Kroger, the Cincinnati-based supermarket giant, told employees it is eliminating nearly 1,000 corporate jobs nationwide, including 200 in its hometown region.
In a memo obtained by The Cincinnati Enquirer, Kroger Interim CEO Ron Sargent said the cuts would “simplify the organization” and free up money for Kroger to lower grocery prices, add hours for store employees and spend more to improve its stores.
The latest cuts are the third wave of reductions in administrative and other non-store jobs in 2025, following Kroger’s back-to-back cuts in February and March.
“These decisions are never easy, but we know thoughtful, yet difficult, choices are necessary to set our organization up for continued success,” Sargent wrote in the memo, dated Aug. 26. “I know change is hard, but I, along with the Kroger leadership team, am confident in the organization’s future.”
As of February, the company employed over 409,000 staff, with most working in its stores.
Here’s what you need to know about recent changes at Kroger:
In June, Kroger said the company would close 60 locations in the United States over the next 18 months, according to its first-quarter sales report this year. Interim CEO Ron Sargent said during a conference call at the time that the unprofitable stores were spread around the country.
Kroger operated 2,731 stores at the beginning of the fiscal year, meaning the closures represented about 2% of all of its locations.
Additionally, the company reaffirmed its plan to spend between $3.6 billion and $3.8 billion this year on capital expenditures, including money to build new stores and expand and renovate existing ones.
Kroger added that it would offer roles in other stores to all associates currently employed at closing locations.
Store closures: Kroger set to close 60 stores across the country: Here’s where, so far
Contributing: Fernando Cervantes Jr.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kroger is cutting nearly 1,000 corporate jobs