SN Top 10: Kroger’s make-or-break year tops the week’s headlines

In this week’s recap of the Top 10 most popular Supermarket News articles, Kroger’s make-or-break year ranked as the week’s top story. The Kroger Co. has faced perhaps the most high-profile and controversial year in its 141-year existence as a result of its proposed $24.6 billion merger with Albertsons. Over the last 12 months, the nation’s largest pure-play grocer has made headlines on an almost weekly basis over the deal, which as of press time remains unresolved. 

Supermarket News published dozens of stories in 2024 about the proposed merger, which Kroger announced in fall 2022 and estimated would be completed in early 2024. The grocery chain didn’t anticipate the pushback it received from unions, the Federal Trade Commission, and attorneys general from across the country. 

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In other news, less than a week after the resignation of Grocery Outlet President and CEO RJ Sheedy, Chairman of the Board Eric Lindberg said in an earnings call Tuesday that the company is not changing its underlying strategy. Lindberg, who is stepping in as interim president and CEO, said in the earnings call that system upgrades for the retailer that began in August 2023 led to significant troubles for the Grocery Outlet, “including poor data visibility, slow system speeds, and a loss of tools and functionality.”

Related:SN Top 10: Albertsons terminates merger agreement, files lawsuit against Kroger tops the week’s headlines

“These issues hurt our buyers’ ability to write purchase orders efficiently, our inventory planning and supply chain teams’ ability to accurately manage inventory, and our operators’ ability to see real-time inventory in their order guide to bring product into their stores. The impact on the business has been significant,” Lindberg said. Lindberg said Grocery Outlet “missed the mark” earlier in 2024 due to “a combination of pricing we took to reestablish healthy margins that coincided with competitive pricings that picked up.”

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