Kroger Co. on Friday said it is looking to hire 20,000 permanent employees for its growing chain of supermarkets. The Cincinnati company--one of the largest grocery retailers in the U.S., with more than 375,000 employees--has been on the path to expansion in recent years, largely through acquisitions. In July, Kroger KR, +1.08% acquired online vitamin seller VitaCost.com in a move to expand its web presence. The company also recently closed on its $2.44 billion acquisition of upscale grocery chain Harris Teeter, adding 25,000 employees and more than 200 stores to Kroger’s family of brands, which include its namesake, as well as grocers City Market, Dillons and Food 4 Less. In June, Kroger reported better-than-expected fiscal first-quarter earnings growth of 4.2%. Sales at stores open at least 15 months, a key metric for retailers, grew 4.6%. The company has said it is benefiting from higher consumer confidence as the economy improves. Article