KROGER GROUP VICE PRESIDENT TERRY COX ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT AFTER 40 YEARS WITH THE COMPANY

CINCINNATI, OH, December 21, 2001 -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today said that Terry L. Cox, Group Vice President of Drug/GM Merchandising and Procurement, plans to retire February 28, 2002, after 40 years with the Company.

Michael J. Donnelly, 43, will succeed Mr. Cox as Group Vice President. He has been President of Fry’s, a division of Kroger based in Arizona, since March 2000. Prior to that, Mr. Donnelly served as vice president of merchandising at Fry’s for five years. He began his career at Fry’s Food Stores of California in 1978.

Thomas B. Rech, 53, has been named president of Fry’s. He has been president of Kroger’s Nashville division since 1999. Prior to that, Mr. Rech held a variety of management positions with the Company. He joined Kroger as a part-time store clerk in 1966.

Mr. Cox, 59, joined Kroger in 1962 as a part-time clerk in Columbus, Ohio. He held a variety of merchandising positions in several Kroger retail divisions before becoming Director of Marketing in the Company's Grocery Merchandising Department in 1987. In 1989, Mr. Cox was named President of Peyton's, Inc., Kroger's drug and general merchandise procurement and distribution subsidiary. Later that year, he was promoted to Vice President -- Drug/GM Merchandising. Mr. Cox was promoted to Group Vice President in 1999.

“We’re very grateful to Terry for his outstanding contributions over the past 40 years,” said David B. Dillon, Kroger president and chief operating officer.

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kroger is one of the nation’s largest retail grocery chains. At the end of the third quarter, the Company operated 2,401 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 790 convenience stores, 426 fine jewelry stores, 177 supermarket fuel centers and 41 food processing plants.

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