Five companies make up Kroger Co.'s inaugural supplier accelerator.
The accelerator, launched earlier this year, is designed to help Kroger diversify its pipeline of suppliers. Participants in the cohort will receive business development coaching and collaboration opportunities with Kroger, as well as have their products on the grocery giant's shelves by early 2022.
Cincinnati-based Kroger is the nation's largest chain of traditional supermarkets and the parent of Roundy's Supermarkets Inc., the Milwaukee-based operator of Pick 'n Save, Metro Market, Copps and Mariano's food stores in Wisconsin and Illinois.
More than 1,000 companies applied for the cohort, with 15 finalists selected to participate in a pitch competition recently hosted in Cincinnati. That pitch competition narrowed the pool down to five companies, all of which are either woman-, family- or minority-owned.
The cohort includes:
- Maazah (Minneapolis): Maazah is a Afghan-style chutney.
- Nona Lim (Oakland, California): Noma Lim offers refrigerated pad thai and Asian noodle kits.
- Queen Charlotte's Pimento Cheese Royale (Charlotte, North Carolina): This family-owned business has four flavors of gluten-free, keto-friendly premium pimento cheese.
- Simply Southern Sides (Macedonia, Ohio): A Black and woman-owned business that offers all-natural seasoning mixes.
- Soupergirl (Washington, D.C.): Soupergirl offers readymade heat-and-eat soups, chilis and gazpacho made from farm fresh local produce
"Just last year, Kroger invested $4.1 billion in diverse suppliers — a 21% increase versus the previous year — and we aim to scale that number to $10 billion by 2030. This year's inaugural cohort is an intentional and impactful step toward achieving that bold goal," Stuart Aitken, Kroger's chief merchant and marketing officer, said in a statement.
Kroger intends to host a second cohort in 2022, according to a release.
