 Kroger is getting a new look with a fresh logo and a universal slogan it plans to use across all of its brands.
The grocery chain, which also owns Ralphs, Fry’s, Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer, and more than a dozen other banners that sell food and home goods, announced Wednesday that its new tagline is “Fresh for Everyone.” Previously, it didn’t have one.
It says it will launch a mass media campaign, including in stores, on TV, radio, social media, podcasts and billboards, using its new branding. It also says, to celebrate the launch, it will offer shoppers free grocery pickup through Jan. 1. Normally, there is a $4.95 fee.
“We found fresh is a real point of difference for us,” Kroger’s vice president of marketing, Mandy Rassi, told CNBC in an interview. She said the changes have been in the works for more than a year.
“We are not changing the names on the [individual] banners,” Rassi said. “That said, there is a benefit that comes with scale ... with a broader narrative.”
The company declined to say how much it will spend on the rollout and advertising blitz but said Kroger has always had a “fairly significant marketing and media budget".
The announcement comes one day after the grocery company held an investor meeting in New York, giving 2020 profit and comparable sales expectations ahead of analysts’ estimates. Its shares on Tuesday shot up more than 11% on the news. Kroger’s stock, which has a market value of $22.3 billion, has climbed about 1.3% since the start of the year. The shares have been under pressure since Amazon said in June 2017 that it would acquire Whole Foods.
During the meeting, Kroger said it has benefited from making modern upgrades in stores, adding more delivery options and investing in price cuts.
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