1,300 Expected to Accept Kroger Buyout Offer

About 1,300 employees are expected to accept The Kroger Co.’s early buyout offer that was announced late last year.

As part of a cost-cutting initiative launched in December, Cincinnati-based Kroger extended the first-ever voluntary retirement offer to 2,000 non-store employees.

During last week’s quarter-four/year-end earnings call, Kroger Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen said the company estimated about 1,300 employees would accept the the offer, which is still open through this week. McMullen called the buyout offer a “difficult decision.”

Kroger spokesman Keith Dailey said the company will announce in its Q1 earnings report in June the amount of savings generated by the buyouts, the Cincinnati Business Courier reported.

Meanwhile, some Kroger divisions like its Arizona-based Fry’s banner aims to hire more than 1,000 new employees as the chain adds more stores and services, the Arizona Republic reported.

Full- and part-time positions sought include department managers, pharmacy technicians, clerks, stockers, chefs, wine stewards and cheese specialists. Kroger employs more than 21,000 people in Arizona at its Fry's and Smith’s Food & Drug stores.

Fry’s added six stores in Arizona last year, with an upcoming opening in north Phoenix expected to bring the total to 123 locations, the Republic reported.