Kroger no longer selling Red Bull at stores nationwide. What we know - USA Today
Kroger is pulling Red Bull and Boar's Head products from shelves at many of its stores, leaving customers wondering why.
Kroger sold its last Red Bull products in August, and branded coolers and displays were removed from all stores nationwide as of Aug. 31, Kroger told The Cincinnati Enquirer, part of the USA TODAY Network. The grocery chain declined to explain why it pulled Red Bull products from its shelves.
As of Sept. 17, when searching for Red Bull products on the Kroger website, a pop-up appears that reads: "Red Bull is currently out of stock while we work with our suppliers to keep prices affordable for you."
The Enquirer and USA TODAY contacted Red Bull multiple times for more information.
The product changes come as Kroger closes stores, including Harris Teeter, Pick 'n Save, Fry's Food and Drug and Fred Meyer, across the country. The chain announced last year that it would close 60 locations by the end of 2026. As of Aug. 17, about 40 locations had been shuttered, according to an analysis conducted by MassLive. According to Kroger's website, the chain operates more than 2,700 stores nationwide.
On Sept. 11, Kroger confirmed to The Enquirer that three high-volume Kroger stores in Cincinnati were out of stock of Boar's Head products. The company did not provide details on why the stores were low on or out of stock of Boar's Head items.
In a statement on Sept. 11, Boar's Head did not explain the low stock, but said its products remain available at several Krogers and other grocery stores in the Cincinnati area. Some other grocery stores in the Cincinnati area not affected by stock issues include Publix, Jungle Jim's, IGAs, Fresh Thyme and Dorothy Lane, the company said.
USA TODAY reached out to Boar's Head for more information on Sept. 17.
As of Sept. 17, Kroger did not disclose why the Red Bull and Boar's Head products remain scarce or nonexistent on its grocery store shelves.
The disappearance of brands comes months after former Walmart executive Greg Foran took over as Kroger's CEO. Foran has pledged to lower prices across the retailer and, during a Sept. 11 conference call, said he won't tolerate vendors "using inflation" to boost sales when customers are clearly "under pressure."
Foran added that if Kroger can't find acceptable prices from vendors, the grocery store chain will stock more of its house-branded items, which generated $39 billion in sales last year, more than a quarter of the company’s total $148 billion in revenue. He said Kroger already plans to expand its value private brand, Smart Way, from about 130 items to 1,000.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
