Getting Started with Supplier Hub

Learn about:

• What Kroger’s Supplier Hub is
• How to get started with Supplier Hub
• Kroger’s compliance guidelines

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Getting started as a new supplier for Kroger is an exciting adventure. As the top supermarket in the U.S., The Kroger Company prides itself on selecting its vendors carefully and thoughtfully, ensuring the delivery of quality grocery products to consumers across 35 states and nearly 3,000 stores. Getting started as a new vendor means having exceptional products, being familiar with Kroger’s values, and getting set up on the Supplier Hub. 

What is the Supplier Hub?

The Supplier Hub is Kroger’s online vendor management system that maintains the quality of vendors and the items they sell. It is a portal to communicate with suppliers, assess them for compliance, and evaluate their trustworthiness. 

Kroger uses a third-party verification process to choose its suppliers. The process varies based on the type of service or goods provided. Selected vendors will receive an invitation email from Kroger asking them to join the company’s supplier software. 

Kroger requires chosen suppliers to click the link in the invitation email and manually enter the username and password from the email. Suppliers then must change the password to something more personal after login, look over the “General” screen, and then click the “Update” button to continue with the process. Vendors will supply their remaining information and documentation, and Kroger will then contact them. 

What is the Supplier Hub order of operations? 

The order of operations for setting up the Supplier Hub are as follows:

1. Accept the invitation.
2. Enter a new username and password.
3. List the supplier’s compliant facilities.
4. Include the required documentation.
5. Complete the vendor registration.
6. Sign reviews.
7. Set up the supplier’s payment information.
8. Receive company identification numbers. 

At this point, Kroger may begin setting up items for purchase. New vendors must set up the item to include product specifications. Kroger must then approve it before the item becomes orderable. 

What documentation is required to set up the Supplier Hub? 

When suppliers sign up for the Supplier Hub, Kroger will require the following documents: 

• Corporate Dun and Bradstreet number
• Standard Vendor Agreement (2017 version or older)
• W8/W9
• Certificate of Insurance 

Depending on the type of product, Kroger may require additional information, such as testing forms for apparel or other product safety and quality certifications. 

Related Reading: How to Set up EDI with Kroger

What does it mean to be within Kroger’s compliance guidelines? 

Vendors wishing to display their products in the supermarket must be familiar with Kroger’s compliance requirements. These requirements include: 

• Shipping the correct amount of cases
• Determining the best date for order arrival
• Meeting the appointment time within a two-hour window
• Informing Kroger of unavailable items
• Including readable/scannable barcodes
• Registering products covered by Underwriters’ Laboratory
• Clearly labeling cases to be readable from four feet away
• Following product preparation directions from the Kroger purchase order
• Including a packing list featuring:
  • purchase order number
  • order and shipment quantity
  • vendor style or stock number
  • UPC
  • customer address
  • product details
• Following guidelines for perishable items
• Complying with ergonomic requirements
• Meeting package requirements by complying with case/pallet/slip-sheet/tie-sheet specifications
• Meeting display requirements by complying with size/weight specifications
• Including purchase order numbers
• Scheduling delivery appointments
• Paying a diesel fuel allowance
• Detailing shipping terms for returns
• Signing a Reclamation Agreement at least once per year
• Complying with the Reclamation Policy

Kroger will charge vendors non-compliance fees to orders that do not meet the expectations stated in the compliance requirements. 

How long will it take for new products to appear on shelves? 

There can be a long waiting period to become a supplier for Kroger, whether the product is grocery, apparel, or home goods. The process can take several months. Often, the initial vetting process is over, and the vendor has set up the Supplier Hub, but there is no place to put the particular product on the shelves. 

If an opportunity to ship a particular product to a distribution center has not arrived, Kroger will keep a supplier’s completed registration and documentation in the system for two months. 

Is it worth it to become a Kroger supplier? 

Not only is getting through Kroger’s intense vetting process a success in itself but becoming a supplier for the second-largest retailer in the U.S. is a profitable venture in more ways than one. Kroger buys its products in bulk and introduces its products to thousands of new customers. Additionally, Kroger’s vendor software Supplier Hub makes managing shipping channels safe and easy, saving vendors both money and time.

Stay on top of your data

SPS Commerce and SupplyPike have partnered to help Kroger suppliers stay on top of their data and fight invalid chargebacks. Harnessing the power of EDI, Deductions Navigator gives you maximum visibility. Sign up today!