Kroger

Kroger has appointed Mark Ibbotson executive vice president and chief store operations officer, effective September 14. Ibbotson joins from leadership roles at Asda and Walmart, where he drove store operations, e‑commerce integration and digital transformation. Since 2020 he worked as a strategic advisor and served as a senior advisor at McKinsey. Kroger highlights his experience in simplifying complex operating models and expanding digital and physical capacity. » More on de.investing.com

Citi warns of a tighter price competition between Kroger and Walmart that could pressure Kroger's same-store sales and margins. Walmart has around $3 billion in rebates it plans to invest in grocery prices and could expand market share. Citi expects Q2 results largely in line with expectations, but cut its full-year earnings target for Kroger and lowered the price target from $61 to $57 amid more pessimistic margin assumptions and ongoing competitive dynamics. » More on de.investing.com

Kroger named former Walmart and Jet.com executive Nate Faust as chief e-commerce officer effective Sept. 1, charging him with scaling the retailer’s online shopping, fulfillment and delivery operations. Faust brings experience in merchandising, fast fulfillment networks and e-commerce supply chain transformation and is expected to pursue initiatives including Kroger-owned delivery capabilities, partnerships with Nash and Autolane, strategic work with Ocado, and in-store robotics pilots. CEO Greg Foran signaled the hire is central to raising Kroger’s digital standards and growing online sales. » More on finance.yahoo.com