Dive Brief:
- Kroger wants to make its experience faster, simpler and more consistent to help it attract customers as they become “more deliberate with their spending,” CEO Greg Foran said on a Q1 2026 earnings call Thursday.
- The grocer’s experience needs to be fast in every aspect, from checkout time in stores to delivery speeds for digital orders, according to Foran, who took on the CEO role in February. Additionally, promotions need to become more consistent and easily understood.
- “We need to be more competitive, more consistent and easier for customers to understand,” Foran said. “When a customer is deciding where to shop we want more of them choosing Kroger more often because the value is clear, the experience is great, and the trust is there.”
Dive Insight:
Kroger wants to offer a consistent experience no matter where or how customers shop, and it will turn to its associates to power its strategy.
The gap between Kroger’s top-performing stores and the rest of the fleet needs to improve, and that work is one of the grocery chain’s largest opportunities in the short term, according to Foran. The overarching strategy includes making the chain faster and friendlier as a whole.
“Customers are busy,” Foran said. “When we're out of stock, when the checkout is slow, when the promotion is too complicated, that costs us trips.”
Kroger isn’t alone in its pursuit of a consistent experience. Companies including Starbucks and Target have announced plans to boost their consistency, with associates playing key roles.
"A great customer experience begins with a motivated, engaged and well-supported team, which is why we continue to invest in our people," Foran said. In the first quarter, the grocer invested in more store hours, additional training and new uniforms to make associates more easily recognizable.
Kroger is also investing in technology that helps associates work efficiently and “spend more time on the value-added activities our customers notice most,” Foran said. “These investments not only strengthen the experience we deliver in our stores and online, they also improve productivity and support the long-term growth of our business.”
Kroger’s efforts helped lead it to a modestly positive quarter. Same-store sales excluding fuel rose 1% year over year in the first quarter of 2026, according to an earnings report. Total sales rose 2.2% year over year to $46.1 billion.
One bright spot for Kroger was e-commerce sales, which rose 19% year over year during the first quarter. Kroger’s e-commerce business, which includes its media arm, turned profitable during the period, according to Foran.
