Kroger, the US grocer, today (16 September) praised a “strong” second quarter as half-year sales and earnings rose.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Go deeper with GlobalData

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


Net earnings for the first half of 2008 were up 9.7% to US$662.5m, with sales rising 11.7% to $41.2bn. Identical supermarket sales, excluding fuel, rose 5.3%.


Chairman and CEO David Dillon described Kroger’s second-quarter results as “strong”, although profit growth slowed. The company booked net earnings of $276.5m, up 3.4% on the year. Revenue climbed 11.9% to $18.1bn; identical supermarket sales excluding fuel rose 4.7%.


“Our year-to-date performance demonstrates Kroger’s ability to deliver sustainable results today while we continue to invest for the future,” Dillon said. “We know market conditions will continue to be a challenge and we believe our strategy works well in good times and bad. Kroger’s team and our overall strategy clearly stand out in the current environment.”


However, the impact of Hurricane Ike on the company’s operations remains unclear. Kroger issued an improved forecast for full-year sales, indicating that it expects identical sales to rise by 4.5-5.5%, excluding fuel, this year. The company also confirmed its earnings target for the year of growth of 9-12% in earnings per share.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Nevertheless, Dillon admitted the full impact of Ike was hitherto unknown could and affect the company’s guidance. “The company’s expectations for the second half of 2008 exclude any impact from Hurricane Ike. The hurricane and its remnants affected Kroger operations in Texas and several inland states, particularly Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio,” Dillon said.


However, he added: “The financial impact of the hurricane will not be significant enough to cause Kroger to alter its strategy.”

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact