Kroger continues the strategic reorganization of its portfolio and announces the sale of Vitacost.com a iHerb, a transaction that officially closed on January 8, 2026. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The sale is part of the group's ongoing review of non-core assets, with the goal of simplifying the organization, improving the customer experience, and focusing resources and investments on its core grocery business. Ron Sargent, Chairman and CEO of Kroger, explained, emphasizing that the sale of Vitacost represents a key step in this process.
Vitacost.com, a specialized e-commerce platform for health and wellness products, was acquired by Kroger in 2014 for approximately $280 million, at a time when the group aimed to strengthen its presence in the "pure play" digital channel for wellness and nutrition. However, the competitive and operational context has changed profoundly. In recent years, Kroger has progressively scaled back its e-commerce activities not directly integrated with its physical network, also reviewing the automated fulfillment strategy developed with Ocado and focusing more on digital order fulfillment from stores.
On the buyer's side, iHerb views the transaction as a strategic investment in a historic brand in the US market. "Vitacost has long been synonymous with quality, value, and trust for American wellness consumers," said CEO Emun Zabihi, highlighting the complementarity between the acquired brand and iHerb's global platform. Founded in 1996, iHerb currently serves approximately 14 million active customers in 180 countries, with a catalog of nearly 2.000 brands and an international logistics network based on nine climate-controlled hubs in the United States, Asia, and the Middle East.
Kroger and iHerb have also worked to ensure an orderly transition, minimizing disruption for customers and employees. The company has specified that the sale of Vitacost will not impact the financial guidance already communicated for 2025. The transaction is part of a phase of profound rationalization for Kroger, also following the failed completion of the merger with Albertsons, which led to the closure of several stores and cost-cutting measures. Overall, the sale of Vitacost confirms the group's strategy: less dispersion in peripheral activities and greater focus on strengthening the competitiveness of core grocery stores in the US market.
