Kroger has kicked off a hiring drive aimed at bringing on 15,000 new employees to handle a range of functions “that enhance the customer experience,” the grocery chain announced Thursday.
The positions the company is looking to fill include cashiers, baggers, deli bakery clerks, pharmacy technicians and delivery drivers.
As it has with past pushes to bulk up on associates, Kroger is looking to attract applicants by highlighting the potential to turn a job in one of its stores into a long-term career. The company’s announcement about the hiring spree describes how a talent acquisition manager in its supply chain division ascended through nine positions since joining Kroger as a store intern nearly 30 years ago.
Analysts have said that Kroger would do well to invest in its store-level operations as it looks to regroup following its unsuccessful effort to merge with Albertsons. The company is also searching for a new CEO after longtime chief executive Rodney McMullen resigned earlier this year.
Kroger is expanding its job rolls as the job market remains relatively stable despite the Trump administration’s moves to increase tariffs on imported goods, which experts have said could cause the economy to slow. Employers added 177,000 jobs in April, and the unemployment rate remained at 4.2%.
Employment at food and beverage retailers has been rising. The sector added 9,500 positions in April and nearly 21,000 in March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
