Kroger reaches $1 billion in organic produce sales

It’s official: The Kroger Co. owns about 20 percent of the proverbial organic produce pie. The Cincinnati-based grocer announced its organic produce business has achieved $1 billion in annual sales. According to market research company IRI, the U.S. organic produce market reached $5 billion in 2016 and continues to grow.

Kroger operates about 2,800 stores in 35 states and Washington, D.C. Kroger said it offers one of the largest organic produce departments in America.

“We are proud to have led the way in making this category more mainstream, accessible and affordable," said Robert Clark, Kroger's senior vice president of merchandising. "We have a dedicated procurement team that partners with more than 300 organic produce growers and suppliers every year to bring our customers an exciting selection of organic fruits and vegetables."

Kroger's top-selling organic produce includes bananas, apples, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and bagged salads.

Kroger recently announced that its Simple Truth store brand line of natural, organic and free-from products reached $2 billion in annual sales.