The Kroger Company
German parents → USA
Retail, Logistics & E-Commerce
Summary
Kroger was founded in 1883 in Cincinnati by Bernard Henry “Barney” Kroger, born in 1860 to John Henry Kroger and Mary Gertrude Kroger, German immigrants from the Lower Rhine who had arrived in the United States in the 1840s and settled in Cincinnati’s German immigrant community. Barney opened the Great Western Tea Company at age 24 with his savings of $372. By 1885 he had two stores; by 1900, forty. Kroger pioneered the in-store bakery, the integrated grocery-and-meat market, and chain-store distribution.
European Contribution
German immigrant work ethic and grocer's tradition of the Lower Rhine.
American Impact
Created the modern American supermarket chain; pioneered in-store baking and integrated retail food distribution.
Timeline Highlights
- 1840s Kroger parents emigrate from Germany
- 1860 Barney Kroger born in Cincinnati
- 1883 Founds Great Western Tea Company
- 1928 Kroger has 5,575 stores nationwide
- Present Operates 2,700+ stores across the U.S.