Identical Supermarket Sales Rose 5.6% without Fuel Company Confirms Fiscal 2008 Identical Supermarket Sales Guidance; Raises Fiscal 2008 Earnings Per Share Guidance and Outlines Fiscal 2009 Identical Supermarket Sales Guidance of 3% to 5% without Fuel

CINCINNATI, Dec 09, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- The Kroger Co. (KR:
The Kroger Co.
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Last: 25.59+0.18+0.71%10:07am 12/30/2008Delayed quote data
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KR 25.59, +0.18, +0.7%) today reported total sales of $17.6 billion for the third quarter ended November 8, 2008, an increase of 9.0% over the same period last year. Identical supermarket sales increased 5.6% without fuel and 7.8% with fuel compared with the same quarter last year.
Net earnings in the third quarter totaled $237.7 million, or $0.36 per diluted share. These results include an after-tax charge of $15.9 million, or $0.03 per diluted share, related to Kroger's $25 million insurance deductible for disruption and damage caused by Hurricane Ike. Excluding this charge from Hurricane Ike, third quarter net earnings were $253.6 million, or $0.39 per diluted share (Table 6).

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