KROGER RAISES $5.2 MILLION FOR DISASTER RELIEF
Fundraising Efforts Continue as Customers and Employees Give Generously

CINCINNATI, OH, September 27, 2001 -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced it has raised $5.2 million to support The American Red Cross, Salvation Army and other organizations that are providing emergency relief in New York City, Washington, D.C. and southwestern Pennsylvania.

That figure will grow even higher as the Company’s nearly 2,400 stores continue accepting cash donations from customers and sponsor a wide variety of fundraising programs to benefit disaster relief efforts.

“The generosity shown by Kroger’s customers and employees across the country has been overwhelming,” said Lynn Marmer, Kroger group vice president of corporate affairs. “They are showing their support for the victims and families of the attacks in a variety of ways, whether by ‘rounding up’ their grocery bill at checkout, dropping their extra change in Salvation Army kettles outside our stores, or purchasing commemorative items for which the profits are donated to charity.”

Among the fundraising programs at Kroger retail divisions:

• King Soopers stores in Colorado have sold more than 109,000 “United We Stand” T-shirts and hats for $10 each, with $7 from each sale going to relief efforts.
• The Kroger division based in Houston has raised more than $250,000 by selling American Red Cross Flag Donation cards for $1 each.
• The International Association of Firefighters parked fire trucks at Smith’s stores in Albuquerque and Santa Fe (NM) to collect money for fallen firefighters and their families. Donations totaled $50,000 in a single day.
• Customers at 16 Baker’s stores in Nebraska have donated more than $105,000 by “rounding up” their grocery bill at checkout.

Kroger stores also have been helping local blood banks that have been overwhelmed by people wanting to donate blood. For example, the Kroger division in Louisville (KY) has donated water, juice and snacks for 10,000 blood donors and provided hot meals for volunteers working at blood drives.

Kroger's food processing facilities have also assisted in relief efforts. For example, the Company made arrangements with the Salvation Army to send several truckloads of water to New York City shortly after the disaster. Columbus Bakery donated three truckloads of snacks to Save The Children, a national non-profit group providing assistance in New York. And Tamarack Dairy in Newark (OH) provided 200 gallons of orange juice to blood bank donors.

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kroger is one of the nation’s largest retail grocery chains. At the end of the second quarter, the Company operated 2,392 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, Dillon, QFC and City Market. Kroger also operates 788 convenience stores, 420 fine jewelry stores, 143 supermarket fuel centers and 41 food processing plants.

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