Kroger’s New CEO: What Shoppers & Suppliers Should Expect
- Jon Allen
- 3 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Kroger just made a “new chapter” kind of hire.
On Feb. 9, 2026, Kroger appointed Greg Foran as CEO—effective immediately—ending an unusually long stretch of interim leadership after Rodney McMullen’s exit in 2025.
And this isn’t business as usual for Kroger.
Foran is widely described as Kroger’s first external CEO hire. That matters because it signals the board doesn’t just want stability. It wants a reset.
Why this CEO change matters (in plain English)
Kroger is huge—over 2,700 stores, serving 11+ million customers daily, with 400,000+ associates. When a company that size changes CEOs—especially from an insider tradition to an outside operator—ripples show up fast.
Foran’s resume is basically a masterclass in running complex operations under pressure:
He ran Walmart U.S. for six years and is credited by Kroger with driving 20 consecutive quarters of comparable sales growth, overseeing 4,600+ stores and 1M associates, while accelerating online ordering and pickup.
He most recently led Air New Zealand through pandemic-era disruption with a heavy focus on operational rigor and digital transformation.
Translation: Kroger hired an operator. Someone who tends to start with basics, fix execution, and then scale the “new shiny things.”
That’s good news for shoppers. And—depending on how ready you are—either good news or a wake-up call for suppliers.
What shoppers will probably feel first
If you’re expecting a dramatic rebrand or a new slogan… I’d bet no.
The first wave will be quieter. More practical. More “why does this finally work the way it should?”
1) A stronger value message (without relying on promo noise)
Kroger has been fighting the same battle as every conventional grocer: consumers are less impressed by complicated promo mechanics than they used to be, and competitors (Walmart, Costco, Aldi/Lidl, etc.) have momentum.
So I’d expect Kroger to sharpen its value proposition in ways shoppers can feel:
fewer “gotcha” price perceptions
more visible everyday value on high-frequency items
clearer, simpler promotional storytelling
Not glamorous. Very effective.
2) Better on-shelf execution (the boring stuff that wins)
When an operator takes over, the first obsession is usually: in-stock + standards + speed.
Shoppers notice it like this:
the item they buy every week is actually there
endcaps don’t look like they were built during a fire drill
pickup substitutions get less random
That’s where loyalty gets built—one unremarkable, reliable trip at a time.
3) Digital that feels less “bolted on”
Kroger’s eCommerce is growing (Kroger reported 17% eCommerce sales growth in Q3 FY2025). But Kroger has also been working through tough decisions in its automated fulfillment network—so you should expect a practical push toward models that are scalable and profitable.
The shopper version of that is simple:
pickup windows get more consistent
substitutions get smarter
delivery promises get tighter (or more honest)
What suppliers should expect (the part people don’t say out loud)
If I had to summarize the supplier impact in one line:
More accountability, fewer exceptions.
Foran was hired specifically for disciplined execution at scale. That typically changes the “rules of the road” in very supplier-visible ways.
1) Scorecards get sharper—and more consequential
Expect more emphasis on:
on-time, in-full and clean ASN/EDI performance
fewer tolerance “workarounds”
faster escalation when stores or DCs have chronic issues
This isn’t about being harsh. It’s about removing operational friction.
And yes—suppliers usually feel that first.
2) “Alternative profit” expands—especially retail media
Kroger has a serious retail media engine (Kroger Precision Marketing), built on 84.51° data science and the loyalty program.
If Kroger’s marching orders are “drive growth and improve profitability,” retail media becomes an even bigger lever:
more ad products
more performance expectations
more pressure for suppliers to fund visibility
The opportunity is real. But so is the tax.
3) Private label keeps getting love
Kroger already talks about “Our Brands” as a strategic pillar, and it’s been called out as a contributor to margin performance.
So here’s the supplier reality: you can win alongside private label, but you’ll need a clear “why you” story:
functional differentiation
regional loyalty
innovation that private label can’t copy quickly
or price/value architecture that makes sense in a Kroger basket
4) A more “merchant + operator” buying culture
This is where outside CEOs often land: they want merchants who can move and operators who can deliver.
That tends to show up as:
tighter item rationalization
clearer lane definitions (good/better/best)
less tolerance for “me-too” items with soft velocity
If you’re a supplier, the upside is clarity.
The downside is that “average” gets uncomfortable.
The big strategic bets I’d watch in the first 12–18 months
This part is opinion, but it’s grounded in what Kroger has publicly flagged as priorities: fresh, brands, personalization, and eCommerce—plus cost discipline and loyalty-driven growth.
Bet 1: Win back “the weekly trip” (not just the deal-hunter)
Kroger needs to feel like the smart default choice again—especially as shoppers split trips across channels and retailers. Competitive pressure is intense.
So the bet is: sharpen value + improve in-store execution + make digital seamless.
Basic. Ruthless. Repeatable.
Bet 2: Make eCommerce profitable by design
Kroger has publicly talked about a strategic review and the goal to make eCommerce profitable in 2026.
That usually means fewer “science projects” and more scalable playbooks:
store-fulfilled pickup done really well
targeted fulfillment investments that pay back
smarter labor and substitution logic
Suppliers should read that as: “We’re going to optimize the network, and we’ll expect you to optimize with us.”
Bet 3: Use loyalty + data more aggressively (with guardrails)
Kroger serves 11+ million shoppers daily and leans into loyalty and personalization. If Foran pushes this lever harder, suppliers should expect more:
household-level targeting
personalized offers
measurement frameworks that look more like digital advertising than traditional circular merchandising
The winners will be the suppliers who can connect: awareness → trial → repeat, and prove it.
A fictional (but very realistic) scenario
Let’s make this tangible with a fictional example.
Imagine a mid-sized condiment brand—call it Canyon Creek Sauce (not real)—that’s been “doing fine” at Kroger. They run promos, get a few endcaps a year, and their velocity is… okay.
Under a new Kroger operating cadence, Canyon Creek walks into a line review and the conversation shifts.
Not “What’s your brand story?” (they still care).But first:
What’s your in-stock rate by division?
How clean is your EDI/ASN compliance?
What happens to velocity when your item is the recommended substitution in pickup?
What’s your incremental lift from retail media vs. promo vs. price investment?
Same buyer meeting. Totally different scoreboard.
That’s what operator leadership tends to do: it makes performance measurable—and then it acts on it.
What I’d do right now if I were a Kroger supplier
A CEO change is not the moment for panic. It is the moment for preparation.
If Kroger tightens execution, here’s where suppliers can get ahead:
Audit your basics
item setup accuracy
case pack and pallet logic
lead times and fill rates
clean EDI
Simplify your value story
why you win vs. national brands and private label
where you fit in a good/better/best ladder
what you can do to support price perception (without destroying margin)
Treat your digital shelf like it’s your physical shelf
images, titles, attributes, search terms
pickup readiness (packaging durability matters more than you think)
Be honest about what you can execute
nothing burns trust faster than “yes” followed by chronic out-of-stocks
Woodridge Retail Group sees leadership transitions as a chance for suppliers to gain share—because when the playbook changes, the brands that run clean and move fast suddenly look a lot more attractive.
And that’s usually where the upside is hiding.
