Grocery stores are no longer competing only on milk, eggs, bread, and produce.

Customers still want low prices on everyday essentials, but many shoppers are also looking for convenience, rewards, meal ideas, seasonal items, and small, affordable treats that make a weekly grocery run feel more useful.

That has made the grocery business more competitive.

Walmart has leaned into low prices, faster delivery, and a wider online marketplace. Amazon continues to use Prime, Whole Foods, Fresh, and fast delivery to chase grocery customers. 

Dollar stores and warehouse clubs are also competing for budget-conscious shoppers who are willing to split trips to save money.

For Kroger, that means it has to give customers more reasons to choose its stores and apps more often.

TheStreet covered Kroger’s recent efforts to protect its grocery business, including its customer-facing savings moves and broader pressure in the supermarket industry. 

Now, the company is also trying to make its stores feel more useful beyond the basic grocery list.

Its latest move fits that strategy.

Kroger is expanding an exclusive floral and home collection tied to businesswoman and television personality Lisa Vanderpump, giving customers more gift, décor, and beauty-inspired options inside its grocery ecosystem.

Kroger expands exclusive Vanderpump floral line

Kroger recently announced that Vanderpump Blooms x Bloom Haus, its floral collection curated by Vanderpump, is expanding into new products under the Vanderpump Home brand.

The line is available exclusively at the Kroger Family of Stores.

“I am so thrilled to expand my line with Kroger into all of these different areas — the candles are delicious, the line of preserved roses are stunning keepsakes that last indefinitely, everything is perfect for gifts or to adorn your home,” said Vanderpump.

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For shoppers who typically prefer long-lasting houseplants over traditional cut flowers, these preserved roses offer a durable middle ground.

The expanded assortment includes floral-inspired candles, a plant care starter kit, ornaments, preserved and silk roses, preserved rose hatboxes, individual blossoms, more bouquets, and arrangements.

The collection also features novelty gift items, such as a “VanderPUMP” glass shoe with preserved mini roses and a preserved-rose glass handbag.

“Bloom Haus was created to help customers celebrate life’s moments with beautiful, high-quality florals, and our continued collaboration with Lisa Vanderpump brings that vision to life in a truly special way,” said Carlo Baldan, group vice president of Fresh Merchandising at Kroger.

The launch, however, is not a traditional beauty-aisle rollout.

But it plays into the same shopper mindset: affordable luxury, home refreshes, gifting, and products that feel more emotional than a routine grocery purchase.

That matters for Kroger because flowers, candles, and decorative gifts can turn a basic store trip into a bigger basket. A customer who comes in for groceries may also pick up a bouquet for a dinner party, a candle for the kitchen, a preserved rose gift, or an arrangement for a special occasion.

That is the customer-centric part of the launch. Kroger is trying to make its stores and digital channels places where shoppers can address multiple needs at once. 

This kind of one-stop convenience is increasingly important as shoppers remain careful with their money and their time.

Kroger is expanding its exclusive floral line.

Brandon Bell / Getty Images

Kroger uses lifestyle products to build store traffic

The Vanderpump expansion also gives Kroger a more premium-feeling product story at a time when grocers are trying to stand out.

Most supermarkets sell flowers. Kroger is trying to make the category feel more curated.

The company said Bloom Haus was created to help customers celebrate life’s moments with high-quality florals, and the Vanderpump collaboration adds Vanderpump’s signature style to the assortment.

Customers can also scan a QR code for step-by-step video tutorials from Vanderpump on how to style the flowers. 

For shoppers who do not want to arrange anything themselves, Kroger is also offering ready-to-display floral arrangements and kalanchoes (tropical succulent plants) in custom vases or hat boxes.

A shopper who wants a gift or a nicer-looking arrangement may not want to go to a florist, spend more money, or spend time arranging flowers at home. 

Kroger is trying to give that customer a faster and easier option.

The line can also be shopped through DoorDash and Uber Eats while products last, which helps Kroger connect the launch to convenience-minded customers who may not walk into a store.

That is especially important because grocery customers are now accustomed to shopping across channels. A customer may buy weekly groceries in-store, order snacks for delivery, use pickup on a busy weeknight, and browse seasonal items in an app, and Kroger wants to be present in more of those moments.

Kroger expands rewards to keep shoppers coming back

While the Vandepump expansion aims to elevate the sensory experience of walking into a store, Kroger is simultaneously upgrading its core economic incentives to keep budget-conscious shoppers loyal.

On June 25, the company said it expanded its rewards program so members can now redeem points for dollars off groceries in-store and online, in addition to using them for fuel discounts at the pump.

That is a meaningful change because fuel savings do not help every shopper equally.

Some customers may not drive often or may not live near a Kroger fuel center. Some shoppers may simply prefer direct savings on groceries because food prices remain a major household concern.

Under the expanded program, members earn 1 point for every $1 spent on purchases made with a rewards card, in-store or online, for pickup or delivery. Members can redeem 100 points for 10 cents off per gallon at the pump or $1 off groceries, up to $10 per day.

Kroger is also using summer promotions to keep customers engaged, including 4X Points Fridays through July 24, 4X Points from July 1 through July 4, and 4X Points on Private Selection products through July 18 with a digital coupon.

Boost members earn 2X Points and receive additional benefits, including free delivery and exclusive discounts.

Together, the rewards change, and the Vanderpump expansion shows Kroger pushing on two different customer needs at once.

Kroger needs more reasons for shoppers to visit

The timing matters because Kroger is trying to strengthen its customer relationship under CEO Greg Foran.

In the first quarter of 2026, Kroger reported identical sales excluding fuel growth of 1%. Adjusted e-commerce sales grew 19%, and Kroger Precision Marketing profit grew more than 20%.

Those numbers show that Kroger is still growing, especially online, but the grocery chain is operating in a tough environment where shoppers are selective and competitors are aggressive.

Kroger has also said it is focused on serving customers better, with fresh food, digital growth, pricing, and loyalty all playing important roles.

That is why launches like Vanderpump Blooms x Bloom Haus are not just decorative. They help Kroger create more moments that can bring shoppers into stores or onto its app.

If Walmart and Amazon’s recent strategies are any indication, it’s clear that retailers are continuously diversifying their revenue streams. 

The company does not want customers to see it only as a place to buy weekly staples. It wants Kroger to become a more complete shopping destination for food, convenience, value, and everyday occasions.

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