Kroger Debuts E-Comm Business Unit
The Kroger Co. is moving full steam ahead on omnichannel strategies to enhance both its operations and customer experiences. This week, the retailer announced that it is launching a new e-commerce business unit aimed at centralizing and expanding its already-strong digital initiatives.
Yael Cosset, SVP and chief information officer at Kroger, will head up the e-commerce unit. Serving as EVP and chief digital officer, he will steer this business while continuing to oversee tech and data for the company.
Cosset is well positioned for this pivotal role. He guided Kroger’s recent technology transformation to improve personalization and convenience for shoppers while also enabling associates to focus on service. His deep background in the tech functions at Kroger includes leadership of the 84.51˚ insight and media subsidiary and the Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM) retail media unit, among other portfolios.
Ron Sargent, who was recently tapped to serve as chairman and CEO in the wake of Rodney McMullen’s sudden departure, said that the move and Cosset’s appointment will propel growth in the arm of its business that took in $13 billion sales during the most recent fiscal year. "Accelerating Kroger's e-commerce growth is a top priority," Sargent said. "As the architect of Kroger's digital strategy, Yael will continue to make it easier for customers to shop for our fresh, affordable food."
On that note, Kroger regularly makes improvements to its tech capabilities. In late 2024, for example, KPM added incremental sales reporting to self-service programming campaigns. Kroger recently highlighted its Express Delivery service that allows for pickup and delivery in as little as two hours and reported that delivery sales rose 18% over the last year, led by its customer fulfillment center. These and other initiatives helped the retailer boost digital sales growth by 11% in recently concluded fourth quarter of FY2024.
The Kroger Family of Companies’ nearly 420,000 associates serve more than 11 million customers daily through a digital shopping experience and retail food stores under a variety of banner names. The Cincinnati-based grocer is No. 4 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named Kroger one of its Retailers of the Century.
