KROGER NAMES LINDA SEVERIN VICE PRESIDENT OF CORPORATE BRANDS

CINCINNATI, OH, January 18, 2007 – The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) announced today that Linda Severin has been named Vice President of Corporate Brands, a new position for the company, effective January 29, 2007.

Ms. Severin will lead the company’s Corporate Brands team. Kroger’s corporate brands are a key part of the company’s growth. The company’s three-tier program – Private Selection, Banner and Value brands – enables Kroger to serve a broad and diverse customer base.

“Linda’s passion for translating what customers tell us they want into quality products and getting them on store shelves – at the right price – will enable us to expand what we offer our customers today,” said Don Becker, Executive Vice President of Merchandising. “We look forward to her expertise in leading our corporate brands strategy.”

Ms. Severin, 43, joins the company from ConAgra Foods Inc. in Chicago where she served as Vice President of Marketing. She has held leadership positions at Campbell’s, Dean Foods, Sara Lee and Rand McNally. During her career, her focus on customer insight has driven her success in marketing and brand management initiatives. A native of Michigan, Ms. Severin earned a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University and a master’s of business administration in marketing from the University of Michigan.

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kroger is one of the nation’s largest retail grocery chains. At the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2006, the Company operated (either directly or through its subsidiaries) 2,473 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under two dozen local banners including Kroger and Kroger Marketplace, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Food 4 Less, King Soopers, Smith’s and Smith’s Marketplace, Fry’s and Fry’s Marketplace, Dillons, QFC and City Market. Kroger also operated (either directly or through subsidiaries, franchise agreements, or operating agreements) 774 convenience stores, 418 fine jewelry stores, 619 supermarket fuel centers and 42 food processing plants. For more information about Kroger, please visit our web site at www.kroger.com.

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