Getting Started with Kroger

[CommunityJedi22]

As a 1WorldSync (1WS) customer you have different options to synchronize your product content with Kroger.  The best practice and easiest way to manage this process is to create your content in Item Management (IM) and publish it to Kroger.  This way, you can use IM to publish to any other trading partners and can utilize our tools and services to their fullest.

Once you publish to Kroger, your product information is sent to a portal called Kroger Product Introduction (PI/VIP).  In the VIP portal, you “top-off” the content you published with additional information that Kroger needs for your items.  Submit the information to Kroger and work with them on any final requirements.  

So, how do you get started?  1WS and Kroger provide you with tons of helpful training, knowledge sharing, support, and the Community platform to help you successfully synchronize your product content.  First, let’s oversimplify the process at a high level so you can see it end to end before we jump into the details:

Training

You can access different kinds of training in the Community including quick How-To videos, training documentation, and registering for scheduled training with our Training team.  Take a look at these options here for Kroger Training Opportunities.  If you are also new to IM, we have helpful content to help you get up to speed with these IM Training Opportunities.  

Add Content in IM

IM is the tool 1WS GDSN customers use to create and manage product content with their trading partners.  Once you complete the training, you will start adding your product information into IM.  To make it easier to eventually synchronize with Kroger, we recommend you add the “Basic Item Playlist” to your consumer units that you will publish to Kroger.  You can learn more about creating items with the IM Quick Sheets and IM Community space.

Kroger Image Requirements

Kroger requires images of your products for various reasons including the selling of them online.  Kroger created certain standards for the quality of the images which we work to help you understand in different ways.  Kroger is looking for one front-facing, white background image hosted by one of their preferred vendors that meets their image specifications for consumer units.  Take a look at the Kroger Image Info space in Community and these articles:

• Kroger Product Image Requirements

• Kroger Image Source Overview

• Kroger VIP Image Validations

If your product is not e-comm ready and you do not yet have images available, you can indicate this with the Image Source attribute set as “Product Image Not Available.”

Hierarchies

As you learned in the IM training you can create different hierarchy structures for your items like Case/Each, Pallet/Case/Each, Case/Pack/Each, Display/Case, Case Only, Each Only, and every other combination appropriate for your products.  The idea is to link your levels together and provide the link quantities showing the number of children contained in each parent.  You can validate your hierarchies before publishing.

Validate

The synchronization process provides you with many opportunities to validate at the item level and hierarchy levels.  So, what does that mean?  Validations ensure the information you provide meets the minimum requirements for synchronizing your content.  Validations at the item level confirm you meet the attributes requirements and when you validate at the hierarchy level, it compares your parent and child values to ensure accuracy.  Validating is the last step before you publish from IM and submit in VIP.

Publishing/Publications

Publishing is the act of sending your validated, standardized content to your trading partner via a GDSN data pool, like using IM for 1WS.  Publications create what is called a GDSN “CIN” message which indicates a successful attempt.  Kroger and most other trading partners respond to a successful publication or CIN message with a CIC response of Received, Synchronized, Review, or Rejected. 

Once your item is published successfully, any updates you make in IM will create a Modify CIN message which sends the updates you made including VIP. 

VIP

Vendor Item Portal or VIP is Kroger’s tool used to provide additional required “top-off” attributes.  When you published to Kroger via IM, you sent the GDSN and best practice attributes.  The VIP portal gives Kroger a way to ask for specific, non-GDSN attribute content they need for their systems.  Review the Attribute Requirements document to help you understand these attributes.  

In VIP, there is a best practice for how to top off your product content.  There are a few terms and concepts you will see throughout the VIP top-off process so let’s take a look at those.

Item Selection - Consumer Unit

In VIP, when you have a hierarchy with more than one item, the best practice is to start with the consumer unit, most often your Each level.  The consumer unit requires the most top-off information in VIP.  

• Search for and open your consumer unit GTIN
• See All Attributes – A common question for customers new to VIP is how to see all the attributes by unhiding. Take a look at this quick article that shows you how to easily see all attributes.  Click:  In Kroger VIP, How to Find Hidden Attributes
• Populate your Kroger Class.  If you are not sure of your Kroger Class, reach out to your Kroger Category Manager.
• Populate all attributes in Bold with an Asterisk and validate
• The validations will let you know of any other required attributes

Need Help?  Please post your questions in the Community.  If you need help from the Kroger or 1WS teams, please see the contact information below:

• For Kroger business questions contact the Kroger Supplier Engagement Group:
• Phone: 1-844-277-6165, option 1
• Email: ItemMDMVIP@kroger.com
• Hours: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM ET Mon-Fri
• For Vendor Item Portal or 1Worldsync technical questions, post HERE in the Community or Create a Ticket.
• For Vendor Item Portal or 1Worldsync registration questions contact the 1WorldSync Business Support Services:
• Phone: 1-866-280-4013, option 8
• Email: BusinessDevelopment@1worldsync.com
• Hours: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM ET Mon-Fri
• For Supplier Hub questions below are some Kroger Supplier Hub resources. The 1WorldSync team is not trained to assist with Kroger Supplier Hub questions.
• TheKrogerCo.com > Suppliers > Supplier Hub > Supplier Hub Help
• E-mail: SupplierCompliance@Kroger.com
• the Kroger Supplier Engagement Group: Phone: 844-277-6165, Option 2

[nancyVigo]

@CommunityJedi22, thanks for all the valuable information! 

[CommunityJedi22]

Thank YOU for teh feedback and support @nancyVigo 

[nancyVigo]

You're welcome! 🙂

[BWI]

Hello! I am new to the platform and need help to get started:

I am a supplier that has been asked to onboard an item at THE KROGER CO

My question is: where do I go to start the process?

Thank you so much for your help.

Clceunice

[alien]

Hello @BWI and welcome to the customer community. Thanks for reaching out.

It depends on how you and your company wishes to go forward.

Since your company is using  BIG HAMMER as a data pool you could have your items added and sent from them to Kroger and then top them off in product introduction. We have documentation on all the steps you would need to take to do that here https://community.1worldsync.com/t5/IM-to-VIP-Training/tkb-p/IMtoVIPTraining

If you and your company want to add the items directly in Product Introduction then I would advise you to look at the documentation we have for those who only wish to use Product Introduction  https://community.1worldsync.com/t5/VIP-Only-Training/tkb-p/PIOnlyTRaining.

 Also, you can always contact your onboarding agent who will try to help you and answer your questions.

If you have any further questions please let me know. Thank you and have a great day.

[nancyVigo]

@BWI, good morning!  

Like @CommunityJedi22 mentioned at the beginning of this post, you would need to start by adding your item in 1 World Sync (Item Management), then publishing it to Kroger.

You can follow the steps on this article, which will help you to follow the flow from Item Management to Product Introduction (Kroger's VIP Portal) where you would need to add or "top off" extra attributes required by Kroger so that you can submit it successfully.

Good luck and have a great day! 🙂

[CommunityLord_]

Hello @nancyVigo @BWI 

The item can be created in the data pool(Syndigo) and then published to the Kroger VIP(Product Introduction) or created from scratch in the  Kroger VIP(Product Introduction) platform.

@BWI for more support, please study the materials presented in this article or contact your onboarding agent who will try to help you and answer your questions.

Thank you and have a great day.

[nancyVigo]

@CommunityLord_, thanks for the clarification!

[BWI]

Thank you all for your help and directions.

[brechamley]

Hi,

We sent over a pallet of product to Kroger (Ruler Foods specifically). I've attached our hierarchy that we have established. When we sent over the pallet, they are only receiving a case of chips on their end. What could be happening here?

 

[Val_P]

Hello @brechamley, welcome to the customer community. Thanks for reaching out.

We can see the hierarchy was successfully submitted to Kroger through the API process and is marked as Syncrhonised.

Do you also need a (new) IMF for the hierarchy, please? If yes, then the Kroger Item Submission Reason Code needs to be populated on the Pallet level of the hierarchy. Otherwise, all hierarchy levels are currently submitted to Kroger and they should have access to all items in the hierarchy. 

Thanks.