PERRY PROMOTED TO GROUP VICE PRESIDENT OF KROGER

CINCINNATI, OH, March 3, 2003 -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced that M. Marnette Perry has been promoted to group vice president of perishables merchandising and procurement. She will become an officer of the Company.

Ms. Perry most recently served as president of Kroger's Columbus division, which operates 116 stores in Ohio and West Virginia. She had held that position since 2000.

"We are delighted to welcome Marnette to Kroger's senior management team," said David B. Dillon, Kroger president and chief operating officer. "She has a keen sense of what customers want and expect in our neighborhood stores. Kroger's high-quality perishables are a distinct competitive strength, and we are confident that Marnette's considerable merchandising experience will play an important role in the future growth of this area of our business."

Ms. Perry joined Kroger in 1972 as a part-time cashier in Portsmouth, Ohio, while attending Ohio University. Ms. Perry has held a variety of management positions during her 31-year career at Kroger. In the 1980s, she helped develop Kroger's natural foods and floral programs, and later became director of produce merchandising and procurement. In that role, she coordinated the operation of Kroger's Wesco produce buying operation, one of the largest in the nation. She also served as vice president of merchandising in Kroger's Delta division, based in Memphis. In 1997, Ms. Perry was promoted to president of Kroger's Michigan division.

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kroger is one of the nation's largest retail grocery chains. At the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2002, the Company operated (either directly or through its subsidiaries) 2,461 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 32 states under approximately two dozen banners including Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Food 4 Less, King Soopers, Smith's, Fry's and Fry's Marketplace, Dillons, QFC and City Market. Kroger also operates (either directly or through its subsidiaries) 783 convenience stores, 441 fine jewelry stores, 341 supermarket fuel centers and 41 food processing plants. For more information about Kroger, please visit our web site at www.kroger.com.

« Go back