HOUSTON, Aug. 2, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR), one of the nation's largest food and drug retailers, has entered into a multi-year ATM managed services agreement with Cardtronics USA, Inc. (Nasdaq:CATM). Cardtronics will provide comprehensive ATM management services in approximately 800 Kroger grocery and convenience store locations, including ATM installation, complete cash management, maintenance, customer service, monitoring, and transaction processing services. Cardtronics expects to begin managing the Kroger ATMs starting in the third quarter of 2010.
"Kroger is one of the most respected retailers operating in the grocery and convenience industry today with a store footprint that covers much of the nation," said Rick Updyke, Cardtronics' President of Global Development. "Cardtronics, with its nationwide presence, is uniquely positioned to provide Kroger with a complete financial kiosk management solution, thanks to our in-house transaction processing platform, monitoring and control centers, and superior customer service capabilities. Cardtronics will also provide Kroger with opportunities to increase store foot traffic by including the ATMs in our Allpoint surcharge-free network and by providing customized ATM bank branding programs. We are proud to add a premier retailer such as Kroger to the Cardtronics family of merchant clients."
Kroger Personal Finance offers customers convenient, affordable personal finance products and services from preferred providers. "We are very excited to be working with Cardtronics. Customers today want convenient services that save them time. Our relationship with Cardtronics helps us make shopping easier for Kroger customers and we look forward to Cardtronics' expert management of the ATM services Kroger Personal Finance provides," said Kathy Kelly, President of Kroger Personal Finance.
About Cardtronics, Inc.
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Cardtronics (Nasdaq:CATM) is the world's largest non-bank owner of ATMs. Cardtronics operates over 33,700 ATMs across its portfolio, with ATMs in every major market in the United States (including the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), more than 2,800 ATMs throughout the United Kingdom, and more than 2,900 ATMs throughout Mexico. Major merchant clients include 7-Eleven®, Chevron®, Costco®, CVS®/pharmacy, ExxonMobil®, HESS®, Kroger®, Rite Aid®, Safeway®, Target®, and Walgreens®. Complementing its ATM operations, Cardtronics works with financial institutions of all sizes to provide their customers with convenient cash access and deposit capabilities through ATM branding programs, with more than 11,600 Cardtronics owned and operated ATMs featuring bank brands. Additionally, Cardtronics offers surcharge-free access to cash for holders of traditional debit cards as well as stored-value cards issued by financial institutions that participate in the Allpoint Network, Cardtronics' wholly-owned surcharge-free ATM network. More recently, Cardtronics started offering a managed services solution to retailers and financial institutions that are looking to outsource some or all of the operational aspects associated with operating and maintaining their ATM fleets. For more information, please visit www.cardtronics.com.
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About The Kroger Co.
Kroger, the nation's largest traditional grocery retailer, employs more than 334,000 associates who serve customers in 2,470 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Jay C, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith's. The Company also operates 779 convenience stores, 375 fine jewelry stores, 909 supermarket fuel centers and 40 food processing plants in the U.S. For more information about Kroger, please visit www.kroger.com.