A shopper looks at grocery items at a Target store in Los Angeles, California August 18, 2009. REUTERS/Fred Prouser

(Reuters) - Target Corp TGT.N on Monday named Kroger Co KR.N veteran Jeff Burt its senior vice president of grocery, fresh food and beverage, as the retailer makes a renewed push to overhaul the business amid an intensifying price war.

Target — which is embroiled in a fierce face-off with Wal-Mart Stores Inc WMT.N, Kroger and Amazon Inc AMZN.N — said last month that price cuts on its grocery aisles were a major priority this year.

Minneapolis-based Target, which has been trying to revamp its food business for about two years, has lagged Wal-Mart which has now established itself as the nation’s largest grocer.

Burt, who joins Target after 30 years at grocer Kroger, will report to Chief Merchandising Officer Mark Tritton.

Target’s previous grocery chief Anne Dament stepped down in November, less than eighteen months after she was appointed and tasked with turning around the retailer’s grocery business, which accounts for a fifth of Target’s sales.

Burt, who will join Target on April 10, will be replaced as the head of Kroger’s Fred Meyer division by Joe Grieshaber.