May 13 , 2021 Kroger has announced the Go Fresh & Local Supplier Accelerator, a new partnership program inviting U.S. growers and producers to apply for the opportunity to work with the retailer. The company says the will enable it to discover new suppliers to support the continued expansion of its fresh departments – including produce, deli, bakery, meat, seafood, dairy, specialty cheeses, and floral. Starting on May 12 and through May 31, suppliers can apply to join the Go Fresh & Local Supplier Accelerator, which will be held in Cincinnati in August. In collaboration with Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing and RangeMe, Kroger's category management and fresh director team will review applications in multiple rounds, selecting 15 finalists (one finalist per region per category) to attend the event.