Kroger Invests Beyond Grocery

In Barrons:   Summarizes a number of data oriented plays.  " ... No. 2 food retailer Kroger is trying to break out of mass retail by investing in everything from e-commerce to natural foods. The stock could rise 20%. ... “On the conventional side of the channel, Kroger is the best example of an unconventional conventional,” says Sinisi, who recently initiated coverage with a Buy rating. What does he mean? For 11 years, Kroger has been using United Kingdom–based dunnhumby to analyze shopping data through its loyalty card—a technique that dunnhumby developed at beleaguered U.K. grocer Tesco (TSCO.UK). The goal: tailor specific coupons to individuals. Dunnhumby says it can analyze “what customers want, where they want it, and how much they’re willing to pay for it.”  ... '