Corporate ContextAccording to Kroger's corporate web page, in 1883 Barney Kroger invested his life savings of $372 to open a grocery store at 66 Pearl in downtown Cincinnati. The son of a merchant, he ran his business with a simple motto: Be particular. Never sell anything you wouldn't want for yourself. It's a motto that served him well for the next 120 years. Today, Kroger has grown to 2,500 stores with sales of $70 billion, 40 food processing plants ranging from bread, milk, soda, ice cream and peanut butter. Kroger operates two dozen banners, has acquired warehouses, trucking companies, and has over 14,400 private label items (The Kroger Co., 2012). Barney has always been on the cutting edge of retail. Kroger quickly grew to 40 stores by 1902 with approximately 1.72 million in annual sales, and in 1904 Kroger purchased 14 meat markets and for the first time ever a consumer could purchase meat and groceries under one roof. On its 25th anniversary, Kroger ventured into streamlining shipping and purchased 200 horses and wagons to deliver to its locations. By 1913, in an effort to streamline again, Kroger had replaced the horses and wagons with 75 Model T trucks. In 1916 Kroger offered a new self-service concept; this meant that for the first time ever a customer could shop inside a store (The Kroger Co., 2012). However, Barney wouldn't recognize his company today. The business strategy that Kroger has used for the last 20 years is that of acquisition, realizing that the time of the super giant was upon us and that the only way to survive in this market was to expand. Kroger has adopted a strategy to acquire the competition and add its own distinctiveness to its culture. After over 100 years the Kroger Company merged with Dillon Comp...... middle of paper ......com/facultyandresources/articlelibrarymain/the-impact-of-culture-on-mergers-a-acquisitions .htmlThe Kroger Co. (2012). Kroger corporate headquarters on the web. Retrieved January 8, 2012, from http://www.thekrogerco.com/Marketingteacher.com (2012). Kroger SWOT. Retrieved January 8, 2012, from http://marketingteacher.com/swot/kroger-swot.htmlRetail Industry (2012). Kroger Supermarkets Mission Statement: To be a leader with values. Retrieved January 9, 2012, from http://retailindustry.about.com/od/retailbestpractices/ig/Company-Mission-Statements/Kroger-Mission-Statement.htmRobbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2011). Organizational Behavior (14th ed.). New York, NY: Prentice Hall. Welsh, G. R. (2011, December 27). The Kroger shooting raises a number of issues [web log post]. Retrieved from http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2011/12/kroger-shooting-raising-number-of.html