TENTATIVE CONTRACT AGREEMENT REACHED WITH UFCW IN BAY AREA

CINCINNATI, OH, January 24, 2005 -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today said a tentative agreement has been reached with eight United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Union Locals in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The tentative agreement covers approximately 1,100 Ralphs and Cala/Bell associates who are members of Locals 101, 120, 373, 428, 648, 839, 870 and 1179. The UFCW will present the tentative agreement to its members for ratification. Kroger has been told by the UFCW that the union will recommend ratification of the contract to their membership. Details of the tentative settlement are not being released at this time.

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kroger is one of the nation’s largest retail grocery chains. At the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2004, the Company operated (either directly or through its subsidiaries) 2,531 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 32 states under two dozen banners including Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Food 4 Less, King Soopers, Smith’s, Fry’s, Fry’s Marketplace, Dillons, QFC and City Market. Kroger also operated (either directly or through subsidiaries, franchise agreements, or operating agreements) 792 convenience stores, 439 fine jewelry stores, 520 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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