2026-11-09EDI Rescue

Kroger EDI requirements, and why the ASN is the whole job

Kroger runs a large, distribution-heavy network, and its EDI onboarding reflects that: the purchase order is routine, the advance ship notice is where the work is, and the invoice has to match both.

For a supplier new to grocery, the surprise is pallet and case structure. Kroger's DCs receive in specific configurations, and the ASN has to describe exactly what arrives.

Get a fixed quote Decode an 824

Documents

Core set for a DC-shipping supplier:

850 purchase order
855 acknowledgment
856 ASN with SSCC-18 labels
810 invoice
997 functional acknowledgment

The ASN is the job

A grocery DC will not open a pallet to find out what is on it. If the 856 says 12 cases of one item and 8 of another, that is what gets received — and if the physical pallet disagrees, the difference becomes a deduction or a rejected delivery.

Model the pallet before you map: cases per layer, layers per pallet, max height.
SSCC-18 numbers must be unique per pallet and per carton where carton labelling is required.
Test with a mixed pallet, not a single-SKU pallet.

Testing and item setup

Kroger requires testing before production, and item setup is done through its supplier portal. GTIN, case pack and dimensions have to be right before the first order, or the 850 arrives for an item your system cannot ship.

Confirm DC numbers and ship-to codes in the portal, not from an old spreadsheet.
Check unit-of-measure conversion for every item — grocery is where eaches and cases blur.
Run one end-to-end test order before the first real one.

Questions

Does Kroger require 856 for all deliveries?

For DC deliveries it is standard. Direct-store-delivery arrangements differ, and the requirement in your supplier agreement governs.

What causes most Kroger invoice deductions?

Quantity and unit-of-measure mismatch between the 810, the 856 and what the DC received.