The Kroger Company, or simply Kroger, is an American retail company that operates (either directly or through its subsidiaries[5]) supermarkets and multi-department stores throughout the United States.[1][6]
Founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kroger operates 2,720 grocery retail stores under its various banners and divisions in 35 states and the District of Columbia[6] with store formats that include 134 multi-department stores, 2,277 combo stores, 188 marketplace stores, and 121 price-impact warehouse stores.[1][6] Kroger operates 33 manufacturing plants, 1,629 supermarket fuel centers, 2,252 pharmacies, 225 The Little Clinic in-store medical clinics, and 129 jewelry stores (782 convenience stores were sold to EG Group in 2018).[1][6] As of November 6, 2021, Kroger’s headquarters are located in downtown Cincinnati.[7]
The Kroger Company is the United States’ largest supermarket operator by revenue[8] and fifth-largest general retailer.[9] The company is one of the largest American-owned private employers in the United States.[10][11][12] Kroger is ranked #17 on the Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations by total revenue.[13]
About two-thirds of Kroger’s employees are represented by collective bargaining agreements,[14] with most being represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW).[15]