The Kroger Co. is turning its stores into wellness destinations for the month of September with the 2026 Kroger Wellness Tour, a program that puts Kroger Health pharmacists and dietitians on the sales floor alongside better-for-you product sampling every Friday and Saturday at participating Kroger Family of Stores locations.
The tour extends Kroger Health’s food-as-medicine positioning into a sustained in-store activation, pairing the retailer’s OptUP nutrition program with its in-house health professionals to drive product discovery and weekend traffic. Four community mini-fest events in Nashville, Houston, Phoenix and Salt Lake City will expand the program beyond the store.
“Kroger touches millions of families every day,” said Colleen Lindholz, president of Kroger Health. “The Wellness Tour is about using that reach to meet customers where they are and make it easier to take one step toward better health.”
In-store program
Throughout September, participating stores will offer better-for-you product sampling, including dietitian-approved OptUP Picks where available, along with opportunities to connect with Kroger Health pharmacists and dietitians, nutrition education and information about Kroger Health services available in store and online. OptUP, introduced in 2017, rates products on nutritional value and has since incorporated the bitewell FoodHealth Score.
Community mini-fests
The four expanded events run on consecutive Saturdays:
- Sept. 5, Nashville area: Kroger Store No. 580, Clarksville, Tennessee
- Sept. 12, Houston area: Kroger Store No. 142, Montgomery, Texas
- Sept. 19, Phoenix area: Fry’s Store No. 655, Gilbert, Arizona
- Sept. 26, Salt Lake City area: Smith’s Store No. 274, West Jordan, Utah
Mini-fest programming may include product sampling, wellness workshops, live cooking demonstrations, fitness activations, giveaways and coupons.
The Cincinnati-based grocer operates retail food stores under a variety of banners and serves more than 11 million customers daily across its family of companies, with more than 400,000 associates.
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