THOMAS NAMED COORDINATOR OF CORPORATE SUPPLIER DIVERSITY FOR KROGER

CINCINNATI, OH, March 27, 2003 -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced that Denise R. Thomas has been named coordinator of corporate supplier diversity. In this newly created position, she will be responsible for managing all aspects of Kroger’s supplier diversity program.

Ms. Thomas has spent the past 29 years with Kroger, mostly in store management positions in Michigan. For the past three years, she had been manager of Store #632 in Novi, Michigan.

Established more than 20 years ago, Kroger's supplier diversity program has helped foster the promotion, growth and development of minority-owned business enterprises (MBEs) and women-owned business enterprises (WBEs). The program helps MBEs and WBEs analyze their business capabilities to determine whether their products or services fit within Kroger's corporate strategies and the market as a whole.

“We view supplier diversity as a key business strategy that will enable Kroger to better serve our customers in an increasingly diverse marketplace,” said David B. Dillon, Kroger president and chief operating officer. “Denise brings a great deal of retail experience to this new position, and we are confident that she will help take our supplier diversity program to the next level.”

“The Company’s approaches are as varied as the businesses and individuals involved,” Ms. Thomas said. “Our goal is always the same: to be sure that our suppliers reflect the broad diversity of the marketplaces that we serve.”

MBEs and WBEs that are interested in doing business with Kroger may contact our Supplier Diversity Program office by calling (513) 762-4939 or by contacting the office via e-mail at supplierdiversity@kroger.com.

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kroger is one of the nation’s largest retail grocery chains. At the end of fiscal 2002, the Company operated (either directly or through its subsidiaries) 2,488 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 operated (either directly or through its subsidiaries) 784 convenience stores, 441 fine jewelry stores, 376 supermarket fuel centers and 41 food processing plants. For more information about Kroger, please visit our web site at www.kroger.com.

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