Kroger has completed a nationwide rollout of new employee uniforms, the grocery chain’s first dress code overhaul in ten years, requiring nearly 400,000 in-store workers to wear company-issued apparel featuring the retailer’s shopping-cart logo.
Under the new policy, employees wear T-shirts or polos while managers are issued button-down shirts or quarter-zip jackets, all color-coded in blue, red or black depending on the store division. Previously, Kroger workers wore their own clothing underneath a company apron along with a name badge.
Kroger told Bloomberg the changes were shaped by feedback from both customers and staff. A company spokesperson said the update “is just one part of the ways we’re improving the shopping experience.”
The company reports a positive reception so far.
“Associates appreciate the fit and the cohesive look, and customers are telling us our teams are easier to find,” the spokesperson said.
Kroger also redesigned its apron straps, switching to an X-shaped cross-back pattern after workers complained the old straight-back design dug into their necks.
Overcharging Found in Ohio Stores
The uniform rollout comes as Kroger faces separate scrutiny over pricing accuracy. The Center for Responsible Food Business, a consumer advocacy group, found that 34 of 101 Kroger stores examined in Ohio had overcharged customers at checkout.
Government inspectors documented 644 incorrect prices across 389 inspections of Kroger stores in nine Ohio territories between 2022 and mid-2026.
Dozens of Stores Closing Nationwide
Kroger is also continuing a multiyear plan to shut down more than 60 stores the company has flagged as underperforming, shifting resources toward locations it considers stronger.
The closures affect multiple states, including:
- Two stores in California
- Five stores in Virginia
- Five stores in Wisconsin
- Four stores in Illinois
- Three stores in Indiana
- Two stores in Colorado
- At least one store each in Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia
On a more favorable note for shoppers, Kroger was ranked the cheapest option for a store-brand grocery basket in July, in a price comparison covering four major US grocery chains that also included Walmart, Aldi and Albertsons.
