Kroger workers face new dress code as grocery giant issues first policy update in a decade

Key Points:

• Kroger has updated its dress code for the first time in a decade, requiring nearly 400,000 in-store employees to wear company-issued uniforms featuring the Kroger shopping-cart logo, with different styles for workers and managers.
• The uniform change, including updated aprons with improved strap designs, was based on feedback from shoppers and employees and aims to enhance the shopping experience by making staff easier to identify.
• Initial responses to the new uniforms have been positive, with employees appreciating the fit and customers finding it easier to locate staff members.
• The uniform rollout coincides with scrutiny over pricing accuracy, as a consumer advocacy group found overcharging issues in 34 of 101 Ohio Kroger stores, and government inspections documented numerous pricing errors across the state.
• Kroger is also executing a multiyear plan to close over 60 underperforming stores nationwide, focusing resources on stronger locations, with closures planned in multiple states including California, Virginia, Wisconsin, Illinois, and others.