Kroger & Walgreens Join Together in Exploratory Pilot

DEERFIELD, Ill. and CINCINNATI, Oct. 2, 2018

The two retail leaders have selected 13 Walgreens stores in Northern Kentucky, near Kroger's Cincinnati headquarters, to pilot the format. The companies will conduct this pilot over the next several months, listening closely to customer feedback.

"This exciting collaboration aligns with Kroger's vision of serving America through food inspiration and uplift," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and CEO. "This concept brings together the best of two great brands to rethink convenience and redefine the way America shops for food."

Initially, Kroger and Walgreens will develop and test a one-stop shopping experience where customers can access products and services from both companies. Customers will be able to order Kroger grocery items online and pickup orders at the participating Walgreens locations. Kroger's popular Our Brands grocery items, including America's largest natural and organic brand, Simple Truth®, will also be available in-store at participating Walgreens locations. The diversified shopping assortment will complement Walgreens products and services across health and wellness, pharmacy and beauty.

"This innovative new concept is an opportunity to test and learn, as we determine how we can best work together to further elevate our customer offering," said Stefano Pessina, executive vice chairman and CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. "We continue to evolve our offerings to meet the changing needs of our customers and provide a more differentiated shopping experience. We've been implementing new approaches to promotions, product selection and other areas to deliver greater value in our stores."

About Kroger
The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), is dedicated to its Purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit™. Our family of companies are nearly half a million associates who serve nine million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,800 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 Kroger, visit its newsroom and investor relations site.