continued to operate in the United States through jewelry departments associated with Fred Meyer stores, mall-based stores, and online retail channels. Its Portland, Oregon office remained the corporate base identified for the jewelry business. The company subsequently rationalized its store estate. Across 2020 and 2021, Fred Meyer Jewelers closed 71 stores, including all stores carrying the Littman Jewelers name. This represented a substantial reduction in its physical footprint and ended the operating presence of the Littman retail banner described in the company's history. Fred Meyer Jewelers nevertheless remained active as an American jewelry retailer, with its business centered on fine jewelry and related merchandise sold through Fred Meyer locations, other stores, and online channels.

• 2021

  Completion of major store closures

  [1]Fred Meyer Jewelersen.wikipedia.org

  Across 2020 and 2021, the company closed 71 stores, including all locations operating under the Littman Jewelers banner.

• 1999

  Fred Meyer joins Kroger

  [1]Fred Meyer Jewelersen.wikipedia.org

  The Kroger Company acquired Fred Meyer, Inc., bringing Fred Meyer Jewelers into the Kroger corporate group.

• 1998

  Acquisition of Littman Jewelers

  [1]Fred Meyer Jewelersen.wikipedia.org

  In October, Fred Meyer Jewelers acquired Littman Jewelers, an eastern United States chain whose stores continued to operate under the Littman name.

• 1997

  Acquisition of Fox's Jewelers

  [1]Fred Meyer Jewelersen.wikipedia.org

  Fred Meyer Jewelers acquired Fox's Jewelers, which operated in six Midwestern states. The chain was later renamed Fred Meyer Jewelers.

• 1995

  Acquisition of regional jewelry businesses

  [1]Fred Meyer Jewelersen.wikipedia.org

  The company acquired 23 jewelers in California and the Midwest, along with Merksamer Jewelers. The acquired businesses eventually adopted the Fred Meyer Jewelers name.

• 1973

  Launch as a catalog showroom concept

  [1]Fred Meyer Jewelersen.wikipedia.org

  Fred G. Meyer started Fred Meyer Jewelers as a catalog showroom concept.

A mainstream American jewelry retailer combining fine-jewelry merchandising with the reach of the Fred Meyer and Kroger retail ecosystem. Its historical growth came from placing jewelry departments in large multi-department stores and expanding through regional jewelry-chain acquisitions.

• Jewelry · 1973

  Fine jewelry

  Fine jewelry is the company's core retail category. Fred Meyer Jewelers developed its business around jewelry departments placed in large multi-department stores and later extended the assortment through mall stores and online retailing. The category encompasses jewelry intended for personal wear, gifting, and milestone occasions.

• Bridal jewelry

  Engagement and wedding jewelry

  Engagement rings and wedding bands form a standard part of the fine-jewelry retail proposition associated with the chain. These products serve bridal and commitment-related purchases and complement the company's broader offering of jewelry for gifting and everyday wear.

• Accessories and gifts

  Watches and jewelry gifts

  The retailer also offers related personal accessories and gift-oriented merchandise through its jewelry retail channels. Specific current brands, collections, and assortment details are not established by the supplied reference material.

• 2021

  End the Littman Jewelers store presenceStrategy

  Background

  Littman Jewelers had remained a distinct banner after Fred Meyer Jewelers acquired the chain in 1998.

  Action taken

  All Littman Jewelers branded locations were closed during the 2020–2021 store-closure period.

  Aftermath

  The Littman banner no longer had operating store locations according to the cited history, while Fred Meyer Jewelers remained the surviving jewelry retail identity.

  Source

• 2020

  Begin broad store-network reductionStrategy

  Background

  Fred Meyer Jewelers undertook a substantial reduction of its physical retail network during 2020 and 2021.

  Action taken

  The company closed stores across its network, with the overall period resulting in 71 closures.

  Aftermath

  The closures materially reduced the chain's store footprint and included all Littman Jewelers locations.

  Source

• 2021

  Fred Meyer Jewelers closes 71 stores, including all Littman locations[1]Fred Meyer Jewelersen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Fred Meyer Jewelers completed a period of store closures spanning 2020 and 2021. The reduction included every location operating under the Littman Jewelers name.

1. 1Fred Meyer Jewelersen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Tennis Legend Serena Williams Launches Jewelry Collaboration with K.P. Sanghviidexonline.com