Kroger's No. 2 exec steps down

Kroger's No. 2 executive, Mike Ellis, has retired after just 18 months in the chief operating officer's slot.

Officials at the nation's largest supermarket chain said the company would name a successor at a later date. Ellis had been with the company 40 years since taking a job at Fred Meyer as a parcel clerk at age 16.

Ellis succeeded Rodney McMullen as COO when McMullen, now 54, was tapped in late 2013 to lead the company. Ellis had previously served as a senior vice president, overseeing five operating divisions since 2012. Prior to that, he had led Portland, Oregon-based Fred Meyer since 2006.

"We're very grateful to Mike for his contributions over the past 40 years, and we wish him all the best in retirement," McMullen said. "We have long taken a team approach to leadership and together our highly-experienced team of operators and merchandisers is focused on delivering on our aggressive growth goals."