Meet The Kroger Co. Store Manager Awards Finalist

Category C: Ray Brown  
Kroger, Vine Street store, Cincinnati

Walking into the Kroger Green Township Marketplace is like walking into a little town. There’s a bank, coffee shop, café and all kinds of friendly “neighbors” in close-knit departments. 

Top-notch Leadership Style

If this store is a community, then Ray Brown is its mayor. As general manager, Brown re-opened this Cincinnati location, which includes a Fifth Third Bank and Starbucks, among other amenities, in mid-2019. The store exceeded projected weekly sales goals  and has continued to set significant records for a new store, both in the division and the Kroger enterprise at large. 

Like an effective mayor, Brown has a leadership style that combines dedication, mentorship, vision, agility and a good nature. He meets with his leadership team one on one and in group settings, where they set and then celebrate the achievement of goals. 

To welcome new associates, he meets with them personally and shares paths of advancement with them as a way to encourage their interest and development. He also implemented a front-end mentorship program, through which 10 of the most engaging staff members are chosen to coach cashiers and baggers on friendliness and service. 

His training is so thorough, in fact, that this site was chosen to be a company Academy Store for training new department leaders.  Brown was also awarded a Kroger mentorship award for his ability to motivate and lead team members.

He runs a tight ship when it comes to the customer shopping experience. Thanks to his work in moving in-store stocking to the third shift, the store now opens at 7 a.m. with 85% conditions. That third shift stocking method is now the division standard for high-volume Kroger stores.

Connecting with His Community

Community outreach is important to Brown. Before the grand re-opening last year, he and his team personally delivered 50 gift baskets to local businesses and institutions to introduce themselves. The Cincinnati store also has close ties to a local senior center, and he and his team have donated winnings from sales contests to purchase toys for a nearby children’s charity. A proponent of Zero Hunger and Zero Waste, he teamed with a local food bank to donate meals to local families at Thanksgiving. Brown is the only civilian to be awarded a ceremonial American flag and medal by his township for his role in a fundraising effort that helped build a Veterans Memorial Wall. 

While he is like a mayor in his store, he is ultimately a good citizen, too.

‘Ray has a passion for people and for results. Achieving multiple sales milestones, winner of internal and external awards, Ray is committed to developing his team and serving the community.”