Kroger
US grocer with retail media and digital commerce operations.
Available information varies by company and source.
Profile record updated:
Company facts
- Official name
- The Kroger Co.
- Entity type
- COMPANY
- Founded
- 1883
- Headquarters
- United States
- Company size
- >5,000
- Market role
- Retailer & Marketplace
- Ticker
- KR
- Official website
- kroger.com
What Kroger does
Kroger runs a scaled grocery retail model in which it purchases and merchandises consumer goods, sells them through stores and digital channels, and uses loyalty, pharmacy and meal solutions to deepen household spend. It creates additional value by monetising first-party shopper data and owned media inventory through its retail media network, allowing brands to target and measure campaigns against real purchase behaviour.
Category differentiation
This is The Kroger Co., the US grocery retailer and operator of Kroger Precision Marketing, not a standalone adtech vendor or a pure software company. It should also not be confused with individual subsidiary banners such as Harris Teeter.
Strategic context
AI-supported assessment from the existing company research; distinguish interpretation from sourced facts.
The Kroger Co. is a US grocery retailer that sells food, household goods, pharmacy services and related consumer products through stores, digital commerce and its mobile app. Its core revenue comes from retail sales to consumers, supported by loyalty, coupons, pharmacy and meal solution offerings. The company has also expanded its operating footprint through acquisitions including Harris Teeter, Roundy's and Home Chef. Beyond retail, Kroger operates Kroger Precision Marketing, a retail media business that sells advertising access to consumer packaged goods brands, agencies and other retail advertisers. This platform monetises Kroger's first-party shopper and loyalty data through self-serve and managed-service campaigns across on-site and off-site channels, using closed-loop measurement tied to actual sales outcomes.
Company news briefing
Briefing updated:
Under CEO Greg Foran, Kroger advanced its retail media monetisation and e-commerce strategy, reporting a 24% profit increase for Kroger Precision Marketing in Q2 2026 driven by expanded on-site traffic, AI shopping assistant integrations, and off-site partnerships. Additionally, the company filed its Q2 financial results on Form 8-K and continued pursuing its planned $1.65 billion acquisition of regional retailer Giant Eagle.
Business model & monetisation
Kroger monetises primarily through grocery and related retail sales, including digital orders and app-enabled commerce. It also generates advertising revenue through Kroger Precision Marketing via self-serve and managed-service media buying, likely using CPM, CPC and performance-oriented pricing linked to attributed sales. Additional monetisation comes from brand-funded promotions, loyalty-driven trade spend, pharmacy-related transactions and meal solution expansion following Home Chef.
- Grocery and household retail sales
- Retail Margin
- Retail media advertising via Kroger Precision Marketing
- Percentage Take-Rate
- Brand-funded promotions and sponsored placements
- Ad-Supported
- Pharmacy and related service transactions
- Retail Margin
- Meal kits and meal solutions
- Retail Margin
Products & capabilities
No products with linked sources are available in this view.
Products & market categories
Competitors & alternatives
- Walmart
Omnichannel retailer with marketplace, membership, B2B procurement and retail media.
- Winn-Dixie
US supermarket chain with e-commerce, loyalty, and retail media.
- Coles Group
Australian supermarket group with retail media, loyalty and e-commerce assets.
- Shufersal
Israeli supermarket chain with a large online grocery business.
- ROSSMANN
German drugstore retailer with omnichannel commerce and retail media.
Side-by-side comparisons
Featured market maps
- Retail Media & Commerce Advertising Ecosystem 2026
A structural mapping of the global Retail Media and Commerce Advertising ecosystem in 2026, spanning retail media networks, monetization ad tech, commerce DSPs, in-store digital signage, social commerce extensions, and clean room analytics.
- Market Map CTV Commerce
A comprehensive market map of the CTV Commerce ecosystem.
Recent recorded signals
Dates refer to the source publication. Older entries are historical context, not evidence of a new event.
8-K Financial Filing Analysis for Kroger (2026-10-05)
financials · Recorded impact score: 3.4/5
The Kroger Co. reported the closing of a $1.5 billion aggregate principal debt offering pursuant to its shelf registration statement on Form S-3. The issuance comprises $650 million of 5.800% Senior Notes due 2032 and $850 million of 6.200% Senior Notes due 2036 under supplemental indentures dated October 5, 2026. Underwritten by Citigroup Global Markets, Mizuho Securities USA, and Wells Fargo Securities, net proceeds are earmarked to refinance debt maturing in October 2026 and support general corporate purposes, maintaining liquidity and managing maturity profiles.
- Kroger issued $1.5B in senior unsecured notes: $650M at 5.800% due 2032 and $850M at 6.200% due 2036.
- The transaction was priced on September 28, 2026, and closed on October 5, 2026, under the 51st and 52nd Supplemental Indentures.
Retail Media Networks Shift from Performance to Brand Building
Retail Media · Recorded impact score: 3/5
Retail media networks (RMNs), initially focused on conversion at point of purchase, are now positioning themselves as full-funnel brand-building channels. Retailers like Kroger, Walmart, and Instacart have formed partnerships to expand offsite capabilities, including streaming and social placements. However, media buyers and experts express skepticism about RMNs' effectiveness for brand building, citing inventory optimized for conversion, limited measurement, high costs of validation, and locked data behind spend thresholds. The article notes that for most RMNs, aside from Amazon, ad products are conversion-focused, making brand work difficult to prove. There are also internal budget disputes between trade/shopper and brand teams. Despite capabilities, experts argue RMNs are not yet functioning as true brand-building channels.
- Retail media networks are pitching themselves as full-funnel brand-building channels.
- Kroger has a partnership with Disney Advertising; Walmart with TikTok, Meta, and Snap; Instacart with NBCUniversal.
10-Q Financial Filing Analysis for Kroger (2026-09-18)
financials · Recorded impact score: 3.8/5
For the second quarter ended August 15, 2026, The Kroger Co. reported total sales of $34.62 billion, representing a 2.0% increase year-over-year from $33.94 billion, primarily supported by a 25.6% rise in supermarket fuel sales and positive identical sales growth of 0.2% (excluding fuel). Operating profit increased 12.5% to $971 million, and net earnings attributable to Kroger grew 5.3% to $641 million ($1.05 per diluted share), supported by cost savings initiatives and lower LIFO charges ($39 million vs. $62 million in Q2 2025). The eCommerce business delivered strong growth, expanding 14% year-over-year (or 20% excluding network exits and divestitures) and maintaining overall profitability alongside third-party retail media contributions. Strategically, Kroger announced on July 1, 2026, an agreement to acquire Giant Eagle, Inc. for approximately $1.65 billion ($1.25 billion in cash plus $400 million in assumed debt), expected to close in fiscal 2027. Meanwhile, litigation remains active concerning the terminated merger with Albertsons (trial scheduled for October 19, 2026) and finalized nationwide opioid abatement settlements.
- Q2 2026 total sales grew 2.0% YoY to $34.62 billion, with operating profit expanding 12.5% to $971 million and net earnings reaching $641 million ($1.05 per diluted share).
- On July 1, 2026, Kroger agreed to acquire Giant Eagle, Inc. for $1.65 billion ($1.25 billion in cash and $400 million in assumed debt), with closing anticipated in fiscal 2027.
Kroger's retail media profit grows 24% in Q2, best since 2021
Retail Media · Recorded impact score: 4/5
Kroger's retail media business, Kroger Precision Marketing, achieved 24% profit growth in Q2 2026, its strongest performance since 2021. CEO Greg Foran emphasized retail media's strategic importance, noting media monetization rose 88 basis points year-over-year. Growth was driven by increased on-site traffic, new ad formats like shopping assistant ads, and partnerships with Google and TikTok for off-site advertising using first-party data. Kroger expanded its digital screen network to nearly 600 stores and integrated ads into its AI shopping assistant. E-commerce sales grew 20% in Q2, marking the second consecutive quarter of profitable growth. Industry experts view Kroger's ecosystem approach as a model for leveraging first-party data across multiple channels.
- Kroger Precision Marketing's profit grew 24% in Q2 2026, the best since 2021, with media monetization up 88 basis points.
- E-commerce sales grew 20% in Q2 2026, marking the second consecutive quarter of profitable growth.
8-K Financial Filing Analysis for Kroger (2026-09-11)
financials · Recorded impact score: 3.8/5
On September 11, 2026, The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) filed a Form 8-K under Item 2.02 disclosing that it has officially issued its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2026. The earnings release, furnished via Exhibit 99.1, provides operational metrics and financial performance data for the nationwide grocery retailer. The report was formally signed by George H. Vincent, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary.
- The Kroger Co. reported its second quarter 2026 financial and operational results via a press release furnished as Exhibit 99.1 on September 11, 2026.
- The Form 8-K filing was submitted under Item 2.02 (Results of Operations and Financial Condition) and executed by EVP, General Counsel and Secretary George H. Vincent.
Explore company relationships
Questions about Kroger
What is Kroger?
Kroger is a US grocery retailer that sells food, household goods and pharmacy services, and also operates a retail media platform called Kroger Precision Marketing.
Who uses Kroger?
Consumers use Kroger's stores, app and e-commerce services, while CPG brands, agencies and retail advertisers use its retail media platform.
How does Kroger make money?
Kroger makes money mainly from grocery and related retail sales, with additional advertising revenue from retail media, brand-funded promotions and digital commerce activity.
Sources & coverage
This profile uses public, official and technically observable information. Missing information does not prove that a product or relationship does not exist. The list below does not imply that every profile statement has been verified.
17 publicly documented primary sources and citations linked across the market graph.
Continue your research on Kroger
Explorer includes additional company details, a Watchlist for up to 25 companies and your personal Strategic Intelligence Agent. It monitors your market daily and delivers tailored briefings with clear strategic context whenever relevant news occurs.
Free, with no time limit.