?Kroger held a conference in Memphis,? Sosnick says. ? It concluded that Wal-Mart is determined to expand with Supercenters and cannot be stopped. The message in so many words is, ?Pity the third- and fourth-ranking food retailers in a town where a Supercenter opens up. They will not survive. The first and second will be hit hard.? That?s Kroger?s assessment, not ours.?