CINCINNATI, June 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced it will locate its new Digital HQ in downtown Cincinnati.

Kroger's new digital team headquarters in the Atrium Two building located at 221 East Fourth Street will house approximately 600 Kroger digital associates at first. Kroger expects to grow its digital team to more than 1,000 over the next three years.

"We decided to locate Kroger's Digital HQ here because we love Cincinnati," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and CEO. "We believe growing our digital team here will support Cincinnati becoming a destination for digital and tech talent."

Starting in July, Kroger will begin moving about 500 existing digital jobs from Blue Ash, and approximately 100 from its general offices on Vine St., to Atrium Two.

"Kroger is a phenomenal corporate partner to the city," said Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley. "Bringing these jobs to the urban core will enable our city and region to grow as a hub for digital technology. Kroger continues to double-down on its commitment to the future of Cincinnati."

"Kroger is creating a seamless shopping environment so customers can choose how to engage with us, both in-store and online, because the future of retail will include both physical and digital experiences," said Yael Cosset, Kroger's chief digital officer. "As part of Restock Kroger, our plan to redefine the grocery customer experience, we are investing in innovative digital and technology infrastructure. Our new Digital HQ is an important step on our journey to create a truly seamless shopping environment."

Kroger recently announced an exclusive partnership with online grocery supermarket Ocado and merged with Home Chef to evolve and grow its digital business. Last week, Kroger reported its first quarter digital sales grew by 66% and that its existing seamless coverage area now reaches approximately 75% of its customers. This includes its network of ClickList locations, stores offering home delivery through Instacart and other partners, as well as ship to home capabilities. Kroger's goal is to reach 100% of its customers with the seamless experience – and, over time, to reach across America. Last week, Kroger Technology was named to Computerworld's Top 100 Best Places to Work in IT.

In Cincinnati, Kroger Technology is a proud partner with the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber's "Cincy is IT" initiative to attract top tech talent to the region. The company also supports Cincinnati-based Cintrifuse – a public-private partnership established to drive the next phase of growth for the Midwest region through innovation enabled and delivered by startups – including sponsoring an executive-in-residence.

"All the changes we are making to transform our business will make it even easier for families to share meals together," added Mr. McMullen. "This business strategy enables us to live our Kroger purpose, because we know that families who share meals together have children who do better in all aspects of their lives."

At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit^TM. We are nearly half a million associates who serve over nine million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,779 retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site. 

SOURCE The Kroger Co.

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http://www.kroger.com