Continuing on with our Cincinnati Brand blog series, we will be talking about one of the largest nationally known Cinci brands: Kroger. With nearly 3,000 locations, Kroger is the highest-ranked grocery store in 13 out of the 50 states, and that isn’t just by luck!
In 1883, Bernard Kroger and B.A. Branagan began joined their coffee shop and grocer businesses together to create Kroger Co. Although they did not have nearly as many departments back then as they have accumulated today, that didn’t stop them from growing from 5 stores to 40 in just 17 years. Gone were the days of corner stores, supermarkets were taking the nation by storm. Kroger was quickly acquiring many different types of stores under their belt to expand its customer base, including its popular jeweler, Fred Meyer. They wanted to be able to be a one-stop-shop for the consumer, and considering that you can buy both a pair of shoes and your everyday food items in the same place makes Kroger a major competitor in the busy supermarket war.
So what is it that makes the Kroger company different than the other hundreds of thousands of supermarkets in the U.S.? One of the most remarkable aspects of Kroger is its data system, 84.51. Kroger purchased this company with the intent of gathering consumer information through the Kroger loyalty program to better serve their customers. Each time a loyalty customer scans their card or enters their information at the register or gas pump, the customer not only earns fuel points, but also is able to offer more specific recommendations to a customer based on their prior purchases. Another notable diversifying technique Kroger utilizes is technology, more specifically their app. With the app, customers are able to create shopping lists, order groceries for pickup, ship groceries to their home, and so much more! The app is so detailed that consumers are able to shop at a specific location, know exactly what products are offered, and even locate the items in their appropriate aisles when they shop. Kroger has repeatedly been ahead of the game since the beginning of their journey, and they are certainly a business to model after!