Albertsons COO to Lead C&S Retail After Kroger Merger
Albertsons Cos. EVP and COO Susan Morris would lead the retail division of C&S Wholesale Grocers if its proposed merger with The Kroger Co. goes through, as reported by BoiseDev.
According to an internal memo by Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran, Morris’ title would be president and CEO of retail for C&S. The list of store locations to be divested to C&S as a result of the $24.6 billion Kroger-Albertsons merger was reported by Progressive Grocer on July 9. The list includes 579 Kroger and Albertsons stores, as well as other assets.
In his internal memo, Sankaran said that Morris “rose through the ranks to become one of the most influential and high-impact leaders in our company and across our industry. Susan has been instrumental in building the Albertsons we know today, starting with a few hundred stores in 2006. She will bring to C&S a multi-decade track record of operational excellence, innovation and growth. …”
Morris has been Albertsons’ EVP and COO since January 2018. In this role, she leads the company’s retail operations, overseeing more than 2,200 stores across 34 states.
She has more than 38 years of experience in the retail grocery industry and has held a variety of leadership roles across the company. Morris’ experience includes being EVP of regional operations, division president in two markets, and various other roles across merchandising and operations. She began her retail career in high school as a customer service clerk at Albertsons in Denver.
Morris has been recognized numerous times for her leadership in the grocery industry, including the bestowal of both a Top Women in Grocery and a Trailblazer Award from Progressive Grocer.
Meanwhile, on the current legal front, a bid by Kroger to dismiss a lawsuit in the state of Colorado seeking to halt its merger with Albertsons was denied late last month. The court there believes that since Kroger does business in the state, it is responsible for upholding its monopoly laws.
Additionally, a hearing date of Aug. 26 was set by Judge Adrienne Nelson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon regarding the FTC’s request for a preliminary injunction against the deal. The August hearing date will come exactly six months after the FTC filed suit to halt the merger and divestiture plan, claiming that the move "falls far short of mitigating the lost competition between Kroger and Albertsons" and would increase grocery prices for millions of Americans.
During his company’s Q1 earnings call, Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen defended the deal. "We are prepared to defend our merger because it will produce meaningful and measurable benefits for customers, for associates and for communities across the country," he said. "Customers will benefit from lower prices and more choices following the merger close.”
As of Feb. 24, Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons operated 2,269 retail stores with 1,725 pharmacies, 402 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 19 manufacturing facilities. The company has stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia under more than 20 banners. Albertsons is No. 9 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named the company one of its Retailers of the Century. Keene, N.H.-based C&S is No. 18 on PG’s list.
