Kroger is turning to a veteran of its biggest rival to steer the supermarket giant through a turbulent moment in food retail. The Cincinnati-based chain has named former Walmart executive Greg Foran as its new chief executive, effective immediately, ending an almost yearlong search that began after longtime CEO Rodney McMullen resigned over an undisclosed ethics violation, the Wall Street Journal reports. Foran, 64, steps in as Kroger confronts stubborn food inflation, stiffer competition from discounters such as Aldi and Walmart, and the fallout from its failed $20 billion bid for Albertsons.
Foran ran Walmart's US business from 2014 to 2019, where he was credited with reviving performance by sharpening fresh-food offerings and improving store operations and appearance. He also introduced online ordering and pickup, ABC News reports. Colleagues described him as a demanding but fair, detail-focused leader who regularly flew out on weekends to inspect stores, quiz employees, and scrutinize produce and meat quality. After Walmart, the New Zealand native led Air New Zealand through the pandemic until stepping down in October 2024, maintaining a reputation for "hands-on" management that at times included serving passengers alongside flight crews.
His arrival follows a period of interim leadership under chairman Ron Sargent, the former Staples CEO, who has aggressively cut costs, eliminated about 1,000 corporate roles, consolidated regional units, and closed underperforming stores and e-commerce facilities. Kroger, which generated $147 billion in revenue in its latest fiscal year, has used those savings to lean on promotions, revive paper coupons, and expand lower-cost private-label products—particularly protein-heavy items—in an effort to hold down shelf prices and win budget-conscious shoppers, the Journal reports. The company says those moves have helped it gain grocery market share despite intensifying competition.
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