ACCOUNTING POLICIES	4 Months Ended
May 20, 2017
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
ACCOUNTING POLICIES	1.ACCOUNTING POLICIES Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation The accompanying financial statements include the consolidated accounts of The Kroger Co., its wholly-owned subsidiaries, and the variable interest entities in which the Company is the primary beneficiary. The January 28, 2017 balance sheet was derived from audited financial statements and, due to its summary nature, does not include all disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. References to the “Company” in these Consolidated Financial Statements mean the consolidated company. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements include all normal, recurring adjustments that are necessary for a fair presentation of results of operations for such periods but should not be considered as indicative of results for a full year. The financial statements have been prepared by the Company pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been omitted, pursuant to SEC regulations. Accordingly, the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 28, 2017. The unaudited information in the Consolidated Financial Statements for the first quarters ended May 20, 2017 and May 21, 2016, includes the results of operations of the Company for the 16-week periods then ended. Fair Value Measurements Fair value measurements are classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories: Level 1 – Quoted prices are available in active markets for identical assets or liabilities; Level 2 – Pricing inputs are other than quoted prices in active markets included in Level 1, which are either directly or indirectly observable; Level 3 – Unobservable pricing inputs in which little or no market activity exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. The Company records cash and temporary cash investments, store deposits in-transit, receivables, prepaid and other current assets, trade accounts payable, accrued salaries and wages and other current liabilities at approximated fair value. Certain other investments and derivatives are recorded as Level 1, 2 or 3 instruments. Refer to Note 2 for the disclosure of debt instrument fair values. During the second quarter of 2016, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-09, “Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.” This amendment addresses several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities and classification on the statement of cash flows. As a result of the adoption, the Company recognized $16 of excess tax benefits related to share-based payments in its provision for income taxes for the first quarter of 2016. This item was historically recorded in additional paid-in capital. In addition, for the first quarter of 2016, cash flows related to excess tax benefits are classified as an operating activity. Cash paid on employees’ behalf related to shares withheld for tax purposes is classified as a financing activity. The Consolidated Statements of Operations and Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows have been revised to reflect the effects of the ASU adoption on the first quarter of 2016 Consolidated Financial Statements.

1.ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying financial statements include the consolidated accounts of The Kroger Co., its wholly-owned subsidiaries, and the variable interest entities in which the Company is the primary beneficiary. The January 28, 2017 balance sheet was derived from audited financial statements and, due to its summary nature, does not include all disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. References to the “Company” in these Consolidated Financial Statements mean the consolidated company.

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements include all normal, recurring adjustments that are necessary for a fair presentation of results of operations for such periods but should not be considered as indicative of results for a full year. The financial statements have been prepared by the Company pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been omitted, pursuant to SEC regulations. Accordingly, the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 28, 2017.

The unaudited information in the Consolidated Financial Statements for the first quarters ended May 20, 2017 and May 21, 2016, includes the results of operations of the Company for the 16-week periods then ended.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair value measurements are classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories:

Level 1 – Quoted prices are available in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;

Level 2 – Pricing inputs are other than quoted prices in active markets included in Level 1, which are either directly or indirectly observable;

Level 3 – Unobservable pricing inputs in which little or no market activity exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability.

The Company records cash and temporary cash investments, store deposits in-transit, receivables, prepaid and other current assets, trade accounts payable, accrued salaries and wages and other current liabilities at approximated fair value. Certain other investments and derivatives are recorded as Level 1, 2 or 3 instruments. Refer to Note 2 for the disclosure of debt instrument fair values.

During the second quarter of 2016, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-09, “Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.” This amendment addresses several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities and classification on the statement of cash flows. As a result of the adoption, the Company recognized $16 of excess tax benefits related to share-based payments in its provision for income taxes for the first quarter of 2016. This item was historically recorded in additional paid-in capital. In addition, for the first quarter of 2016, cash flows related to excess tax benefits are classified as an operating activity. Cash paid on employees’ behalf related to shares withheld for tax purposes is classified as a financing activity. The Consolidated Statements of Operations and Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows have been revised to reflect the effects of the ASU adoption on the first quarter of 2016 Consolidated Financial Statements.