Kroger Talking With Potential Partners on a Health-Care Venture

Kroger Co. is talking to potential partners in the health-care industry about developing a new line of business.

Chief Executive Officer Rodney McMullen said the grocer is “doing a lot of exploratory work” to identify an area of health care that it could enter and benefit customers -- and perhaps lower their medical costs. Such a venture would also represent a fresh revenue stream for Kroger and complement the advertising and personal-finance businesses that it’s counting on to help generate $400 million in additional operating profit by next year.