THE FRIDAY 5: Albertsons’ Lawsuit Against Kroger Unsealed; Dollar Tree Gets New CEO
Welcome to The Friday 5, Progressive Grocer’s weekly roundup of the top news and trends in the food retail industry. Each Friday, we’ll take a look at the stories that are most important to our readers and also keep tabs on the trends that are poised to impact grocers.
1. Albertsons’ Lawsuit Against Kroger Unsealed
Unsurprisingly, the top news story on PG this week had to do with the failed $24.6 billion merger between Albertsons Cos. and The Kroger Co. The lawsuit Albertsons filed against Kroger last week has been unsealed, offering a deeper look at how Albertsons believes Kroger failed to exercise “best efforts” and to take “any and all actions” to obtain regulatory approval of the companies’ proposed merger deal.
The complaint details the specific ways in which Albertsons alleges Kroger violated the merger agreement, among them offering an initial divestiture package that appeared to be deficient, ignoring feedback from state antitrust regulators, rejecting highly qualified divestiture buyers, and disregarding feedback from C&S Wholesale Grocers on its divestiture package.
The suit contends that this conduct was because Kroger “had second thoughts after a negative market reaction to the merger and falling post-pandemic profits, and it decided it would go through with the deal, if at all, only on terms far more advantageous to Kroger than those for which it had bargained.”
When contacted for comment on the unsealing of the complaint, a Kroger spokesperson reiterated the company’s earlier refutation of Albertsons’ claims, which Kroger asserted were “baseless and without merit.”
2. PG Names Its 2024 Category Captains
Readers were excited this week to learn more about PG’s 2024 class of Category Captains. The 17 companies chosen this year have more than fulfilled a commitment to work with their retailer partners to boost the sales not only of the companies’ own brands, but also those across the entire category, and ultimately throughout the entire store.
They are providing cutting-edge research, profound consumer insights, helpful guidance, and more to enable grocery retailers to rethink their approaches and up their games in creative ways with regard to a range of categories. Learn more about this year’s Category Captains.
3. How Is Retail Innovation Shaping Up for 2025?
PG released its 2025 Retail Innovation Outlook this week, taking a peek into the most important technology innovations poised to turn the tide in the grocery industry. Not only is tech becoming more physically present in supermarkets, but it’s also creating more relevant experiences for shoppers and associates alike.
Read more about next-level shelf intelligence, retail media, customer experience and more.
Speaking of innovation, readers this week were interested in news of Sam’s Club’s futuristic new store in Grapevine, Texas. The fully digital store introduced “the dance floor” concept, an omnichannel showroom that gives customers a new way to interact with items. Where registers once stood, there is now an expansive space that integrates digital and in-person shopping. Members can explore online exclusives, use Scan & Go to add items to their cart, and ship purchases directly to their doorstep – all within an expansive environment that Sam’s Club designed for convenience and discovery.
4. Walmart Equips Employees With Body Cameras
Walmart has started giving store-level associates body cameras to wear as part of a pilot program at some of its U.S. locations, according to CNBC. Walmart confirmed that it’s testing the technology in one market and will evaluate the results before making any longer-term decisions.
Body cameras and the footage they gather are commonly advertised as a way to prevent shoplifting, but Walmart intends to use the tech for worker safety, not as a loss prevention tool, according to a person familiar with the program.
5. High-Level Promotions at Ahold Delhaize USA, Dollar Tree, More
A spate of c-suite promotions made news this week, including Ahold Delhaize USA’s appointment of Greg Finchum to the role of president of Food Lion, effective in May 2025. That news comes a week after Meg Ham announced she will retire from the leadership role.
Dollar Tree, meanwhile, has permanently elevated Michael C. Creedon, Jr., to the role of CEO of the company. Creedon stepped into the interim role after Rick Dreiling left the company due to health issues in early November.
Grocery Outlet also made a move in its c-suite, naming Christoper Miller its CFO, effective Jan. 6. Miller joins Grocery Outlet from Shamrock Foods Co., where he was CFO. At the end of October, Grocery Outlet’s former CEO and current Chairman of the Board Eric Lindberg was named the company’s interim president and CEO. Lindberg stepped into the role following R.J. Sheedy’s departure from the position and resignation from the company’s board of directors.
