CINCINNATI, Jan. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, The
Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) released an analysis, Kroger Stores
Benefit Western Communities: An Assessment of the Enterprise's
Compensation Packages and the Economic Impacts in the
West that documents the organization's compensation of its
nearly 85,000 hourly associates in four Western states:
California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington.
The ndp | analytics report, commissioned by The Kroger Family of
Companies, highlights the robust economic and social contributions
Kroger makes to these four states, including noteworthy employment
of – and opportunities for – communities of color and lower-income
populations.
"Our study underscores the fact that The Kroger Family of
Companies puts its associates first," said Dr. Nam Pham, Managing Partner at ndp | analytics
and co-author of the report. "Based on the organization's actual
data and official government data, our findings show the
organization pays hourly associates higher wages and benefits
compared to its peers in the overall retail industry."
"At The Kroger Family of Companies, we are proud to provide our
associates not only industry-leading pay and benefits, including
health care and pensions, but to also be offering upward mobility
to all of our valued associates," said Tim
Massa, Kroger's senior vice president and chief people
officer. "We are proud of our role as a leading employer in the
U.S. and remain committed to serving our communities with reliable
access to affordable, fresh groceries and other essentials."
Misleading Report from Economic Roundtable & UFCW
The Economic Roundtable published a "survey" – paid for by the
UFCW – that was conducted with limited data of select communities
to mischaracterize The Kroger Family of Companies workers and their
compensation packages in the four Western states, according to Dr.
Pham.
When asked about the disappointing claims made by the UFCW and
Economic Roundtable, Dr. Pham said, "These critics have unfairly
selected partial information, incomplete data, and anecdotes to
spread negative and inaccurate details about the compensation and
benefits The Kroger Family of Companies provides. Unlike the
Economic Roundtable study, our report uses the organization's
comprehensive dataset of nearly 85,000 workers at stores in four
Western states, which shows the organization's hourly associates
have higher compensation rates than their peers."
"Any argument that The Kroger Family of Companies does not pay
its workers fairly and top market rate is not supported by actual
evidence," Dr. Pham concluded.
"The implication by the Economic Roundtable that The Kroger
Family of Companies does not care about the wellbeing of our
associates and their families is patently untrue," continued Massa.
"I am disappointed the UFCW has chosen to pull together such a
misleading and untrue report – which leads me to believe they no
longer have our associates' best interests at heart."
Key highlights of the Kroger Stores Benefit Western
Communities report are:
- Kroger pays hourly associates more than their peers in the
retail industry overall. Currently, Kroger pays an average
of $18.27 per hour and spends an
additional $5.61 per hour for
healthcare and retirement benefits, totaling $23.89 per hour for hourly associates in Western
states. Kroger's hourly wages and benefits were higher than the
average hourly wages and benefits of all workers in the U.S. retail
industry and comparable job functions of the majority of Kroger
associates. The wage premiums across Kroger's stores are more
recognizable at lower earning groups.
- In addition to competitive wages and high-quality benefits,
Kroger offers a broad range of employment opportunities for workers
of all ages and aspirations. Kroger offers job and career
opportunities to underserved populations at its Western stores. The
enterprise's values of diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) are
reflected in its workforce. Indeed, Kroger associates are more
diverse than state workforces overall.
- Kroger's impact extends beyond its stores. Its
operations and investments create a ripple effect that generates
economic and social benefits for local communities in the West. In
total, Kroger's Western stores support 127,374 direct, indirect,
and induced jobs and $4.7 billion in
wages. These stores generate $62.3
billion in direct, indirect, and induced sales and
$8.8 billion in value added to local
economies. The enterprise's state and local tax contributions
amount to nearly $1.2 billion. A
snapshot of Kroger's support to local communities includes
$57.5 million in community giving and
26 million donated meals to those in need.
To read the full report, please visit here.
About ndp | analytics
Dr. Nam
Pham is Managing Partner and Mary
Donovan is Principal at ndp | analytics, an economic
research firm based in Washington,
DC. The Kroger Company provided financial support to conduct
the study. The opinions and views expressed are solely those of the
authors.
Founded in 2000, ndp | analytics is a strategic economic and
communications research firm. Through the rigor of quantitative
analyses, the firm produces reports, creative content, and other
research for a diverse group of clients, including trade
associations, corporations, law firms, multi-lateral organizations,
and government agencies. By uniting this rigorous analysis with
clear communication, ndp | analytics turns data into action.
About The Kroger Co.
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we
are Fresh for Everyone™ and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the
Human Spirit®. We are, across our family of companies, nearly half
a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily
through a seamless shopping experience under a variety of banner
names. We are committed to creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste
communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and
investor relations site.
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SOURCE The Kroger Co.