Kroger (KR) differentiates itself from other supermarket giants with its produce quality and selection, and higher-end private labels.
Did you know that back in the 1930s, Kroger Grocery and Baking Company became the first grocery chain to observe product quality and to test foods in their offering?
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It was also the first to build a store surrounded by parking lots on all four sides.
Pretty innovative and consumer-friendly, isn’t it?
Now, the competition is huge, and some of the biggest Kroger rivals include popular names such as Walmart, Albertsons, Publix, Target, Dollar General, Aldi, etc. To remain competitive, Kroger must continue to please its customers and to continually innovate and improve its offerings.
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The grocery giant currently operates more than 2,700 stores under various banner names. It also runs 35 food production or manufacturing facilities that produce high-quality private-label products, which are often praised by their customers on public forums.
What’s more, Kroger is also one of the 350 companies with the best loyalty and rewards program in the U.S. according to USA Today and its research partner Plant-A Insights Group.
To remain competitive and to keep its loyal customer base, the retailer continues to innovate and upgrade its offering. On June 3rd it announced a delicious new giveaway.
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Kroger to give thousands of free mouth-watering ice creams
This summer, Kroger is giving away 92,000 pints of its limited Kroger Brand ice cream. Starting at noon on June 20, individuals can score a coupon for free ice cream.
Which flavors?
The giveaway serves a promotion of new flavors, however, coupons can be used for classic Kroger Brand ice cream favorites, like Kroger Brand Deluxe Cookie and Cream or Crumble. Four new flavors are:
- Italian Style Summer Fizz
- Fireside Nights
- Sandy Shores
- Poolside Tan Lines
How to get coupons?
On June 20, at noon, the FreeKrogerIceCream.com website will go live and allow customers to claim a digital coupon for one free pint. The coupon is redeemable at many Kroger Family of Stores locations from Friday, June 20 through Friday, July 4.
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This is not the first time Kroger has launched a free ice cream giveaway to celebrate the summer days.
“Last year, we were blown away by customer excitement for our free pint offer and this summer we are making it even sweeter. Kroger is giving away 92,000 free pints of ice cream so more customers can celebrate the start of summer with a taste of our new flavors,” said Mike Murphy, Group Vice President of Center Store Merchandising at Kroger.
Recent developments at Kroger
To say that running a large supermarket is quite a task would be an understatement. Imagine what it takes to organize everything in the store to run smoothly. There are as many prices and expiration dates to manage as there are grocery items. Then, there’s customer service, making sure shelves are stocked, and so much more.
Sometimes mistakes happen.
In May, Kroger was accused of secretly charging higher prices to its customers, according to an investigation from Consumer Reports, The Guardian and the Food & Environment Reporting Network.
Quickly after the investigation revealed results, several Kroger workers told Consumer Reports that managers were instructed to fix all price tag errors within “a matter of days.”
Furthermore, Kroger also announced it was hiring 15,000 new associates to “enhance the customer experience,” in roles such as “cashiers, baggers, deli bakery clerks, pharmacy technicians, Kroger delivery drivers,” according to a press release.
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The retailers’ online marketplace Kroger Ship, which offered products from other companies alongside grocery delivery, was shut down and removed from its website in March. So far, the company has not issued any official statement on the move.
More recently, Kroger has been awarded the 2025 Gold Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health, a workplace certification that recognizes employers who are aiming to establish mentally healthy workplaces for their associates.
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