CINCINNATI, Aug. 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Kroger
(NYSE: KR) announced a pilot with Alibaba Group's Tmall Global platform.
Kroger's new online store introduces Our Brands to international customers for the first time. Kroger's online
store test will start with select Simple Truth® items, providing Alibaba's more than half a billion Chinese consumers with
easy access to America's largest natural and organic brand.
"E-commerce enables Kroger to quickly scale to reach new customers and markets where we don't operate physical stores,
starting with China," said Yael Cosset, Kroger's chief digital officer. "We anticipate Chinese
consumers will love Our Brands – starting with Simple Truth® products – just like our American customers do. Kroger
is proud to continue to lead the way in making natural, organic and free-from products more mainstream and accessible. Sharing
Kroger's exclusive brands and status as a food authority the world over is exciting."
This strategic move supports two key Restock
Kroger pillars – redefine the grocery customer experience by elevating Our Brands and partner to create
customer value by driving top line growth through alternative revenue streams to create both customer value and shareholder
value.
Launched in 2014, Alibaba's Tmall Global platform is China's largest business-to-consumer
marketplace, providing a premium shopping experience for China's consumers. The platform
provides brands and retailers without operations in China to build virtual storefronts and ship
products into China.
Simple Truth has quickly become the second-largest brand sold in Kroger stores since launching five years ago. In 2018, Simple
Truth reached more than $2 billion in annual sales, making it the largest natural and organic brand
in America.
"Kroger is the world's third largest retailer by revenue—$122.7 billion in sales in 2017. We are creating the grocery retail
model of the future by focusing on digital and technology," added Cosset.
About Kroger
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit™. 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.
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SOURCE The Kroger Co.