KROGER

MATTHEWS, N.C. — Harris Teeter Supermarkets on Thursday announced that Harris Teeter’s shareholders overwhelmingly voted to approve the previously announced merger agreement among Harris Teeter, Hornet Acquisition and Kroger. Approximately 98.6% of the votes cast during the day's special meeting were voted in favor of the merger agreement, representing approximately 82.5% of Harris Teeter’s outstanding common stock as of Aug. 22, 2013, the record date for the special meeting. 

INDIANAPOLIS — Health insurer WellPoint said Tuesday that most of its affiliated Medicare drug plans and medical plans with drug coverage will participate in a preferred pharmacy network that includes Rite Aid, Kroger and Walmart pharmacies.

Together, WellPoint said, members had access to more than 11,000 locations around the country. The preferred pharmacy network is part of all of WellPoint's affiliated Part D standalone prescription drug plans and most of its Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans.

CINCINNATI — The Kroger Co. has promoted Steve McKinney to president of the Fry's Food Stores division. Fry's operates 119 food stores in Arizona.

McKinney, 57, has been VP of operations at the company's Ralphs division since 2007. He succeeds Jon Flora, who passed away unexpectedly two weeks ago.

CINCINNATI — The Kroger Co. on Friday announced its inaugural listing on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index-North America.

The Dow Jones Sustainability Index-North America tracks the economic, environmental and social sustainability performance of the top 20% of the 600 largest North America-based companies in the Dow Jones Global Total Stock Market Index.

CINCINNATI — Kroger on Monday announced that Chris Hjelm, SVP and chief information officer at Kroger, was a recipient of the Fisher-Hopper Prize for Lifetime Achievement in CIO Leadership from the Fisher CIO Leadership Program at the University of California-Berkeley's Haas School of Business.

Hjelm was selected by a group of his peers for the enduring impact he has had on not only Kroger, but also on FedEx and Orbitz. 

MONTCLAIR, N.J. — Oral care brand hello has announced that it is expanding its national footprint from 7,800 stores to more than 18,000 stores across the United States by the end of September.

CINCINNATI — Kroger on Tuesday announced it has committed $3 million in donations for local breast cancer initiatives across the country to support National Breast Cancer Awareness month in October. 

This will be the seventh year since Kroger began the Giving Hope a Hand initiative. By the end of 2013, Kroger will have donated more than $24 million to support breast cancer research, education and services since 2006, the grocer reported.

LOS ANGELES — Tea of a Kind, a tea beverage company, announced today a wide distribution expansion into retail pharmacies, grocery stores and supermarkets in Northern California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and more.

The product, which recently won Best Ready-to-Drink Tea Beverage at the 2012 Interbev Awards in Las Vegas, utilizes a "Gizmo Closure and Delivery System," a cap technology, which holds fresh, functional ingredients in a nitrogen pressurized chamber until the point of consumption, the company stated.