Kroger closed its second quarter with new digital partnerships, rebranding with a unifying symbol and boosting its employees’ wages to $16 per hour, which will scale up to near $21 by the year’s end.
Kroger Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen said in a press release that the company’s second-quarter strategy targeted fresh food and digital momentum, and its “seamless ecosystem is working,” with shoppers easily moving and engaging across channels.
“Customers are eating more food at home because it is more affordable, convenient and healthier than other options,” McMullen said.
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The country’s largest supermarket operator rebranded its icon to bring Kroger’s 2,750 stores together with a “unifying visual” and an emphasis on its tagline, “Fresh For Everyone.”
Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kroger has stores in 35 states under 24 banners. Its stores launched 142 new items in the second quarter and expanded delivery and pickup to cover 98% of Kroger households, according to the release.
Read more: Kroger Looks To Parlay Digital-First Growth Into Omnichannel Success
Kroger’s estimated 465,000 employees across its family of stores will now earn an average hourly wage of $16, with full benefits, with plans to scale close to $21 per hour by the end of this year.
The supermarket chain also formed several new partnerships in the second quarter, including teaming up with Kitchen United, a ghost kitchen that enabled Kroger to launch an on-demand pickup and delivery service for restaurant meals.
It also expanded its pilot program with Google Maps, which is intended to streamline grocery pickup for both customers and associates. Kroger is also trialing sushi delivery with DoorDash in three locations.
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Under a new initiative with the Biden administration, Kroger will also be offering at-home rapid COVID-19 tests at cost for 100 days. Kroger Health has administered over 6.7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, according to the release.
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