The Wall Street Journal has an interview with Kroger chairman/CEO Rodney McMullen this morning that is definitely worth reading.
The story points out that McMullen is “navigating Kroger through its stormiest period in more than a decade,” and that Kroger is sacrificing profits to compete more effectively with Amazon, and cutting prices to compete more effectively with Walmart, Aldi and Lidl, while at the same time working to maintain its own values and value proposition; the sense is that McMullen and Kroger do not want to be maneuvered into a position where they are only playing defense.
Asked what a Kroger store is likely to look like in 2025, McMullen says:
“It wouldn't surprise me that customers would be in the store eating but they would use an app to order what they want. When they are finished, [the store clerk] would deliver the groceries to them. It will be so easy because we'll be able to predict a lot of the things you want. The associates you engage with will be so knowledgeable about where tortillas came from. I believe some stores will be big and some small. And it will be the combination of all those things that make it special.”
You can read the entire interview here.
The story points out that McMullen is “navigating Kroger through its stormiest period in more than a decade,” and that Kroger is sacrificing profits to compete more effectively with Amazon, and cutting prices to compete more effectively with Walmart, Aldi and Lidl, while at the same time working to maintain its own values and value proposition; the sense is that McMullen and Kroger do not want to be maneuvered into a position where they are only playing defense.
Asked what a Kroger store is likely to look like in 2025, McMullen says:
“It wouldn't surprise me that customers would be in the store eating but they would use an app to order what they want. When they are finished, [the store clerk] would deliver the groceries to them. It will be so easy because we'll be able to predict a lot of the things you want. The associates you engage with will be so knowledgeable about where tortillas came from. I believe some stores will be big and some small. And it will be the combination of all those things that make it special.”
You can read the entire interview here.
- KC's View:
