Kroger facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Kroger Company

Logo since 2021
Kroger headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio
Type	Public
Traded as	NYSE: KR S&P 500 component
ISIN	ISIN: [https://isin.toolforge.org/?language=en&isin=US5010441013 US5010441013]
Industry	Retail
Founded	1883; 142 years ago (1883), in Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Founder	Bernard Kroger
Headquarters	Cincinnati, Ohio , U.S.
Number of locations	2,719 supermarkets (Q1 2023)
Area served	United States
Key people	Rodney McMullen (CEO & chairman)
Products	Supercenter/superstore, Other specialty, supermarket
Revenue	US$150 billion (2023)
Operating income	US$3.477 billion (2022)
Net income	US$1.655 billion (2022)
Total assets	US$49.086 billion (2022)
Total equity	US$9.452 billion (2022)
Number of employees	465,000 (2022)
Divisions	Inter-American Products various chains

The Kroger Company, often just called Kroger, is a huge American company. It runs many supermarkets and other types of stores all over the United States.

Bernard Kroger started the company in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Today, Kroger has 2,719 grocery stores. These stores operate under different names and in 35 states, plus Washington D.C. Kroger's stores come in different sizes. Some are large multi-department stores, while others are combo stores or warehouse stores.

Kroger also owns 33 factories that make its own products. It has 1,642 gas stations at its supermarkets. You can also find 2,254 pharmacies and 225 small medical clinics inside Kroger stores. The company even owns 127 jewelry stores! Kroger's main office is in downtown Cincinnati.

Kroger is the biggest supermarket company in the U.S. when you look at how much money it makes. It is also the fifth-largest general store company in the country. Kroger is one of the largest private employers in the United States. It is ranked #17 on the Fortune 500 list. This list shows the biggest U.S. companies by total money earned.

Most of Kroger's employees are part of worker agreements. Many are represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union.

History of Kroger

How it Started

In 1883, a 23-year-old named Bernard Kroger opened his first grocery store. He used all his savings, which was $372. His store was in downtown Cincinnati. Bernard's father was a merchant, and Bernard had a simple rule for his business: "Be particular. Never sell anything you would not want yourself." He started making his own products. This meant customers didn't need to go to different stores or farms.

In 1884, Kroger opened his second store. By 1902, his company was officially named Kroger Grocery and Baking Company. It had grown to 40 stores and sold $1.75 million worth of goods each year. Kroger was also the first grocery chain to have its own bakery.

In 1916, Kroger stores started letting customers serve themselves. Before this, all items were kept behind counters. Customers had to ask clerks for what they wanted.

In 1929, there were rumors that Safeway and Kroger would join together. This didn't happen for a long time. But in 2022, Kroger announced it would buy Safeway's parent company, Albertsons.

In the 1930s, Kroger became the first grocery chain to check the quality of its products. It also tested foods for customers. Kroger was also the first company to have a store with parking lots on all four sides. In 1932, they tried this idea in Indianapolis. The store had space for 75 cars. This helped the company see how much parking affected sales.

Growing in the 1950s

Older Kroger logos, including one from 1939 to 1961 (top), and the one from 1961 to 2019 (bottom)

Starting in 1955, Kroger began buying other supermarket chains. This helped them grow into new areas. In May, Kroger entered Houston, Texas, by buying 26 stores from Henke & Pillot. In June, they bought Krambo Food Stores in Appleton, Wisconsin. In July, they bought Child's Food Stores in Jacksonville, Texas. These stores operated in Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana.

In 1956, Kroger bought Big Chain Stores, Inc., a group of seven stores in Shreveport, Louisiana. All these stores started using the Kroger name by 1966.

While buying other companies, Kroger also sold some stores. In 1957, they sold their 16 stores in Wichita, Kansas, to J. S. Dillon and Sons Stores Company.

The 1960s and 1970s

In 1963, Kroger bought Market Basket, a chain of 56 stores. This gave them a start in the busy southern California market. Before this, Kroger had no stores west of Kansas. However, Kroger didn't do very well there. By 1982, they left the California market.

Kroger also had stores in Florida from the 1960s to 1988. These stores were called SupeRx and Florida Choice. In 1988, Kroger decided to leave Florida and sold all its stores.

In the 1970s, Kroger was the first grocery store in the U.S. to test electronic scanners. They also started doing formal research on what customers wanted.

Kroger left the Chicago and Minneapolis-St. Paul markets in 1970. They also left Milwaukee in 1972. However, Kroger returned to Milwaukee in 2015 when it bought Roundy's.

In 1972, Kroger built a very modern dairy plant in Indianapolis. At that time, it was thought to be the largest dairy plant in the world.

Changes in the 1980s

Kroger had many stores in Western Pennsylvania from 1928 until 1984. During an economic downturn, Kroger faced challenges. They had disagreements with workers, leading to a long strike in 1983 and 1984. During this time, Kroger closed all its stores in Western Pennsylvania. They sold these stores to other companies.

Kroger also left the San Antonio, Texas, market in 1993. They closed 15 stores there. From 1984 to 1986, Kroger also left the Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Akron, and St. Louis markets. The company said that higher wages for union workers made it hard to compete.

In 1983, The Kroger Company bought the Dillon Companies grocery chain in Kansas. This included other stores like King Soopers, City Market, Fry's, and Gerbes. David Dillon, whose family started Dillon Companies, later became the CEO of Kroger.

Kroger also left Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1989. Many of these stores were sold to a local grocery chain called Red Food. Today, Chattanooga is the only big city in Tennessee where Kroger doesn't have stores.

The 1990s and 2000s

A Kroger store in Fort Worth, Texas, opened in 1997 (2014)

In the 1990s, Kroger bought several other grocery chains. These included Great Scott (Detroit), Pay Less Food Markets, Owen's Market, JayC Food Stores, and Hilander Foods. Kroger also got stronger in Houston by buying stores from AppleTree Markets.

In 1998, Kroger joined with Fred Meyer, which was the fifth-largest grocery company then. This merger also included Fred Meyer's stores like Ralphs, QFC, and Smith's.

In the late 1990s, Kroger bought many stores from A&P as that company left many markets in the South.

In 1999, Kroger traded its ten stores in Greensboro, North Carolina, with Harris Teeter. Kroger got 11 Harris Teeter stores in central and western Virginia. Kroger would later buy Harris Teeter completely 15 years later.

In 2000, Kroger entered the Richmond, Virginia, market. They bought Hannaford stores that were already there or being built. These purchases also included stores in Hampton Roads.

In 2001, Kroger bought Baker's Supermarkets. In 2002, Albertsons left San Antonio and Houston, and Kroger bought many of their Houston stores. In 2004, Kroger bought most of the old Thriftway stores in Cincinnati, Ohio, and reopened them as Kroger stores.

In 2007, Kroger bought Scott's Food & Pharmacy. In the same year, they also bought 20 former Michigan Farmer Jack stores from A&P.

In 2008, Kroger started working with Murray's Cheese from New York City. Now, many Kroger stores have Murray's Cheese counters that sell special cheeses from all over the world.

Kroger in the 2010s

On July 9, 2013, Kroger announced it would buy Harris Teeter's 212 stores for $2.5 billion. Harris Teeter stores are in eight Southern states, mostly in North Carolina. With this deal, Kroger got Harris Teeter's "click-and-collect" program. This allows customers to order groceries online and pick them up. Some experts thought this was a way for Kroger to compete with online grocery stores like AmazonFresh. Buying Harris Teeter meant Kroger returned to the Charlotte market after 25 years. It also allowed Kroger to enter Asheville for the first time.

In 2013, Kroger announced some changes to its insurance plan for union workers' spouses. The company said this was due to a new healthcare law.

On March 3, 2015, Kroger said it would expand to Hawaii. They had planned to do this in 2006 but changed their minds. Kroger is now looking for places to open its first store in Hawaii.

In May 2015, Kroger bought the seven-store Hiller's Market chain in Michigan. Most of these stores now operate under the Kroger name.

In June 2015, Kroger removed the Harris Teeter brand from the Nashville, Tennessee, market. Kroger had always been strong in Nashville. They decided to close two Harris Teeter stores and change three others into Kroger stores.

On November 11, 2015, Kroger and Roundy's announced they would merge. This brought Roundy's 166 stores, mostly in Wisconsin, under Kroger's ownership. This merger brought Kroger back to Wisconsin after 43 years. The stores kept their names like Roundy's, Pick 'n Save, Mariano's, Metro Market, and Copps.

In April 2016, Kroger said it invested in Lucky's Market. This is a chain of organic food supermarkets.

In February 2017, Kroger bought Murray's Cheese.

On May 1, 2017, Kroger made a deal with the University of Kentucky. The university's football stadium, Commonwealth Stadium, was renamed Kroger Field. This was the first time a school in the Southeastern Conference named its football stadium after a company.

In May 2017, Kroger opened its first small convenience store in Blacklick, Ohio, called "Fresh Eats MKT." These stores were about 12,000 square feet and sold only food. They had a Starbucks and a Kroger Pharmacy. This idea was stopped in March 2020.

In February 2018, Kroger announced it would sell most of its 762 convenience stores to EG Group. This British company bought them for $2.15 billion. These stores operated under names like Turkey Hill, Loaf 'N Jug, and Kwik Shop. Kroger kept its gas stations at supermarkets. The sale was finished in April 2018.

In April 2018, Kroger announced plans to hire about 11,000 new employees. This brought the total number of people working for Kroger close to half a million.

In May 2018, Kroger partnered with Ocado, an online supermarket from the UK. This partnership helps Kroger improve its online shopping and home delivery. They plan to build 20 new, automated centers to help with this. The first one opened in Ohio in April 2021. By September 2023, eight centers were open.

In June 2018, Kroger announced that some Kroger-branded stores in the Raleigh-Durham area would close. Eight of them became Harris Teeter stores.

In October 2018, Kroger started offering online wine delivery to 14 states.

In December 2018, Kroger announced a deal to sell food inside Walgreens drugstores. These "Kroger Express" sections offer meal kits and other quick meal options.

In 2019, Kroger started using more self-checkout options. They are investing money to replace many cashier lanes with automated systems.

In March 2019, Kroger expanded its service with the robotics company Nuro to Houston, Texas. Nuro uses self-driving cars for deliveries.

In August 2019, Kroger began charging customers a small fee for getting cash back when using debit cards.

In September 2019, Kroger partnered with the Plant Based Food Association. They tested selling plant-based meat in 60 stores in Denver and parts of Indiana and Illinois.

In November 2019, Kroger showed a new logo for its stores. It has the slogan "Fresh For Everyone" and cartoon characters called "Krojis." The company also expanded its online wine delivery service to Arizona.

In December 2019, Kroger was named the second-largest grocer in the nation. USA Today also listed Kroger and its brands as the top supermarket in many states.

Kroger in the 2020s

During the pandemic, Kroger gave its essential workers extra pay, which they called "hero pay." This was an extra $2 an hour from March to May 2020. In January 2021, some cities passed laws requiring grocery stores to give essential workers more hazard pay. In response, Kroger announced the closure of some stores in those cities.

In 2020, Kroger's online sales grew a lot, reaching over $10 billion each year.

In 2021, Kroger's pharmacy records for some stores were affected by a computer hack.

In September 2021, Kroger updated its logo again. They added a "Fresh Cart" symbol. This symbol looks like a shopping cart with citrus slices.

In October 2021, Kroger announced it would expand its online delivery service, Kroger Delivery, to South Florida. They will build two new automated centers with Ocado Group. Kroger Delivery is also growing in other parts of the US.

On April 5, 2022, Kroger started Kroger Restaurant Supply in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. This new business delivers food to restaurants, bakeries, and catering companies.

On October 14, 2022, Kroger announced it planned to merge with Albertsons. This deal is worth $24.6 billion. The companies plan to sell some stores to another company to get approval from the government. However, in early 2024, Washington state and Colorado sued to stop the merger. They warned that it could raise prices for shoppers and harm workers. The FTC also sued to block the deal.

Kroger's Money Matters

Kroger is a very large company that makes a lot of money each year. In 2020, Kroger reported earning over $1.9 billion, with total money coming in (revenue) of over $122 billion. This shows how big and successful the company is.

Kroger's Carbon Footprint

Kroger keeps track of its carbon footprint, which is the amount of greenhouse gases it releases. These gases contribute to climate change. Kroger reported its total CO2e emissions (carbon dioxide equivalent) for 2020 as 5,090 kilotonnes. The company has been working to reduce its emissions since 2016.

Kroger Store Names

Kroger operates stores under many different names, or "banners," across the United States. Here are some of the main ones:

Banner		Format
Primary	Variants	Combination food and drug	Marketplace	Multi-department	Price impact	Other
Dillons	Baker's, Gerbes	Y	Y
Food 4 Less	Foods Co.				Y
Fred Meyer		Y	Y	Y
Fred Meyer Jewelers	Barclay's Jewelers, Littman Jewelers					Jeweler
Fry's		Y	Y
Harris Teeter		Y
Home Chef						E-commerce
King Soopers	City Market	Y	Y
Kroger	Pay Less	Y	Y
The Little Clinic						Walk-in clinic
Mariano's		Y
QFC		Y
Ralphs		Y
Roundy's	Metro Market, Pick 'n Save	Y
JayC	Ruler Foods				Y
Smith's		Y	Y	Y
Vitacost						E-commerce
Total stores		2,277	188	134	121	129 jewelers 225 clinics

Number of Kroger Locations by Name

Kroger has many stores across the country. Here's a look at how many stores each main brand has and where they are:

• Baker's: 11 stores in NE
• City Market: 34 stores in CO, UT, and WY
• Dillons: 63 stores in KS
• Food 4 Less: 101 stores in CA, IL, and IN
• Foods Co.: 20 stores in CA
• Fred Meyer: 132 stores in AK, ID, OR, and WA
• Fry's: 126 stores in AZ
• Gerbes: 6 stores in MO
• Harris Teeter: 259 stores in DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, and VA
• JayC: 22 stores in IN
• King Soopers: 118 stores in CO and WY
• Kroger: 1,238 stores in AL, AR, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MI, MS, MO, OH, SC, TN, TX, VA, and WV
• Mariano's: 44 stores in IL
• Metro Market: 21 stores in WI
• Pay Less: 9 stores in IN
• Pick 'n Save: 84 stores in WI
• QFC: 59 stores in OR and WA
• Ralphs: 185 stores in CA
• Ruler Foods: 48 stores in IL, IN, KY, MO, OH, and TN
• Smith's: 141 stores in AZ, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, and WY

Kroger Marketplace Stores

Kroger Marketplace stores are very large stores, like big-box stores. Kroger started this type of store in 2004 in the Columbus, Ohio, area. These stores are similar to the Fry's Marketplace stores that Kroger already had in Arizona. There are currently 188 Marketplace stores.

These stores are like other large chains such as Meijer or Walmart. Besides groceries, they often have a Fred Meyer Jewelers, a Starbucks, a Donatos Pizza, a bank, and sections for toys, home items, and bedding.

In 2005, Kroger started updating many of its regular stores in Ohio to the larger Marketplace format. The first Marketplace store in Frisco, Texas, opened in 2010. The first one in Arkansas opened in 2010 in Little Rock, Arkansas. The first in Indiana opened in 2011 in Fort Wayne. The first in Virginia opened in 2012 in Richmond, Virginia. The first in Michigan opened in 2013 in Lambertville. The first in Mississippi opened in 2016 in Hernando. The first in Alabama opened in Huntsville, Alabama in 2017.

Kroger Marketplace in Frisco, Texas (Store #035-00561) opened in 2010.

How Kroger Makes and Delivers Products

Getting Products to Stores

Kroger uses different parts of its company to get food and other products to its stores. These include Kroger Group Cooperative, Inc., Kroger Group, Inc., Peytons, WESCO, and Inter-American Products.

Kroger has its own trucks and trailers to deliver products to its stores. They also work with other trucking companies. In 2018, Kroger started testing driverless cars for grocery delivery with a company called Nuro.

Kroger also makes many of its own store-brand products. They have 33 factories in 17 states that make about 40% of Kroger's own-brand items. Kroger has three levels of its own brands:

• One brand offers basic products at the lowest prices.
• Another brand is similar to well-known national brands but costs less.
• The third brand is a premium (often organic) brand.

Kroger's Factories

Kroger operates many factories that make different types of food.

Dairies

Kroger has 18 dairy plants where they make milk, cheese, and other dairy products:

Bakeries

Kroger runs nine bakeries that make fresh baked goods:

Grocery Item Plants

Kroger has seven plants that make various grocery items:

Kroger's Own Brands

Kroger has its own special brands of products, which they call "Our Brands." These products are made and sold only in Kroger-owned stores. They make up more than 30% of all the items Kroger sells.

Banner Brand

These items have the Kroger name or the name of one of its stores (like Ralphs or King Soopers). They are meant to be affordable options for shoppers. Many of Kroger's health and beauty products under its own brand are made by other companies.

Private Selection

Private Selection branding

Simple Truth logo

Private Selection products are made to be like fancy or high-end brands. They are often seen as a step up from the regular Kroger brand.

Simple Truth

Simple Truth is Kroger's main brand for natural and organic foods. It started in 2012 and has grown very quickly. This brand was the first time Kroger made its own gluten-free products. Simple Truth products were also the first Kroger items to be sold in China. By 2018, Simple Truth was making $2 billion in sales each year.

Other Kroger Brands

Besides its main brands, Kroger also has other brands for specific types of products. You can find these in various Kroger-owned stores, especially in Fred Meyer stores, which sell many non-food items.

• Abound – natural pet food
• Bakery Fresh Goodness – fresh-baked foods
• Bloom Haus – floral arrangements
• Comforts – baby products
• Dip – a fast fashion clothing brand
• Everyday Living – home goods
• HD Designs – fancy home goods
• HemisFares – imported foods
• Home Chef – a company that delivers meal kits, bought by Kroger in 2018
• Luvsome – pet food
• Murray's Cheese – a famous cheese shop that Kroger bought
• OfficeWorks – stationery and office supplies
• Pet Pride – pet food

Other Kroger Businesses

Kroger Pharmacies

Kroger used to own a separate drug store chain called SupeRx. In 1985, Kroger bought Hook's Drug Stores and combined them with SupeRx. In 1994, Kroger sold its stand-alone drugstores.

Today, Kroger has 2,252 pharmacies. Most of these are located inside its supermarkets. Kroger Pharmacies are a successful part of the business. You can find them in many Kroger-owned stores like City Market, Dillons, Fred Meyer, and Ralphs.

Kroger Gas Stations

Since 1998, Kroger has added gas stations in the parking lots of its supermarkets. They have also started opening gas stations that are not connected to a store. As of 2022, Kroger had 1,629 gas stations at its supermarkets.

In 2006, Kroger introduced a new logo for all its gas stations. It's a diamond shape with a white picture of the continental United States in the middle. It has four colored areas around it: dark blue for the Pacific Ocean, red for Canada, green for the Atlantic Ocean, and yellow for the Gulf of Mexico.

Kroger Personal Finance

Kroger Personal Finance started in 2007. It offers things like Kroger-branded Visa cards, home loans, pet insurance, and wireless services. In 2019, Kroger stopped accepting Visa credit cards (but not debit cards) at two of its store chains, Foods Co. and Smiths. They said this was because of the rising costs of premium cards.

Kroger Wireless

Kroger Wireless is a phone service provider. It is sold in over 2,200 Kroger stores in 31 states. Kroger Wireless uses the Sprint network. Customers can choose different phone plans, including unlimited talk and text. They can buy phones at Kroger stores or use their own Sprint-compatible phone.

84.51°

84.51° is a company fully owned by Kroger. It focuses on understanding customer data and shopping habits. It was created in 2015 when Kroger bought the rest of a company called Dunnhumby USA.

Images for kids

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  Kroger logo from 1939 to 1961

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  Kroger logo from 1961 to 2019

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  Private Selection branding

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  Simple Truth logo