The Kroger Co. has ranked No. 9 on the 2020 Axios Harris Poll 100 for COVID-19 response and racial equity support, moving up 12 spots from the 2019 survey.
“Throughout the public health crisis, our entire team of 500,000 associates has worked tirelessly to provide a safe environment for our customers and each other, with open stores, e-commerce solutions and an efficiently operating supply chain so that our communities have access to fresh, affordable food and essentials,” said Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s chairman and CEO. “At Kroger, our purpose is to feed the human spirit, which means we are driven to do more and help make the lives of those around us better, especially in times of uncertainty. I’m so proud of our associates’ ongoing commitment to being there for our communities when they need us most.”
Kroger was noted as a top performer on two new measures in this year’s survey, for “Best on COVID” – a new measure of “has taken meaningful actions to address the challenges of COVID-19;” and “Best on racial equality” – a new measure of “has taken meaningful actions in support of racial equality”.
“The dual crises of COVID-19 and racial injustice have only accelerated Kroger’s long-standing commitment to supporting our associates, customers and communities,” said Keith Dailey, Kroger’s group VP of corporate affairs and chief communications and sustainability officer. “Kroger’s inclusion in the top 10 for the first time on the Axios Harris Poll 100 is a testament to our associates rising to meet the moment by living our purpose, and to our leaders for their commitment to deepening ESG integration in our business.”
The Axios Harris Poll 100 is based on a survey of 34,026 Americans in a nationally representative sample. The two-step process starts fresh each year by surveying the public’s top-of-mind awareness of companies that either excel or falter in society. These 100 “most visible companies” are then ranked by a second group of Americans across the seven key dimensions of reputation to arrive at the ranking. In 2020, the survey was conducted twice – before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In April, Kroger published Sharing What We’ve Learned: A Blueprint for Businesses, a 79-page resource guide that captures what the retailer has learned since the start of the pandemic to help other retailers, manufacturers and companies begin to reopen safely. The guide was created for businesses of all sizes and can be downloaded at KrogerBlueprint.com.
To learn more about the steps Kroger is taking to advocate for racial equity, visit the retailer’s Better Together page.
