The Kroger Co reported net earnings of $185.4 million for the third quarter ended Nov 5, 2005, compared with net earnings of $142.7 million in the year-ago period.
Total sales for the third quarter rose 9.1% to $14.0 billion. Identical supermarket sales increased 6.6% with fuel and 3.7% without fuel. This represents Kroger’s ninth consecutive quarter of positive identical supermarket sales, excluding fuel.
In the first three quarters of fiscal 2005, sales increased 7.2% to $45.8 billion. Net earnings for the first three quarters of fiscal 2005 were $676.0 million. For the first three quarters of fiscal 2004, net earnings totaled $548.0 million.