An anonymous source cited by Reuters said that US executives traveled to China. Discussions are in early stages and it is impossible to tell if they will lead to a collaboration between the two companies.
Spokespeople for Kroger in the United States and Alibaba in China did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
With the acquisition of Whole Foods, Amazon has become a main competitor in the grocery market. Kroger responded to the pressure by improving its consumer experience with investments in mobile ordering and delivery.
Kroger is also rolling out curbside pickup as one way to fend off Amazon.
Alibaba has been making an aggressive push into working with US and Canadian companies that could be interested in selling in China as well as rolling out its cloud services and payment products.
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