Do we like them?

Do we like Kroger?

US supermarket giant running grocery, pharmacy and fuel stores, plus its own brands. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Our score: 5 out of 10. A huge, ordinary grocer. It paid about $1.2bn to settle opioid claims, and a court blocked its merger. We'd hold it with mixed feelings, not back it with enthusiasm.

Kroger is one of America's biggest supermarket chains, based in Cincinnati. It is listed on the stock exchange, so it has no single owner. In February 2026 it hired Greg Foran, the ex-Walmart US boss, as CEO. He is the first CEO from outside the company.

The big drama was the Albertsons merger, worth about $25bn. Federal and state judges halted it in December 2024 in a win for the FTC. Albertsons then sued Kroger in Delaware over the termination. It is seeking a $600m termination fee, and Kroger denies owing it.

Then there's opioids. Kroger finalized a deal in December 2024 to settle most state and local government claims. A separate settlement with tribes followed in 2025. Reports put the total at about $1.2bn for states and local governments, plus $36m for tribes. Kroger did not admit wrongdoing.

Lately it has been reshaping. One report says it plans to close about 60 stores by the end of 2026 and offer affected staff jobs elsewhere. It also agreed to buy Giant Eagle for $1.65bn. Our score is a middling 5: big and useful, but with a messy legal record.