If you look up the government's statistics on retailers, you'll find that most of the industry is listed under "general merchandise ... store can be a profitable business ...

To survive, the Kuglers introduced new merchandise, from clothing to coffee makers to coloring books. A large percentage of their business shifted to entrepreneurs who bought inexpensive goods and ...

Taking all things together, it looks as if Kroger is betting that it can develop a significant general merchandise business. That could help it keep customers out of supercenters and warehouse ...