Earnings Preview: Kroger Co.

DAN SEWELL

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Kroger Co. reports first-quarter earnings Tuesday before the market opens. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period.

OVERVIEW: Cincinnati-based Kroger, the nation's largest traditional grocery chain, has picked up sales in the recession from the many households that have cut restaurant spending and are eating at home more and eating more frugally.

Chairman and CEO David B. Dillon said in an interview early in the quarter that people are buying what they need, not what they want, which he said puts Kroger in a strong position. ...