Rural Grocery Spotlight: Kier's Thriftway (Mankato, Kansas)
Travis Kier, a 5th generation grocer, owns and operates three grocery store locations under the Kier’s Thriftway banner. We spoke with Travis at the Kier’s Thriftway in Mankato, KS alongside his longtime general manager, James Berry. This store partners with K-State Extension – Post Rock District to offer the Simply Produce program, where customers purchase a bundle of produce monthly. We visited on a Simply Produce distribution day where customers picked up their bundles from the store over the lunch hour. Read highlights from our interview with Travis (TK) and James (JB), which has been edited for length, below.
What is your store most known for in the community?
TK: Meats, produce, perishables have always been a strong suit for us. I would hope and think that [we’re] friendly and this has been a well-run store for a long time. Being a part of the community is everything.
Why is a program like Simply Produce something that you want to offer at your store?
TK: Well, it shows a commitment to the community and involvement. James, you?
JB: If I can keep a customer healthy, they’re a customer longer. Keep them away from [the] pharmacy. We can give them something, give them a healthier lifestyle or at least give them that option.
How long have you been with this store, James?
JB: Since ‘78. Back when they used square wheels on automobiles. I’ll say, my history was that I worked for Travis's dad first, and in 1988 or 89, he couldn't find a meat cutter. And I'd worked back here [in the meat department] a little bit. He offered me the [meat cutting] job. He said: "Will you do it until I find somebody?” It took 11 years. So then we had a guy for close to 20 [years] and one Wednesday afternoon, Travis calls me and says, the meat cutter is “going to go do something else. Would you mind doing it for a while until we find somebody?” That was five years ago.
What are some of the biggest challenges that your store faces on a day-to-day basis?
TK: The biggest thing scaring me on the horizon right now, without a doubt, and, it affects all three locations, is staffing. You know, getting people to work. And retaining those people because every time you change people, you spend money and time training the people.
JB: There's no meat cutters though.
TK: Nope. That's a dying, dying art. They're not out there. And quite frankly, the biggest problem is, it’s not the old days when you needed a lot more hours in a week to run the meat shop. Honestly, now, I would say you're talking 25 hours a week to run the meat shop. So you can't hire somebody for 40 hours/week working at 25 hours/week. You end up with an imbalance. It gets to be a hard deal.
What are you most proud of?
JB: I don't know, I think the thing I'm most proud that when I started, we were the number two store in town. And we just kept chipping away, customer by customer by customer, until we'd become number one, and then we became dominant, and the other, they were a chain, they left.
TK: It’s because of the people [staff] that are here. I mean, I have always said you can go buy the same kind of beans anywhere. People shop places that they're feeling welcome and invited to. And hopefully we still do that.
What advice would you give to other rural grocers, especially those who are just starting out?
TK: Better hang on. It's like wrestling an orangutan. It is. I mean, there's a lot of things you have to keep in motion at the same time. Warehouse challenges. You have Dollar Generals in the market, you have Amazon, which is the biggest competitor that you don't see, but I know they're there. The thing that people have to remember is the money we put back in the community, through the jobs, through your tax dollars, and everything else, and, to help your schools, help your roads. Yeah, it's definitely a community-oriented deal. And a lot of people support us very well. In Mankato, you know, the people out here are fantastic. And I think people are understanding that if you don't support these things, they aren't here. And then you would have no choice but to get in your car, drive to wherever your closest big store is.
Any final thoughts?
TK: You wanted to know why we do well and everything else. I think it's because we have a commitment to a community. And I think the community responds. When you come here, you bought from me, you have confidence that you've got a good product. And if you have a problem, you're always taken care of and you feel like, you know, we're contributing to the overall good of our community. It’s an honor to serve Jewell County.
Store History
The Kier's Thriftway in Mankato was opened in 1908 by Travis Kier's Great-Great Grandfather, Wayman Kier. Since then, it has passed down five generations; from Raymond to Perry to Charles to James and now, Travis. Travis also owns and operates the Kier's Thriftway stores in Clay Center and Washington, KS.
The Kier's Thriftway in Mankato is located in a two-story building that was originally designed to house many different shops. As Travis puts it, it was "basically a Walmart before Walmart." When it started, it had a clothing store downstairs, a pharmacy, a sporting goods store, an old-time soda fountain, and a small line of hardware in addition to the grocery store. Today, the grocery store offers full service selections including a full produce and meat department.
*Brand names appearing in this article are for product identification purposes only. No endorsement is intended, nor is criticism implied of similar products not mentioned.