Kroger lets downtown Cincinnati lease lapse

Kroger Co. has allowed the lease to lapse on Cincinnati downtown office space used by the grocer’s digital team, a Kroger spokesperson has confirmed. 

The workers were relocated from Atrium Two, 221 E. Fourth St., to the company’s Blue Ash Technology Center at 11450 Grooms Road, according to Kroger spokesperson Erin Rolfes in an email response to Supermarket News.

“In everything we do, we put our associates at the center of our decisions, and we believe this change will facilitate teams working closely to achieve their goals,” the company said in a prepared statement. “In that spirit, this month, we welcomed thousands of associates to our vibrant downtown Cincinnati campus more often for greater in-person collaboration three to four days a week to better support our teams, customers, and the communities we serve.”

Kroger declined to comment on how many employees were impacted by the move.

The relocation comes a few months after Kroger employees were ordered to begin reporting back to the office for at least three to four days a week beginning on Feb. 5. 

The company released a statement in December concerning the in-office requirements. 

“Our teams are thriving when we work together to achieve our goals. To better support our teams, our customers, and the communities we serve, beginning Feb. 5, 2024, associates will be coming into their assigned offices for three to four days a week. We look forward to welcoming our associates more often to our beautiful downtown Cincinnati and other locations,” the company said in a statement released to Supermarket News on Dec. 12.

Prior to the change, employees were required to work in-office at least two days a week, according to a 2021 story reported in the Cincinnati Business Courier, which noted that about 5,800 Kroger employees worked at the downtown Cincinnati headquarters.