RALEIGH, N.C., Aug. 31, 2015 – The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR), the nation’s largest traditional grocery retailer with 14 stores throughout the Triangle and North Carolina, has announced that it will hold open interviews nationwide on Tues., Sept 15 for all veterans and their family members. Nationwide, the company is hiring to fill an estimated 20,000 permanent positions in its supermarket division.

Veterans and their family members need only to fill out on application online at jobs.kroger.com by Sept. 13, and then return to a store on Sept. 15, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. (no appointment necessary). The online application requests an email address, employment history and education information and takes about 30 minutes to complete. Kroger is asking applicants to input the hashtag #HonoringOurHeroes in the “Search by keyword” field at the top of jobs.kroger.com when applying online to be eligible for an in-store interview on September 15.

Kroger hired more than 6,000 veterans in 2014, and has hired more than 29,000 veterans since 2009 as part of its commitment to active duty troops and the nation's 23 million veterans through “Honoring Our Heroes,” a multi-faceted program the company designed to show its deep gratitude.

“Kroger is deeply committed to the nation’s veterans and their families, and we continue to seek out opportunities to honor heroes through career opportunities,” said Tim Massa, Kroger’s group vice president of human resources and labor relations. “Kroger is a place where you can come for a job and stay for a career,” he said, noting that about 70 percent of Kroger’s store managers started as part-time clerks.

In addition, Kroger is proud to have helped the "100,000 Jobs Mission" surpass its original goal in January 2014, seven years early. The "100,000 Jobs Mission" is a coalition of more than 130 companies with the common goal of hiring more than 100,000 transitioning service members and military veterans by 2020.

Through the Honoring Our Heroes program, Kroger stores have raised more than $11.9 million since 2010 to help support USO programs, which represents the largest cumulative gift to the USO in its nearly 75-year history.

QUOTES:

“North Carolina is home to more than 700,000 veterans and even more family members,” said Anne Jenkins, spokesperson for Kroger’s Mid-Atlantic Division. “We are proud to support these heroes and their families by welcoming them into the Kroger family, where they’ll find a fulfilling career and a tight-knit support system.”

“Kroger is a company that veterans can be proud to work for because of its robust involvement in our local communities,” said Clifton Thomas, Kroger’s category strategy manager for Corporate Brands and Marine Corps Veteran. “It has given me the opportunity to be part of a team and connect to something bigger.”

ABOUT KROGER:

Kroger, the nation’s largest traditional grocery retailer, has 14 stores throughout the Triangle, including Apex (1), Cary (1), Garner (1), Fuquay-Varina (1), Raleigh (4) and Durham (6). Headquartered in Cincinnati, the company employs nearly 400,000 associates who serve customers in 2,625 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith's. The company also operates 782 convenience stores, 326 fine jewelry stores, 1,330 supermarket fuel centers and 37 food processing plants in the U.S. Recognized by Forbes as the most generous company in America, Kroger supports hunger relief, breast cancer awareness, the military and their families, and more than 30,000 schools and community organizations. Kroger contributes food and funds equal to 200 million meals a year through more than 100 Feeding America food bank partners. A leader in supplier diversity, Kroger is a proud member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber's Million Dollar Club. For more information, please visit http://www.kroger.com.

(end)