- Kroger (NYSE:KR) has named its CIO Chris Hjelm an executive VP and put him in charge of its wholly owned analytics unit, 84.51 Degrees.
- The grocer formed the subsidiary earlier this year after buying out a joint venture from Tesco. Aside from studying consumer buying habits, Kroger sells analytics to suppliers and consumer-goods companies, and sees it as important revenue along with its baseline streams in a thin-margin industry.
- Kroger doesn't break out financials for 84.51 Degrees, but says it's providing richer analysis than third-party companies like Nielsen.
- The company overall posted $108.5B in revenues for fiscal 2014.