Kroger Launches Dedicated Website to Spur Local Vendor Partnerships

The Kroger Co. launched kroger.Com/WeAreLocal, a website designed to welcome local and emerging brands to partner with the company.

The retailer sources from thousands of local and regional brands, and Kroger officials emphasized the importance of carrying these items. The move by Kroger to launch a new local vendor microsite follows in the wake of the news that Amazon will streamline Whole Foods' procurement practices with a more centralized strategy and back away from its traditional sourcing methods for smaller vendors.

"Kroger has always had a commitment to supporting small-business owners and local vendors," says Mike Donnelly, Kroger's EVP of merchandising and procurement. "Our business has a track record of successfully blending centralized and decentralized decision making to promote local products while also enjoying economies of scale. Since “day one,” Donnelly continued, “we have had a longstanding, 365-day-a-year commitment to support and source from local farmers, ranchers, food producers, wineries, breweries and product makers. There are tastes and products that are unique to every region."

Kroger's team of buyers continuously look for opportunities to purchase regionally, allowing the company to expand its product portfolio while stimulating the local economy and enhancing product freshness. Sourcing locally also supports the company's sustainability commitments, including Kroger's Zero Hunger | Zero Waste initiative launched earlier this week.

"Kroger has led the way for over a decade in making local, natural and organic products more affordable and accessible to America -- especially for shoppers on a budget," Donnelly affirms. "We've always believed that our customers shouldn't have to pay higher prices just because a product is local, natural or organic. There are a lot of headlines about making local, natural and organic foods more affordable. The truth is, we've always been affordable. That's why we developed our Simple Truth brand, which today is the biggest natural and organic brand in the country by volume."