Kroger's workforce evolves with industry changes
Kroger has boosted jobs by 50 percent at its Downtown headquarters since 2008 – creating roughly 100 jobs a year for six years – as the supermarket grocer continues to thrive.
The nation's largest supermarket retailer continues to win market share from rivals like Walmart and Safeway. As the company transforms the industry it competes in, it's expanding and evolving its workforce to meet future challenges here at home.
Kroger's use of loyalty card data is driving the expansion of consumer insights firm dunnhumbyUSA, which is building a new headquarters at Fifth and Race streets that will be home to more than 700 workers.
But Kroger's headquarters operations at Court and Vine streets are swelling – 2,000 workers strong – as the retailer's private-label house brands have expanded. The company's exploration of e-commerce is also forcing it to beef up its digital smarts. The boom in craft beers and other categories also means more staffing to match demand.
Kroger's growing ranks of creative class jobs is why cities court the headquarters of large and small corporations: well-paid jobs multiply and those same workers also become a part of the local community.
The company's headquarters still houses the traditional legal, accounting and human resources personnel. But as Kroger evolves, so do the jobs.
Here's a sampling:
Sara Basch, 32
Position, join date: Category strategy manager for private brands, 2012
What she does: Chooses and designs new items under the company's house labels nationwide.
Back story: A former personal trainer and independent film producer, the Miami University grad moved into product design where she shepherds new products from conception to the shelf. House brands at Kroger are approaching a $20 billion business and are a part of the critical strategy to lure budget-minded customers.
Quote: "I'm responsible for designing new items. The cool thing about this job is I can get inspiration from, say, eating in a restaurant. And over 12 to 18 months, you get to watch an idea become a live product in the hands of consumers and friends and family."
Lives in: Over-The-Rhine
Favorite places in Cincinnati: Findlay Market, Washington Park and the rooftop at 21C Museum Hotel
Lindsay Cutrell, 33
Position, join date: Digital project manager, 2012
What she does: She oversees members of the company's Creative Services team. The group develops the themes, writes the copy and creates the art for digital advertising and promotions.
Back story: A marketing veteran, the University of Cincinnati grad helped found a startup and took a Kroger job to help pay the bills but wound up sticking around.
Quote: "I thought it would be just another corporate job, but it's like a startup inside a huge company. I helped build our processes... We're growing and doing big things."
Lives in: Over-The-Rhine
Favorite places in Cincinnati: MOTR Pub, The Woodward Theater and live music venues.
Melissa Davis, 24
Position, join date: Store designer, 2013
What she does: She's working on the team designing the optimal layout for stores that will offer "click and collect" online shopping in Cincinnati.
Back story: A recent grad at UC's DAAP, she enjoys dealing directly with other departments impacted by the store designs she helps create. Kroger is studying how to expand its digital sales, including at a test store in Liberty Township. Last year, the grocer bought North Carolina-based Harris Teeter, which operates its own "click and collect" (where customers order groceries online and pick them up at a drive-thru window) operation at 150 stores.
Quote: "When you design a skyscraper, most people experience your work from the outside. With retail, thousands of people interact with the architecture experience."
Lives in: Fairfield
Favorite places in Cincinnati: Cloud 9 Sushi, Hyde Park Farmer's Market and Terry's Turf Club.
Zac Giza, 28
Position, join date: Digital designer, 2013
What he does: Creates the look and feel of digital promotions on the company's app.
Back story: The Art Academy of Cincinnati grad designed ads for a printing company, but wanted a new challenge.
Quote: "As a designer, you want your work to matter. I like knowing that my work is seen by millions of people. It makes me do my best."
Lives in: Oakley
Favorite places in Cincinnati: The Downtown restaurant scene
Rocio Indacochea, 34
Position, join date: Multicultural category manager, 2003
What she does: In charge of Hispanic product offerings nationwide – choosing assortment, shelf space, pricing, promotions and community events.
Back story: The Xavier University graduate began as an assistant store manager, but moved over to category management.
Quote: "Since I'm Hispanic, I love that I have a voice so that we have the right products in our stores."
Lives in: Sharonville
Favorite place in Cincinnati: The 'Cincinnati' sign on the Duke Energy Center Downtown (her parents think it's cool when they fly in from Chicago).
Adam Kendrick, 29
What he does: Translates specs from real estate and produces detailed floor plans for new or refurbished stores in Nashville.Position, join date: Store designer, 2012
Back story: The UC grad decided to pursue architecture in retail after a couple of co-ops made him realize he didn't want to design corporate offices or subdivisions. Kroger expects to spend more than $3 billion in 2015 on building new stores or in overhauling old ones.
Quote: "I get to do the really fun part. It's a challenge – it's like putting a puzzle together and at the end I'm designing for the customer. Without the design, there's no store and the merchandisers and employees don't have a job."
Lives in: Over-The-Rhine
Favorite places in Cincinnati: Findlay Market, Neon's and Mr. Pitiful's.
Nick Lien, 34
Position, join date: Digital products senior manager, 2005
What he does: He oversees efforts to make the Kroger app and other digital experiences as user-friendly as possible. He's working on the retailer's "click-and-collect" experiment at the Liberty Township store.
Back story: A third-generation Kroger employee and Indiana University grad, the Cincinnati native turned down a lucrative software gig in New York to join what has become the family business. Besides his grandfather, his wife, his mother and step-father all work for Kroger.
Quote: "We touch the community, but we don't boast – and that appeals to me. I have a legacy to live up to: My grandfather started as a stockboy, rose to become a zone manager. But he never wanted to go any higher, it was his dream job... Several Kroger executives have worked under him."
Lives in: Over-The-Rhine
Favorite places in Cincinnati: The walk to work.
Karrie Pukstas, 40
Position, join date: Community affairs marketing manager, 2007
What she does: Promoting Kroger's philanthropic efforts
Back story: After doing traditional advertising, she moved into her current role showcasing Kroger's efforts to fight hunger, promote breast cancer awareness and support military veterans. Kroger takes its charitable efforts seriously as a strategy to build local ties with communities nationwide. Kroger has even begun offering customers in some local markets (including Cincinnati) the option of earning points for their favorite causes through the company's loyalty program.
Quote: "I help move our customers from like to love."
Lives in: Clifton
Favorite places in Cincinnati: The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden and the Gaslight District
Laura Studaway, 31
Position, join date: Health & beauty category manager, 2007
What she does: Oversees the beauty products aisle selection
Back story: An engineer by trade, she took a job at Kroger to leave Minnesota and moved from industrial management to merchandising to her current role.
Quote: "I love my job because it's like owning your own business unit. I'm empowered to make decisions."
Lives in: Springfield Township
Favorite places in Cincinnati: Downtown's restaurant scene
Nate Wolejsza, 30
Position, join date: Category manager for beer, 2007
What he does: In charge of the local beer selections in Cincinnati and Nashville.
Back story: Grew up in Frankfort, Kentucky, and just assumed Kroger was some company running a 100 or so supermarkets. The University of Kentucky grad found out how huge an operator it was when he took a job in the procurement office in Blue Ash. Kroger uses local brews – and other local brands in other categories – to court customers that want regional favorites.
Quote: "It's phenomenal to watch the explosion in craft beers."
Lives in: The Banks in Downtown
Favorite places in Cincinnati: The Banks and OTR