<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001214659-21-005795.txt : 20210521
<SEC-HEADER>0001214659-21-005795.hdr.sgml : 20210521
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20210521135702
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001214659-21-005795
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	PX14A6G
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		2
FILED AS OF DATE:		20210521
DATE AS OF CHANGE:		20210521
EFFECTIVENESS DATE:		20210521

SUBJECT COMPANY:	

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			KROGER CO
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000056873
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	RETAIL-GROCERY STORES [5411]
		IRS NUMBER:				310345740
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			OH
		FISCAL YEAR END:			0130

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		PX14A6G
		SEC ACT:		1934 Act
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	001-00303
		FILM NUMBER:		21948113

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		1014 VINE ST
		CITY:			CINCINNATI
		STATE:			OH
		ZIP:			45201
		BUSINESS PHONE:		5137624000

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		1014 VINE ST
		CITY:			CINCINNATI
		STATE:			OH
		ZIP:			45201

FILED BY:		

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			AS YOU SOW
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001086462
		IRS NUMBER:				000000000
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			CA

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		PX14A6G

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		2150 KITTREDGE ST.
		STREET 2:		SUITE 450
		CITY:			BERKELEY
		STATE:			CA
		ZIP:			94704
		BUSINESS PHONE:		510-735-8155

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		2150 KITTREDGE ST.
		STREET 2:		SUITE 450
		CITY:			BERKELEY
		STATE:			CA
		ZIP:			94704
</SEC-HEADER>
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<TYPE>PX14A6G
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<FILENAME>px521210px14a6g.htm
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    <TD ROWSPAN="2" STYLE="white-space: nowrap; vertical-align: top; width: 10%"><IMG SRC="asyousowlogo.jpg" ALT=""><FONT STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </FONT></TD>
    <TD STYLE="white-space: nowrap; vertical-align: bottom; width: 10%"><FONT STYLE="font-size: 8pt; color: #00813D">2150 Kittredge St. Suite 450&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </FONT></TD>
    <TD STYLE="vertical-align: bottom; width: 80%; white-space: nowrap"><FONT STYLE="font-size: 8pt; color: #73C167"><B>www.asyousow.org</B></FONT></TD></TR>
<TR STYLE="vertical-align: top">
    <TD STYLE="white-space: nowrap"><P STYLE="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><FONT STYLE="font-size: 8pt; color: #00813D">Berkeley, CA 94704</FONT></P>
                                    <P STYLE="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><FONT STYLE="font-size: 8pt; color: #00813D"> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</FONT></P></TD>
    <TD STYLE="white-space: nowrap"><FONT STYLE="font-size: 7.5pt; color: #73C167">BUILDING A SAFE, JUST, AND SUSTAINABLE WORLD SINCE 1992</FONT></TD></TR>
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<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">Notice of Exempt Solicitation Pursuant to Rule 14a-103</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">Name of the Registrant: The Kroger Co. (KR)<BR>
Name of persons relying on exemption:&nbsp;As You Sow<BR>
Address of persons relying on exemption: 2150 Kittredge St. Suite 450, Berkeley, CA 94704</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">Written materials are submitted pursuant to Rule 14a-6(g)(1) promulgated
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.&nbsp;Submission is not required of this filer under the terms of the Rule, but is made voluntarily
in the interest of public disclosure and consideration of these important issues.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>
<P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 9pt; background-color: #B8CCE4">&nbsp;</P>
<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center">The Kroger Co. KR)<BR>
Vote Yes: Item #4</P>

<P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center">Shareholder Proposal on Reducing Use of Plastic
Packaging&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center"><FONT STYLE="font-weight: normal">Annual Meeting:
June 24, 2021 </FONT>&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center">CONTACT: Conrad MacKerron | mack@asyousow.org</P>

<P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center">&nbsp;</P><P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 9pt; background-color: #B8CCE4">THE RESOLUTION</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">Shareholders request that the board of directors issue a report by
December 2021 on plastic packaging, including estimating the amount of plastics released to the environment by our use of plastic packaging
from the manufacture of plastic source materials, through disposal or recycling, and describing any company strategies or goals to reduce
the use of plastic packaging to reduce these impacts.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">Proponents note that the report should be prepared at reasonable cost,
omitting confidential information, and include an assessment of the reputational, financial, and operational risks associated with continuing
to use substantial amounts of plastic packaging while plastic pollution grows unabated. In the board&rsquo;s discretion, the report could
also evaluate opportunities for dramatically reducing the amount of plastics used in our packaging through redesign or substitution.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 9pt; background-color: #B8CCE4">SUMMARY</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; background-color: white">Plastic pollution has become an international
environmental crisis, drawing top of mind attention from governments and citizens. Public concerns about plastic pollution now rival
climate change in opinion polls.<SUP>1</SUP> Kroger&rsquo;s substantial use of plastic packaging exposes the company to increased financial
and reputational risk. The company <FONT STYLE="background-color: white">lags its peers in addressing this growing problem.</FONT>&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; background-color: white"><FONT STYLE="background-color: white">An estimated&nbsp;11&nbsp;million&nbsp;metric
tons of plastic&nbsp;waste&nbsp;enter&nbsp;the&nbsp;ocean&nbsp;every <FONT STYLE="color: #4D5156">yea</FONT>r, fatally impacting more
than 800 marine species, and causing up to $2.5 trillion in damage annually to marine ecosystems. Toxins adhere to plastics consumed by
marine species, which potentially transfer to human diets.&nbsp;Given current rates of plastic pollution entering the environment, t<FONT STYLE="color: #333333">here
could be more plastic than fish by weight in oceans by 2050.</FONT></FONT><FONT STYLE="color: #333333">&nbsp;</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><FONT STYLE="background-color: white">_____________________________</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><FONT STYLE="font-size: 10pt; background-color: white"><SUP>1</SUP></FONT>
h<FONT STYLE="font-size: 10pt">ttps://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/06/19/1871135/0/en/Americans-Are-More-Concerned-About-Plastic-in-Oceans-Than-Climate-Change.html</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

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    <TD STYLE="white-space: nowrap; width: 10%"><IMG SRC="asyousowlogo.jpg" ALT=""><FONT STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </FONT></TD>
    <TD STYLE="white-space: nowrap; width: 90%"><P STYLE="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><FONT STYLE="font-size: 9pt; color: rgb(0,129,61)"><B>2021
Proxy Memo</B></FONT></P>
                                                <P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 0pt; color: #00813B"><FONT STYLE="font-weight: normal">Kroger | Shareholder Proposal on Reducing Use of Plastic Packaging</FONT></P>
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</TABLE>


<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; background-color: white"><FONT STYLE="background-color: white">A recent
groundbreaking study,&nbsp;<I>Breaking the Plastic Wave</I>&nbsp;by Pew Charitable Trusts, <FONT STYLE="color: #333333">concluded that
i</FONT>f all current industry and government commitments were met, ocean plastic deposition would be reduced by only 7%.&nbsp;&nbsp;<FONT STYLE="color: #333333">Without
immediate and sustained new commitments throughout the plastics value chain, the report said, annual flow of plastic into oceans could
nearly triple by 2040, adding that </FONT><FONT STYLE="color: #211D1E">&ldquo;Brand owners, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies
and retailers should lead the transition by committing to reduce at least one-third of plastic demand through elimination, reuse, and
new delivery models.&rdquo;</FONT></FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; background-color: white"><FONT STYLE="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif; background-color: white">Kroger
is a major user of plastic packaging. Its private brand items, including </FONT><FONT STYLE="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif">dried
fruit, frozen meat, cheese, and dog food are packaged in unrecyclable plastic pouch packaging. <FONT STYLE="color: #222222; background-color: white">Kroger&rsquo;s
private brands division had its best year ever in 2020, exceeding $26.2 billion in sales, which comprises 22% of total revenue. <SUP>2</SUP></FONT>
Yet</FONT> t<FONT STYLE="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif; background-color: white">he company has not taken basic corporate
accountability actions such as disclosing the amount of plastic used for private brand packaging, or more impactful actions such as committing
to substantial cuts in overall plastic use as competitors Walmart<SUP>3</SUP> and Target<SUP>4</SUP> have done. </FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><FONT STYLE="background-color: white">Since Kroger does not disclose
how much plastic packaging it uses or how much ends up mismanaged in the environment, it is difficult for investors to assess financial
and reputational risk. The proposal asks the company to estimate the amount of its plastic packaging</FONT> released to&nbsp;the environment
to help investors assess the size of its exposure to related risk, and to consider setting goals for significant reduction of plastic
packaging to help manage that risk.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 9pt; background-color: #B8CCE4">RATIONALE FOR A YES
VOTE</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%" STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><TR STYLE="vertical-align: top">
<TD STYLE="width: 0.25in"></TD><TD STYLE="width: 0.25in"><B>1.</B></TD><TD><B>Increasing use of plastic packaging exposes company to financial and reputational risks, and increasing costs. </B>These risks
could lead to financial penalties, regulatory action, reputational damage, and clean-up costs that adversely impact shareholder value.</TD></TR></TABLE>

<P STYLE="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif">&nbsp;</P>

<TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%" STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><TR STYLE="vertical-align: top">
<TD STYLE="width: 0.25in"></TD><TD STYLE="width: 0.25in"><B>2.</B></TD><TD><B>The company has provided insufficient disclosure and policies on managing these risks. </B> <FONT STYLE="background-color: white">Kroger
is a major user of plastic packaging but has not taken basic steps toward corporate accountability on its plastics use such as disclosing
how much plastic it uses, estimating how much of its packaging escapes into the environment, or more meaningful actions such as committing
to cuts in overall plastic use.</FONT></TD></TR></TABLE>

<P STYLE="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif">&nbsp;</P>

<TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%" STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><TR STYLE="vertical-align: top">
<TD STYLE="width: 0.25in"></TD><TD STYLE="width: 0.25in"><B>3.</B></TD><TD><B>Kroger lags peers in disclosure and sustainability commitments</B>. Other large food retailers and fast-moving consumer goods companies
have disclosed how much plastic they use and committed to goals for reducing use of plastic packaging.</TD></TR></TABLE>

<P STYLE="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif"></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">_____________________________</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><FONT STYLE="font-size: 10pt"><SUP>2</SUP></FONT> h<FONT STYLE="font-size: 10pt">ttps://storebrands.com/kroger-private-brands-surpass-26b
</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><FONT STYLE="font-size: 10pt"><SUP>3</SUP></FONT> h<FONT STYLE="font-size: 10pt">ttps://www.asyousow.org/press-releases/2021/5/11/walmart-cut-virgin-plastic-use
</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><FONT STYLE="font-size: 10pt"><SUP>4</SUP></FONT> h<FONT STYLE="font-size: 10pt">ttps://www.asyousow.org/press-releases/2021/5/5/target-plastic-elimination-goal-shareholder-proposal
</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

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    <TD STYLE="white-space: nowrap; width: 10%"><IMG SRC="asyousowlogo.jpg" ALT=""><FONT STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </FONT></TD>
    <TD STYLE="white-space: nowrap; width: 90%"><P STYLE="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><FONT STYLE="font-size: 9pt; color: rgb(0,129,61)"><B>2021
Proxy Memo</B></FONT></P>
                                                <P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 0pt; color: #00813B"><FONT STYLE="font-weight: normal">Kroger | Shareholder Proposal on Reducing Use of Plastic Packaging</FONT></P>
                                                <P STYLE="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"></P></TD></TR>
</TABLE>


<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 9pt; background-color: #B8CCE4">DISCUSSION</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in"><B>1. Increasing use of plastic packaging
exposes the company to financial and reputational risk.</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">Plastic pollution has become an international environmental crisis,
now drawing top of mind attention from governments and citizens. Public concerns about plastic pollution now rival climate change in opinion
polls.<SUP>5</SUP> Kroger&rsquo;s substantial use of plastic packaging exposes the company to increased financial and reputational risk.
P<FONT STYLE="background-color: white">lastics in oceans fatally impact more than 800 marine species, and cause up to $2.5 trillion in
damage annually to marine ecosystems.<SUP>6</SUP> Toxins in the marine environment adhere to plastics consumed by marine species, and
researchers are investigating whether they transfer toxins to human diets in ways that are harmful. One study estimates that between 400,000
and 1 million people die annually</FONT> in developing countries from illnesses including cancers caused by living near mismanaged waste
and plastic pollution.<SUP>7</SUP> A range of government entities are increasingly requiring companies to help pay for the costs of these
ecosystem and health-related issues.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">The liabilities are more definitive for mismanaged plastic waste, which
avoids intended capture through recycling or landfilling. A whopping 41% of plastic waste (91 million metric tons) is believed to be mismanaged
and leaks to land or oceans, or is openly burned. Producer companies that place plastics into commerce already pay tens of billions of
dollars in producer responsibility fees in scores of countries annually to finance collection and recycling or proper disposal and could
be liable for as much as $100 billion annually as more countries pass producer responsibility laws.<SUP>8</SUP></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">Regulatory and policy actions on plastic pollution are growing rapidly.
170 nations have pledged to significantly reduce use of plastics by 2030 and 27 countries have banned some forms of single use plastic.<SUP>9
10</SUP> The United Nations Environment Assembly is working toward a global treaty limiting plastic pollution that could mandate national
targets and action plans.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">As noted above, an authoritative report from Pew Charitable Trusts
calls on the consumer goods sector to <B>cut plastic demand by <I>one-third</I> through elimination, reuse, refill, and new delivery systems
</B>-- just one of eight simultaneous interventions required to reduce ocean plastic deposition by 80% by 2040.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><B>2. The company has provided insufficient disclosure and policies
on managing these risks. </B> <FONT STYLE="background-color: white">Kroger is a major user of plastic packaging but has not taken basic
corporate responsibility actions such as disclosing the amount of plastic it uses, how much of its packaging escapes into the environment,
the percentage of its packaging that is recyclable or includes recycled content, the number of packaging units produced, or more substantive
actions such as assessing the potential to achieve overall cuts in plastic use. </FONT>It will be increasingly difficult for Kroger to
demonstrate leadership on sustainability if it does not disclose essential baseline data and pursue innovative solutions to dramatically
reduce single use plastics.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><B>&nbsp;</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><B>_____________________________</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><FONT STYLE="font-size: 10pt"><SUP>5</SUP></FONT> h<FONT STYLE="font-size: 10pt">ttps://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/06/19/1871135/0/en/Americans-Are-More-Concerned-About-Plastic-in-Oceans-Than-Climate-Change.html</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><FONT STYLE="font-size: 10pt"><SUP>6</SUP></FONT> h<FONT STYLE="font-size: 10pt">ttps://www.waste360.com/plastics/study-puts-economic-social-cost-ocean-plastic-pollution</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><FONT STYLE="font-size: 10pt"><SUP>7</SUP></FONT> h<FONT STYLE="font-size: 10pt">ttps://learn.tearfund.org/-/media/learn/resources/reports/2019-tearfund-consortium-no-time-to-waste-en.pdf</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><SUP>8</SUP> https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/about/news-room/press-releases-and-statements/2020/07/23/research-finds-plastic-flows-into-the-ocean-expected-to-triple-by-2040</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><SUP>9</SUP> https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/canada-bans-single-use-plastics/</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><SUP>10</SUP> https://www.businessinsider.com/plastic-bans-around-the-world-2019-4</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

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<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>



<TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" STYLE="border-collapse: collapse; font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; width: 100%">
<TR STYLE="vertical-align: top; text-align: left">
    <TD STYLE="white-space: nowrap; width: 10%"><IMG SRC="asyousowlogo.jpg" ALT=""><FONT STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </FONT></TD>
    <TD STYLE="white-space: nowrap; width: 90%"><P STYLE="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><FONT STYLE="font-size: 9pt; color: rgb(0,129,61)"><B>2021
Proxy Memo</B></FONT></P>
                                                <P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 0pt; color: #00813B"><FONT STYLE="font-weight: normal">Kroger | Shareholder Proposal on Reducing Use of Plastic Packaging</FONT></P>
                                                <P STYLE="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"></P></TD></TR>
</TABLE>


<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><FONT STYLE="background-color: white">Unlike peers, the company does
not disclose how much plastic it uses for its private label brands. Walmart, for example, reports that it uses 1.2 million tons of plastic
packaging globally for its private-label brands. Kroger failed on every metric of disclosure in a recent investor report ranking packaging
disclosures, making it one of the lowest scoring retailers.<SUP>11</SUP></FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><B>3. The company lags peers in disclosure and sustainability commitments</B>.
Other large retailers and fast-moving consumer goods companies have disclosed how much plastic they use, or set goals for reducing use
of plastic for packaging.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">While grocery sector peers Walmart, Pic n Pay, Ahold Delhaize, Carrefour,
S Group, and Target are members of the collective corporate action initiative on addressing plastics pollution -- the Ellen MacArthur
Foundation New Plastics Economy Global Commitment process -- Kroger is not. More than 60 consumer packaged goods companies and 29 retail
and hospitality companies have signed onto goals such as eliminating problematic packaging, and making their plastic packaging 100% recyclable,
reusable, or compostable by 2025.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">Leading retailers and FMCGs have not only disclosed their use of plastic
but have made commitments to reduce overall use of either plastic or virgin plastic usage. Two leading competitors, Walmart and Target,
both with substantial grocery operations, have agreed to cut use of virgin plastic by 2025. <FONT STYLE="background-color: white">Unilever
agreed to cut <B><I>all </I></B>plastic packaging use by 100,000 tons (including 350,000 ton reduction in virgin plastic) by 2025. Nestle
agreed to reduce use of virgin plastic by 33% by 2020 (550,000 tons); PepsiCo committed to 35% reduction of virgin plastic in its beverage
division (460,000 ton reduction). Kroger lags its peers as it has no goal to make cuts in plastic packaging.</FONT>&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 9pt; background-color: #B8CCE4">RESPONSE TO KROGER
BOARD OF DIRECTORS&rsquo; STATEMENT IN OPPOSITION</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">Many of the actions Kroger cites in its statement of opposition as
examples of progress on plastic packaging sustainability reduction are anecdotal or lack full disclosure of metrics needed to assess impact.
Also, several parts of the opposition statement do not specifically address the topic of this proposal, reduction of use of plastic packaging
and disclosure of packaging that becomes pollution.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">The company mentions that it has reduced plastic resins in its packaging
by 15 million pounds since 2015. This is a welcome step, but is not a recent commitment, and the light weighting strategy executed to
achieve the goal does not by itself necessarily reduce plastic pollution. If the same or a growing amount of lighter plastic materials
is placed into commerce, the post-consumer challenges of dealing with a similar or growing volume of units remains the same. To assess
if less plastic is being used, the company would need to disclose reduction in terms of specific units placed into commerce.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">Further, the proposal asks companies to commit to a new round of cuts
in plastic given the urgent findings of the recent Pew study cited above, so commitments made in 2015 are now outdated.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">_____________________________</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><FONT STYLE="font-size: 10pt"><SUP>11</SUP></FONT> h<FONT STYLE="font-size: 10pt">ttps://www.asyousow.org/report-page/waste-and-opportunity-2020-searching-corporate-leadership</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

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<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>



<TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" STYLE="border-collapse: collapse; font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; width: 100%">
<TR STYLE="vertical-align: top; text-align: left">
    <TD STYLE="white-space: nowrap; width: 10%"><IMG SRC="asyousowlogo.jpg" ALT=""><FONT STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </FONT></TD>
    <TD STYLE="white-space: nowrap; width: 90%"><P STYLE="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><FONT STYLE="font-size: 9pt; color: rgb(0,129,61)"><B>2021
Proxy Memo</B></FONT></P>
                                                <P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 0pt; color: #00813B"><FONT STYLE="font-weight: normal">Kroger | Shareholder Proposal on Reducing Use of Plastic Packaging</FONT></P>
                                                <P STYLE="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"></P></TD></TR>
</TABLE>


<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">The rest of the statement is off topic, discussing laudable actions
taken to promote recycling of plastic, increased use of recycled content and use of paper from well managed forests, but do not relate
to the proposal topic of reducing plastic packaging.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 9pt; background-color: #B8CCE4">CONCLUSION</P><P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><B>Vote &ldquo;Yes&rdquo; on Shareholder Proposal #4 &ndash; Report
on Packaging Materials</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">We request a &ldquo;Yes&rdquo; vote on this proposal.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">Association of Kroger private branded products with littered packaging
and toxic ocean pollution puts the company&rsquo;s brands at risk.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">The requested report is essential because the company has not provided
shareholders with key information to be able to determine its exposure to the financial and reputational risks posed by its growing use
of plastic packaging.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">Corporate peers like Target and Walmart have agreed in recent months
to make new, specific cuts in use of virgin plastic for packaging for private brand products.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><FONT STYLE="background-color: white">The information requested in
the report will help investors assess the extent of the company&rsquo;s exposure to plastic pollution and whether it has developed sufficient
strategies to deal with the business and reputational threats posed by using increasing amounts of plastic packaging.</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><B><I>--</I></B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><I>For questions, please contact </I>Conrad MacKerron<I>, As You Sow,
mack@asyousow.org</I></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">THE FOREGOING INFORMATION MAY BE DISSEMINATED TO SHAREHOLDERS VIA TELEPHONE,
U.S. MAIL, E-MAIL, CERTAIN WEBSITES AND CERTAIN SOCIAL MEDIA VENUES, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS INVESTMENT ADVICE OR AS A SOLICITATION
OF AUTHORITY TO VOTE YOUR PROXY. THE COST OF DISSEMINATING THE FOREGOING INFORMATION TO SHAREHOLDERS IS BEING BORNE ENTIRELY BY ONE OR
MORE OF THE CO-FILERS. PROXY CARDS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED BY ANY CO-FILER. PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR PROXY TO ANY CO-FILER. TO VOTE YOUR PROXY,
PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON YOUR PROXY CARD<I>.</I></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="margin: 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="text-align: right; margin: 0">5</P>

<P STYLE="margin: 0"></P>

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end
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SEC-DOCUMENT>
