The Friday Checkout is a weekly column providing more insight on the news, rounding up the announcements you may have missed and sharing what’s to come.
As Albertsons works to regain its footing following the disintegration of its plan to merge with Kroger, the supermarket company has moved quickly to refresh its senior executive ranks — and it seems to be especially convinced that its technology units need new leadership
Albertsons’ disclosure Thursday that it has brought on a new head for its retail media business emphasizes the grocer’s efforts to put a new stamp on its technology operations. Brian Monahan, who will run Albertsons Media Collective as a senior vice president, is the latest newly appointed Albertsons executive whose portfolios include retail media, e-commerce or both.
In the time since Susan Morris took over as CEO in May, Albertsons has named multiple new top-level executives in a bid to “accelerate delivery of our strategy to earn customers for life in this bold new era for our company,” including a tech-focused chief commercial officer, and a chief technology and transformation officer.
The changes at Albertsons come as the company faces intense pressure to stand out on the digital front as other retailers — particularly Walmart — continue to stride ahead with technology. The grocer announced Monahan’s arrival just a week after announcing that its e-commerce sales soared 25% during the first fiscal quarter of 2025 and that it is moving toward breaking even with its delivery and pickup business.
Speaking during an earnings call on July 15, Albertsons President and CFO Sharon McCollam noted that the company does not consider its retail media operations when it computes the profitability of its e-commerce businesses, unlike competitors. Still, while Albertsons certainly stands to gain if it can build a pure-play online business that is profitable, it’s clear the company sees a tight connection between its efforts to sharpen its digital capabilities and its ability to build the durable customer relationships it will need to succeed in an era increasingly defined by technology.
In case you missed it
C&S seeks $400 million loan sale for SpartanNash purchase
The wholesaler is looking to raise the money to help finance its nearly $2 billion acquisition of the food distributor, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. Orders for the five-year loan offering kicked off this week and will close on Aug. 5, according to the report.
C&S and SpartanNash in late June announced the deal to create a combined company with almost 60 distribution centers and more than 200 grocery stores.
Hannaford taps into feel-good marketing
The Ahold Delhaize banner’s newly announced campaign “All for Good” wants to let customers know what the grocer is doing to help its customers and communities where it operates.
Through television, radio, social media, digital and out-of-home platforms, Hannaford will share examples of how the grocer provides “everyday care,” such as helping customers make healthy meals on a budget, supporting local farmers and investing in food access and sustainability initiatives, according to a press release.
Publix ramps up expansion in North Carolina
The grocer is expanding in the Charlotte region with plans to open a 50,000-square-foot store in Matthews, local developer Pappas Properties told The Charlotte Observer.
Publix told the paper that the store is slated to open by late 2027. The grocer has several stores in the metropolitan area and has been steadily growing its store fleet across the Southeast.
Impulse find
They found love in an Aldi place
A grocery cart collision recently turned into a love story at an Aldi in Minnesota.
After Mark Haen accidentally banged his cart into the cart of Julie Quackenbusch, he remarked to his granddaughter how cute Quackenbusch seemed, he told the West Central Tribune. The three of them discovered their cars were parked next to each other, giving Haen and Quackenbusch time to chat.
Haen then called Quackenbusch to ask her out, but she said she would be watching a parade on the suggested date. So Haen decided to do a “crazy thing” and join the parade, he told the outlet. The two eventually went on a date, and the couple got married in St. Paul, Minnesota, in June.
Their love story is just another reason to add “find your true love” to your grocery list — and a reminder to grocers that their aisles could be a great place to host speed dating or a “pineapple in the cart” event.
