THE FRIDAY 5: Albertsons’ New Leadership Structure; Kroger’s District Consolidation

1. Behind Albertsons’ Leadership Restructure 

A deep dive into the new leadership structure that went into place as Susan Morris took over as CEO at Albertsons Cos. garnered the most clicks this week. The restructuring starts with EVP and Chief Merchandising and Digital Officer Omer Gajial, who is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities.

With that move, VP of Operations – West Michelle Larson is transitioning into the role of EVP, chief merchandising officer, and Jennifer Saenz is taking on a broader role as EVP, chief commercial officer. Anuj Dhanda is also expanding his oversight as EVP, chief technology and transformation officer to include Albertsons’ data science and product management teams.

It appears that these leadership changes have eliminated the dedicated CMO role, which was held by Sean Barrett for the past three years. Saenz’s expanded responsibilities now include overseeing "marketing and loyalty," suggesting a strategic shift in the company's approach to its marketing functions.

2. Kroger Holds Sales Event, Consolidates Texas Divisions

As Amazon, Walmart and Target wrap up their annual deal days, Kroger has revealed the return of Boost Bonus Days, giving Boost by Kroger Plus members exclusive access to more benefits, such as discounts and savings on Kroger's Our Brands favorites from aisles across the store, from July 16 through July 29.

Meanwhile, it came to light this week that Kroger is consolidating the president roles of its Dallas and Houston divisions into a single executive position. Rudy DiPietro, currently president of the Dallas division, has been named president of Kroger’s newly formed Texas division, effective Aug. 1. 

The change follows the retirement of Laura Gump, president of Kroger’s Houston division. The grocer’s newly formed Texas division consists of more than 210 stores and 26,000 associates in North, East and Southeast Texas and West, Central and Southwest Louisiana.

3. Is Kraft Heinz Offloading Some Brands?

Reports emerged this week that Kraft Heinz is considering spinning off part of its grocery portfolio. A story in The Wall Street Journal cited sources who claimed that Kraft Heinz will keep some of its signature brands, including Heinz ketchup and Grey Poupon mustard, while selling off others to a separate entity. The alleged deal could be worth $20 billion.

At this point, the chatter is not confirmed and the same sources told the WSJ that the breakup isn’t a done deal in terms of a decision. The potential move comes on the heels of upheaval throughout the CPG industry, including  WK Kellogg going through an acquisition process and Del Monte Foods filing for bankruptcy.

4. What Did Shoppers Buy This Prime Day?

Amazon’s Prime Day event wrapped up on July 11, and data from Numerator shows that this year’s shoppers were looking for deals on essentials, including groceries. According to Numerator’s tracker, four of the top five items sold on July 8 and 9 were household or grocery products, which  included:

• Liquid I.V. Packets
• Dawn Platinum Powerwash
• Premier Protein Shakes
• Amazon Basics Everyday Paper Plates

This year’s high-performing categories likewise underscore the value that today’s shoppers place on ordering staples. 

5. ALDI U.S. Has a New COO

News came in this week that Karla Waddleton has been promoted to fill Atty McGrath’s previous COO role at ALDI U.S. McGrath is succeeding CEO Jason Hart as he shifts to a Group COO role on the executive board of ALDI South in Salzburg, Austria.

“Karla’s extensive experience and commitment to our mission have been instrumental in our success this far. I am excited to see how her leadership will help us continue to build momentum and enhance our operations,” wrote McGrath on LinkedIn.