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1863 - Swiss immigrant
John C. Groub founded Jay C Food Store in Seymour, IN.
1873 - George Ralphs
founded Ralphs Grocery Company in Los Angeles.
1883 - Barney Kroger opened his first grocery store in Cincinnati,
OH with $ 372.00.
1902 - Kroger operates 40 stores with sales of $ 1.75 million.
1904 - Kroger purchased the 14-store Nagel Meat Market chain and
meat packing house.
1908 - Kroger has 136 stores in Ohio and Northern Kentucky.
1916 - The first self-service Kroger store opens.
1922 - Fred Meyer is founded in Portland, OR.
1924 - The Prinster family founded City Market in Grand Junction,
CO.
1928 - Barney Kroger retires from the company and sells his stock.
1928 - Pennsylvania-based
Giant
Eagle is acquired by Kroger.
1929 - Kroger operates 5,575 stores, the largest number in its
history.
1930 - Market Basket was founded in
Pasadena, California.
1931 - Kroger sells
Giant
Eagle back
to its original owners.
1932 - Lorenzo Smith opened Smith's Food Store in Brigham City, UT.
1947 - Lloyd King opened the first King Soopers store in Arvada, CO.
1947 - Pay Less Super Markets is founded in Indiana by H.J.
"Bud" Contos.
1952 - Kroger sales reach $ 1 billion.
1954 - Fry's was founded in California.
1956 - Quality Food Centers (QFC) was founded in Bellevue, WA by
Jack Croco.
1957 - Dillon Co. acquired the 9-store King Soopers chain.
1963 - Kroger enters
California with the purchase of the 56-store Market Basket chain.
Sales reach $ 2 billion.
1964 - Clyd Smith founded Smitty's Big Town, a food/drug/department
store in Arizona.
1968 - Kroger sales reach $ 3 billion.
1969 - Dillion Co. acquired the City Market chain.
1974 - Valu-Mart changes its name to Leslie's.
1975 - Kroger sales reach $ 5 billion.
1975 - Valu-Mart is acquired by Fred Meyer.
1979 - Kroger is the 2nd largest food retailer in the United States.
1980 - Kroger sales reach $ 10 billion.
1981 - Kessel Food Markets is founded in Michigan by Al
Kessel.
1980's - Ralphs launched its Giant grocery warehouse banner.
1983 - Kroger acquired KS-based Dillon Companies which was an
coast-to-coast operator of food, drug and convenience stores.
The company celebrates
its 100th anniversary.
1985 - The 11 store, Savannah, GA-based M & M Super Markets, Inc. is
acquired by Kroger.
1985 - Kroger acquired the Indiana-based
Hook's Drug Stores chain (150 stores) and merged it with its
SupeRx division.
1986 - Kroger spun-off its Hook's-SupeRx drugstore division as an
independent company.
1990's- Ralphs acquired several Southern California supermarket
chains including The Boys, several Alpha Beta locations,
Viva and ABC
Markets.
1990's - QFC expanded into Southern California with the purchase of
Hughes Family Markets locations.
1996 - Smith's Food & Drug acquired Smitty's.
1997 - The Fred Meyer Co. acquired Ralphs, Utah-based
Smith's Foods
& Drugs and Washington-based QFC.
1998 - Kroger acquires the 7-store, Rockford, IL Hilander
Foods chain.
1999 - Kroger acquired Fred Meyer, Inc., making Kroger the nation's
largest food retailer.
1999 - All Smitty's stores are renamed Fred Meyer.
1999 - Pay Less Super Markets is acquired by Kroger.
1999 - Jay C Food Stores is acquired by Kroger.
2000 - With 20 stores, Michigan-based Kessel Food Markets is
acquired by Kroger. All stores are renamed Kroger.
2004 - The Smith's Marketplace banner was launched and five
Fred
Meyer stores in Utah were renamed Smith's
Marketplace.
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