The Kroger Co. was founded in 1883 and it is one of the largest retailers in the world based on annual sales. Whole Food Markets claims to be the world€™s largest retailer of natural and organic foods. Whole Foods offers specialty products to customers with sufficient disposable income to spend on such goods.
The following data were taken from these companies€™ 2013 annual reports. All dollar amounts are in millions.

Required
a. Before performing any calculations, speculate as to which company will have the highest gross margin and return on sales percentage. Explain the rationale for your decision.
b. Calculate the gross margin percentages for Kroger and Whole Foods Market.
c. Calculate the return on sales percentages for Kroger and Whole Foods Market.
d. Do the calculations from Requirements b and c confirm your speculations in Requirement a?

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Kroger Co. February 2, 2013 Whole Foods September 29, 2013 $12,917 8,288 Sales Cost of goods sold Net income $96,751 76,858 1,508 551