Kroger
367762
225348824
2008-07-13T05:55:33Z
Senator Palpatine
7357381
Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/216.196.141.149|216.196.141.149]] to last version by 74.129.161.129 (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]])
{{other}}
{{Infobox Company
| name = The Kroger Co.
| logo = [[Image:Kroger.svg|175 px|Kroger logo]]
| type = [[Public company|Public]] ({{nyse|KR}})
| genre =
| company_slogan = "Right Store. Right Price."
| foundation = 1883
| founder =
| location_city = [[Cincinnati, Ohio|Cincinnati]], [[Ohio|OH]]
| location_country = {{USA}}
| location =
| locations =
| area_served =
| key_people = [[David Dillon]], [[CEO]] & [[Chairman]]
| industry = [[Retailer|Retail]]
| products = Bakery, banking, beer, dairy, deli, frozen foods, gasoline (select locations), general merchandise, liquor (select locations), meat, pharmacy, produce, seafood, wine
| services =
| market cap =
| revenue = {{gain}} $70.23 billion [[United States dollar|USD]]
| operating_income = {{gain}} $1.18 billion [[United States dollar|USD]]
| net_income =
| assets =
| equity =
| owner =
| num_employees = 310,000
| parent =
| divisions = Inter-American Products<br>[[#Chains|various chains]]
| subsid =
| homepage = [http://www.thekrogerco.com/ Kroger corporate website]<br>[http://www.kroger.com/ Kroger-branded stores website]
| footnotes =
| intl =
}}
[[Image:Cincinnati-kroger-building.jpg|thumb|Kroger headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio.]]
[[Image:KrogerFront.JPG|thumb|A typical Kroger storefront, [[Bowling Green, Kentucky|Bowling Green]], [[Kentucky]]].]]
[[Image:GulftonHoustonKroger.JPG|thumb|Kroger in the [[Gulfton, Houston, Texas|Gulfton]] area of [[Houston]], [[Texas]].]]
'''The Kroger Co.''' ({{nyse|KR}}) is an [[United States|American]] [[retail]] [[supermarket]] chain and [[parent company]], founded by [[Bernard Henry Kroger]] in 1883 in [[Cincinnati, Ohio|Cincinnati]], [[Ohio]]. It reported over [[U.S. dollar|US$]]66 [[1000000000 (number)|billion]] in sales during fiscal year 2007 and is currently the second-largest grocery retailer in the country by volume <ref name="2007 SN">[http:///supermarketnews.com/profiles/top75/ 2007 Top 75 North American Food Retailers], ''Supermarket News'', Last accessed March 1, 2008.</ref> and third-place general retailer in the country, with [[Wal-Mart]] and [[The Home Depot]]<ref>[http://www.stores.org/pdf/06%20JULY%20TOP%20100.pdf Top 100 Retailers: The Nation's Retail Power Players (PDF)], ''Stores'', July 2006.</ref> filling slots one and two, respectively. As of [[February 2]], [[2008]], Kroger operated, either directly or through its subsidiaries, 2,487 supermarkets, and had 696 fuel centers.
Kroger's Headquarters are centralized in Cincinnati, OH, but it spans many states with store formats that include supermarkets, [[hypermarket]]s, [[department store]]s, [[convenience store]]s and [[shopping mall|mall]] [[jewelry]] stores. Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia are among those with Kroger stores carrying the Kroger name. Kroger is currently celebrating its 125th anniversary.
==History==
Kroger was founded by Bernard Henry Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Kroger pioneered the first supermarket surrounded on all four sides by parking lots in the 1930s.
==Chains==
*'''[[Baker's Supermarkets|Baker's]]''' (Nebraska)
*'''[[Cala Foods]]''' and '''Bell Markets''' (California)
*'''[[King Soopers & City Market|City Market]]''' (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming)
*'''[[Dillons]]''' (Kansas, Missouri)
*'''[[Food 4 Less & Foods Co.|Food 4 Less]]''' and '''Foods Co.''' (California, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, Kansas, Missouri, Oregon)
*'''[[Fred Meyer]]''' (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington)
**'''Fred Meyer Marketplace''' (Alaska, Oregon, Washington)
**'''Fred Meyer Northwest Best''' (Oregon, Washington)
*'''[[Fred Meyer Jewelers]]'''
**'''Littman Jewelers'''
**'''Barclay Jewelers'''
**'''Fox's Jewelers'''
*'''[[Fry's Food and Drug]]''' (Arizona)
**'''Fry's Marketplace''' (Arizona)
*'''Gerbes''' (Missouri)
*'''[[Hilander]]''' (Illinois)
*'''[[JayC Food Stores]]''' (Indiana)
*'''[[King Soopers & City Market|King Soopers]]''' (Colorado, Wyoming)
*'''Kroger Food and Drug'''
**'''Kroger Marketplace''' (Arkansas,Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, West Virginia)
**'''Kroger Signature Stores'''
*'''[[Kwik Shop]]''' (Kansas, Nebraska)
*'''[[Loaf 'N Jug]]''' (Colorado)
*'''[[Owen's Market]]''' (Indiana)
*'''[[Quik Stop]]''' (California, Nevada)
*'''[[Pay Less Food Markets]]''' (Indiana)
*'''[[QFC|Quality Food Centers]]''' aka QFC (Oregon, Washington)
*'''[[Ralphs]]''' (California)
**'''Ralphs Marketplace''' (California)
*'''[[Smith's Food and Drug]]''' (Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming)
**'''Smith's Marketplace''' (Utah)
*'''[[Turkey Hill]]''' (Pennsylvania)
*'''[[Scott's Food & Pharmacy]]''' (Indiana)
==Kroger Marketplace==
'''Kroger Marketplace''' is a relatively new style of store for Kroger. The brand started in 2004 in the [[Columbus, Ohio]], area, which lost the [[Big Bear (supermarket)|Big Bear]] and [[Big Bear Plus]] chains in [[Penn Traffic]]'s [[Chapter 11 bankruptcy]]. The Kroger Marketplace format is based on the [[Fry's Food and Drug#Fry's Marketplace|Fry's Marketplace]] stores that the Arizona division of Kroger is currently operating.
Similar to rival chains [[Meijer]] and [[Sears Grand]] also [[Super Kmart]], and modeled after Kroger-owned Fred Meyer, these stores contain multiple departments. In addition to the grocery department, they contain a [[Fred Meyer Jewelers]], [[Donatos Pizza|Donato's Pizza]], and an in-store bank, as well as sections for toys, appliances, and home furnishings, something that Big Bear once had in their stores in the Columbus area.
In 2005, the company began renovating many ''Kroger Food & Drug'' stores in Ohio to give out an expanded and remodeled look, converting them into the ''Kroger Marketplace'' format. In February 2006,
Kroger announced plans for two new Kroger Marketplace stores to open by the end of the summer in Cincinnati suburbs Lebanon and Liberty Township.<ref name="note1">{{cite web | publisher=''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' | title=Kroger Marketplaces coming | url=http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060227/BIZ01/602270312 | date=February 27, 2006 | accessdaymonth=1 October | accessyear=2006}}</ref> The store in Liberty Township opened in July 2006.<ref name="note2"> {{cite web | publisher=''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' | title=Kroger casts net more broadly | url=http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060719/BIZ01/607190323/-1/all | date=July 19, 2006 | accessdaymonth=8 October | accessyear=2006}}</ref> On October 5, 2006, a new Kroger Marketplace opened in Gahanna. With the Gahanna opening, the number of Kroger Marketplace stores is six, four in the Columbus area and two in the Cincinnati area. Two more stores are planned in 2007, one in Middletown and one in Englewood.<ref name="note3"> {{cite web | publisher=''The Western Star'' | title=Colossal Kroger set to open soon | url=http://www.western-star.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/07/13/WS0713kroger.html| date=July 13, 2006 | accessdaymonth=8 October | accessyear=2006}}</ref>
One more store is being built in the Cincinnati area, in the Northern Kentucky town of Hebron, due to be completed in November, 2008.
Another renovated store has recently opened in Blue Ash, and two more are being opened in the Lexington, KY area.{{fact|date=May 2008}}
==Manufacturing==
As well as stocking a variety of national brand products, The Kroger Co. also employs one of the largest networks of private label manufacturing in the country. Forty-two plants (either wholly owned or used with operating agreements) in seventeen states create about half of Kroger’s nearly eight thousand private label products. A three-tiered marketing strategy divides the brand names for shoppers’ simplicity and understanding.
===Manufacturing Plants===
Kroger operates 42 manufacturing plants, and packages and sells items for other retailers under the Inter-American Products Company name.<ref>[http://interamericanproducts.com/index.htm Inter-American Products: Home<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.thekrogerco.com/operations/operations_manufacturing_list.htm The Kroger Co. - Operations: Manufacturing List<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
====Dairies====
Kroger operates 15 dairies and 3 ice cream plants
*Centennial Farms Dairy - Atlanta, GA
*Compton Creamery - Compton, CA
*Crossroad Farms Dairy - Indianapolis, IN
*Heritage Farms Dairy - Murfreesboro, TN
*Jackson Dairy - Hutchinson, KS
*Jackson Ice Cream - Denver, CO
*King Soopers Dairy - Denver, CO
*Layton Dairy - Layton, UT
*Michigan Dairy - Livonia, MI
*Riverside Creamery - Riverside, CA
*Southern Ice Cream Specialties - Marietta, GA
*Swan Island Dairy - Portland, OR
*Tamarack Farms Dairy - Newark, OH
*Tolleson Dairy - Tolleson, AZ
*[[Turkey Hill|Turkey Hill Dairy]] - Conestoga, PA
*Vandervoort Dairy - Fort Worth, TX
*Westover Dairy - Lynchburg, VA
*Winchester Farms Dairy - Winchester, KY
====Bakeries/Delis====
*Anderson Bakery - Anderson, SC
*Clackamas Bakery - Clackamas, OR
*Columbus Bakery - Columbus, OH
*Country Oven Bakery - Bowling Green, KY
*Deli Kitchen - Compton, CA
*Dillons Bakery - Hutchinson, KS
*Indianapolis Bakery - Indianapolis, IN
*KB Specialty Foods - Greensburg, IN
*King Soopers Bakery - Denver, CO
*La Habra Bakery - La Habra, CA
*Layton Dough Plant - Layton, UT
====Meat Plants====
*King Soopers Meat - Denver, CO
*Sunland Meat - Tolleson, AZ
*Vernon Meat - Vernon, CA
====Grocery Items====
*America's Beverage Co. - Irving, TX
*Bluefield Beverage Co. - Bluefield, VA
*Delight Products Co. - Springfield, TN
*Kenlake Foods - Murray, KY
*Pace Dairy of Indiana - Crawfordsville, IN
*Pace Dairy of Minnesota - Rochester, MN
*Pontiac Foods - Columbia, SC
*Springdale Ice Cream & Beverage - Cincinnati, OH
*State Avenue - Cincinnati, OH
*Tara Foods - Albany, GA
==Private Brands==
====Kroger Value====
Early in 2007, Kroger introduced its Kroger Value line. The Kroger Value line is the successor to the FMV or For Maximum Value brand previously offered at Kroger stores. The brand change departed from the typical orange-fade-to-yellow labels and is now simply white with blue and red.
====For Maximum Value (Kroger Value)====
For Maximum Value (FMV), originally named Fred Meyer Value, offered staple products such as [[sugar]], [[flour]], [[bread]], and [[canned goods]] at the lowest price for that particular product in the store. Though some FMV products (such as their cheese made with water & partially hydrogenated soybean oil) use a lower-quality manufacturing process, other products appear to be indistinguishable from their banner brand equivalent (FMV sugar and Kroger sugar, for example) other than the price (these are more than likely examples of [[loss leader]]s).
In 2007 Kroger replaced FMV with the new Kroger Value brand. This has led to a situation where Kroger brand and Kroger Value brand products are sold side-by-side with little to distinguish them except for packaging and price. FMV itself was the successor to Kroger's former Cost Cutter brand, which had been introduced in 1981 and was known for its near-generic product labeling. Most Kroger Value brand items are labeled bilingually (English and Spanish).
====Banner Brands====
Banner Brands, goods that bear the name of Kroger or its subsidiaries (i.e., Ralphs, King Soopers, etc.) or make reference to them (i.e., Big K) are offered with a “Try it, Like it, or Get the National Brand Free” guarantee, where if the customer does not believe the Kroger brand product is as good as the national brand, they can exchange the unused portion of the product with their receipt for the equivalent national brand for free. Many of Kroger’s health and beauty goods, one of the company's fastest-growing private label categories, are manufactured by third-party providers; these products include goods like [[ibuprofen]] and contact lens solution.
====Private Selection====
Products marked Private Selection are offered to compare with gourmet brands or regional brands that may be considered more upscale than the standard Kroger brand products.
====Other private label brands====
As well as the major grocery brands, Kroger’s manufacturing creates a variety of general merchandise brands. These are featured especially in Fred Meyer stores, where more than half the goods sold are non-food, or in the smaller Fred Meyer-based Marketplace stores. The following brands might be found in various Kroger-owned stores:
<!-- Please NOTE: The following are listed by the departments that stock them. If a certain brand covers more than one department then it is listed in the department that stocks the majority of product to the shelf. -->
'''Bread'''
*SuperKids - IronKids bread competitor
'''Dairy'''
*Springdale - milk by the gallon
*Mountain Dairy - milk by the gallon (Smith's, Fry's and Ralphs)
*Sungold - sweet and unsweet gallon jug tea
*Thirst Rockers - imitation juice (water, high fructose corn syrup, 0% juice)
*Country Club - butter
'''Deli'''
*Angelino's - pizza with its own bake pan
*Your Deli Selection - baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad
'''Drug & General Merchandise'''
*HD Designs – upscale home goods
*MotoTech – automotive supplies
*Office Works – stationery and office supplies
*Splash Sport, Splash Spa, and Bath & Body Therapies – bath and body supplies
'''Frozen Food'''
*Country Club - real butter sticks, half-gallon ice cream/frozen yogurt
*Old Fashioned - gallon tub ice cream/frozen yogurt
'''Grocery and General Merchandise'''
*aromaFUSIONS - air freshener supplies, scented candles
*Big K - soda, cooler drinks, sparkling water
*Crystal Clear - flavored sparkling water
*Disney's Old Yeller - dry dog food
*Everyday Living – kitchen gadgets & cleaning supplies, furniture
*On the House - margarita and other drink mixes
*Pet Pride - dry dog & cat food, cat litter
*Tempo - laundry detergent & fabric softener
'''Whole Health (Nutrition)'''
*Naturally Preferred – [[organic food|organic]] and natural foods
==Disney Magic Selections==
In 2006, Kroger partnered with the consumer products division of [[The Walt Disney Company]] to add the ''Disney Magic Selections'' line to its private label offerings.<ref name="note4"> {{cite web | publisher=The Kroger Co | title=Kroger introduces ''Disney Magic Selections'' in stores nationwide| url=http://www.thekrogerco.com/corpnews/corpnewsinfo_pressreleases_07252006.htm | accessdaymonth= 8 October | accessyear=2006}}</ref> In reality, many of these products have been substituted in place of Kroger's Signature brand equivalents on the shelf. With packaging featuring animated [[Disney]] and [[Pixar]] characters, such as [[Mickey Mouse]] as Chef Mickey, these products are marketed to help promote healthy eating among children. Most of the approximately one hundred initial products contain zero grams of trans fat and include food offerings such as yogurt, breakfast foods, and small fresh fruit cups.
==Pharmacy Group==
Kroger previously owned and operated the '''SupeRx''' Drug Store chain. In 1985, Kroger outbid [[Rite Aid]] for the [[Hook's Drug Stores]] chain, based in [[Indianapolis]], IN, and combined it with SupeRx to become '''Hook's-SupeRx'''. In 1994, Kroger decided to get out of the standalone drug-store business, and sold its pharmacies to [[Revco]], which later was sold to [[CVS Caremark Corporation|CVS]].<ref>[http://www.rxmuseum.org/information.htm Hooks Drug Store Museum and Soda Fountain, Indianapolis, Indiana<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
The Kroger Pharmacies continue as a profitable portion of the business, and have been expanding to now include pharmacies in City Market, Dillons, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs, Smith’s Food and Drug, and Kroger Supermarkets.<ref>[http://www.krogerpharmacyjobs.com/rxcareers.html Kroger Pharmacy Careers<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==Supermarket Petroleum Group==
Since 1998, Kroger has added fuel centers in the parking lots of its supermarkets, and as of 2007, operated 696 of them.<ref>[http://www.thekrogerco.com/operations/operations_grocery.htm The Kroger Co. - Operations: Grocery<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In the case of the [[Fort Wayne, Indiana]] market, Kroger continues to operate one of its fuel centers even as its respective supermarket has closed.
==Distribution/Logistics==
Kroger has reduced its distribution centers from 44 to 20 since 1995, and has driven down costs and increased efficiency with a 3-tiered distribution system. The 2nd and 3rd tiers, internally known as "Peyton's", service retail stores and provide promotional and seasonal products. Kroger operates five "Peyton's:<ref>http://www.kroger.com/globalincludes/corporate_pdfs/SectionIV-4.pdf</ref>
Kroger operates its own fleet of trucks and trailers to distribute products to its various stores.
Food distribution and buying takes place under various subsidiaries and divisions. These include:
*Inter-American Products - private label goods
*Westco Foods - produce buying<ref>[http://www.thekrogerco.com/corpnews/corpnewsinfo_timeline_02.htm The Kroger Co. - Corporate News & Info: Historic Timeline<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==Financial Services==
'''Kroger Personal Finance''' was introduced in 2007 to offer various stores branded MasterCards, Mortgages, Home Equity Loans, Pet Insurance and Identity Theft Protection.<ref>[http://www.krogerpersonalfinance.com/Max/KPFhome.htm KPF: Great Idea Home<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==Market entries and withdrawals==
Kroger had a number of outlets in the [[Western Pennsylvania]] region, encompassing [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]] and surrounding areas. After a protracted labor strike in 1983 and 1984, Kroger withdrew all of its stores from the Western Pennsylvania market, ceding the market to locally owned rivals, most notably [[Giant Eagle]] and the [[Supervalu (United States)|Supervalu]]-supplied [[Shop 'n Save (Pittsburgh)|Shop 'n Save]] & [[FoodLand]] chains. (Ironically, Kroger bought Eagle Grocery company, whose founders went on to create Giant Eagle.) There has been recent speculation that Kroger may be re-entering the market since Giant Eagle and [[Wal-Mart]] (through the numerous [[hypermarket|supercenters]] Wal-Mart has opened in the Pittsburgh area in recent years) have since formed a [[de-facto]] [[monopoly]] in the market as a result of Supervalu's inability to compete, as well as the launch of Kroger's [[Turkey Hill]] dairy brand in the area. Kroger still maintains a presence in the nearby [[Morgantown, West Virginia]], [[Wheeling, West Virginia]] & [[Weirton, West Virginia]]/[[Steubenville, Ohio]] areas where Giant Eagle has a much smaller presence and the Supervalu-supplied stores are virtually nonexistent, though in all of these cases [[Wal-Mart]] remains a major competitor and [[Aldi]] is the only other supermarket with any market overlap.
Kroger also experienced a similar withdrawal from [[Chattanooga, Tennessee]] in 1989. Many of these stores were sold to the local grocery chain [[Red Food]], which was in turn bought by [[BI-LO (United States)|BI-LO]] in 1994. Today, Chattanooga is the only metropolitan market in [[Tennessee]] that Kroger does not operate in.
Kroger stores existed in various Florida markets from the 1960s until 1986, when the chain decided to exit the state and sold most of its stores to [[Albertsons LLC|Albertsons]] and [[Kash n' Karry]]. Kroger operated in Florida under the "SupeRx" and "Florida Choice" banners. Recently, retail analysts have begun to speculate about whether Kroger may capitalize on the misfortunes of Albertsons and re-enter Florida again, but the dominance of native [[Publix]], [[Winn-Dixie (supermarket)|Winn-Dixie]] and the growing force of Wal-Mart in Florida would be a tough sell for Kroger.
Kroger had about 50 stores in [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]] until it left the market in 1986, saying that its stores were unprofitable. Most of their stores were bought by [[National Supermarkets|National]], [[Schnucks]], and [[Shop 'n Save]].
Kroger entered the [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]] market in 1977 and expanded rapidly throughout the 1980s when it bought some stores from [[BI-LO (United States)|BI-LO]]. However, most stores were in less desirable neighborhoods and did not fit in with Kroger's upscale image. Less than three months after BI-LO pulled out, they decided to re-enter the Charlotte market, and in 1988 Kroger announced they would leave the Charlotte market and put their stores up for sale. In an ironic twist [[BI-LO (United States)|BI-LO]] bought Kroger's remaining stores in the Charlotte area. Kroger also swapped all ten of its [[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]]-area stores in 1999 to [[Matthews, North Carolina|Matthews]]-based [[Harris Teeter]] for 11 of their stores in central and western Virginia. Kroger still maintains a North Carolina presence in the [[Raleigh-Durham]] and [[Greenville, North Carolina|Greenville]] areas, including a store in [[Wilson, North Carolina|Wilson]] that opened in 2002 but closed two years later.
Kroger closed almost all of its northern Michigan stores in the 1980s and 1990s. The locations in [[Flint, Michigan|Flint]] and the [[Tri-Cities, Michigan|Tri-Cities]] were converted to [[Kessel Food Market]]. These Kessel locations were later bought back by Kroger; conversion was completed in 2006. The Kroger stores in [[Grand Rapids, Michigan|Grand Rapids]] and most of northern Michigan were sold to Hamady, a chain based in [[Flint, Michigan]].<ref>[http://www.waterwinterwonderland.com/flinn022004.asp Hamady Sacks and Yankee Hats], Water Winter Wonderland, Posted February 20, 2004.</ref>
Kroger exited the competitive [[San Antonio]], [[Texas]], market in mid-1993. On [[June 15]], [[1993]], the company announced it would close its 15 area stores 60 days later. San Antonio-based [[H-E-B]] was the market leader at the time; its 37 area stores held a 43.2 market share. Kroger and Albertsons (10 stores) were the area's other two top grocers, Kroger holding a 13.7 share and Albertsons a 13.1 share. Albertsons would eventually also succumb to H-E-B and exit the market by closing its 20 remaining area stores in April 2002 after previously shuttering three other stores in December 2001. By the time Albertsons exited San Antonio, the 44-store H-E-B chain had reached a 61 market share, while second-place Albertsons held a 15 market share.
Long the dominant grocer in western Virginia, Kroger entered the [[Richmond, Virginia]] market in the 1990s but has not threatened the leader [[Ukrop's]]. Meanwhile, in 2000, Kroger purchased 20 [[Hannaford]] stores that either already existed or were being built.<ref>[http://www.thekrogerco.com/corpnews/corpnewsinfo_pressreleases_05312000.htm, Kroger Press Release, May 31, 2000]</ref> This allowed Kroger to quickly establish a presence in a competitive [[Hampton Roads]] market. It currently competes in this market with [[Farm Fresh Food & Pharmacy|Farm Fresh]], [[Harris Teeter]], and [[Food Lion]].
==Advertisements==
"Right Store, Right Price" is the current advertising slogan for Kroger and most other chains owned by the Kroger company. Probably the best known advertising slogan in the company's history was "Let's Go Krogering," which was accompanied by a [[jingle]] of the same name. It still appears on the bottom of some stickers which are placed on large items, handed out to children in stores (just like banks give [[lollipops]] to children). Other previously used slogans included "Your Total Value Leader," "Kroger, The Store Where It Costs Less to Get More," and "Kroger, Count on Us."
==Criticisms==
===Food Contaminations===
On [[October 11]], [[2007]], food manufacturer [[ConAgra]] asked stores to pull its [[Banquet Foods|Banquet]] and generic brand chicken and turkey pot pies due to 174 cases of [[salmonella]] poisoning in 32 states being linked to the consumption of ConAgra pot pies, with 33 people hospitalized.<ref>Associated Press [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iOShDbpIsxytLbqShbc9l8FmfMEwD8S974VG0] "Critics: ConAgra Mishandled Recal"</ref> By [[October 12]], a full recall was announced, affecting all varieties of frozen pot pies sold under the Kroger brand name, as well as [[Banquet Foods|Banquet]], [[Albertson’s]], [[Food Lion]], [[Great Value]] (sold by [[Wal-Mart]]), [[Hill Country Fare]], [[Kirkwood]], [[Meijer]], and [[Western Family]]. The recalled pot pies included all varieties in 7-oz. single-serving packages bearing the number P-9 or “Est. 1059” printed on the side of the package.<ref> St. Cloud Times [http://www.sctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071013/NEWS01/110120058/1009 "ConAgra Foods recalls all pot pies". Retrieved 10-13-2007</ref>
===Near Fatal Incidents===
On January 16, 2008, it was announced that Wayne Watson, a Denver consumer who developed [[bronchiolitis obliterans]] or "popcorn lung" after allegedly inhaling [[diacetyl]] fumes from microwaved popcorn, was suing the Kroger grocery store chain and its affiliates. In the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, Watson's attorney claimed that the companies "failed to warn that preparing microwave popcorn in a microwave oven as intended and smelling the buttery aroma could expose the consumer to an inhalation hazard and a risk of lung injury."<ref>http://news.findlaw.com/andrews/en/tox/20080129/20080129_watson.html.</ref>
==Kroger's Environmentally Friendly Acts==
Kroger recently opened its first energy-efficient store in [[Ohio]]. They have lowered their energy consumption by one billion watts. Publicists say that they are saving up to $125 million [http://www.environmentalleader.com/2007/03/05/kroger-opens-energy-efficient-store-in-ohio/]. Kroger did this by adding additional lighting via sky lights. Open windows in the sun roof became tools of light lowering costs [http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&q=kroger+environment&btnG=Search]. Kroger joined with GM for this event and with the support of Ohio’s governor [[Bob Taft]], the event became a successful promotion for both corporations [http://www.gm.com/corporate/responsibility/environment/news/2006/e85_070606.jsp]. Unfortunately this act of environmental friendliness has hindered a long relationship with a [[West Virginia]] coal mining company. Buyers who bought gift cards from Kroger were donating five percent of each purchase to this coal mining company [http://www.herald-dispatch.com/homepage/x808407826].
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.thekrogerco.com/ Kroger corporate website]
*[http://www.kroger.com/ Kroger-branded stores website]
*[http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/10/10864.html Yahoo! - The Kroger Co. Company Profile]
*[http://interamericanproducts.com/index.htm Inter-American Products website]
*[http://www.krogerpersonalfinance.com/ Kroger Personal Finance]
{{Kroger}}
[[Category:Companies based in Cincinnati, Ohio]]
[[Category:Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange]]
[[Category:Kroger]]
[[Category:Companies established in 1883]]
[[Category:Supermarkets of the United States]]
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