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.
The headlines this week indicating that Kroger has stopped carrying Red Bull energy drinks suggest that CEO Greg Foran is making good on his promise to drive a hard bargain with suppliers.
As of Friday morning, in response to searches for “Red Bull,” some of Kroger’s banner websites returned a message saying that the popular energy drink “is currently out of stock while we work with our suppliers to keep prices affordable for you.” (Kroger-owned Harris Teeter still offered Red Bull products on its site.)
According to The Cincinnati Enquirer, Kroger took Red Bull products out of its supermarkets across the country at the end of August but wouldn’t say why. A Kroger spokesperson declined to comment to Grocery Dive.
While the reason Kroger’s relationship with Red Bull appears strained might be unclear, the fact that Foran spent years working as a top executive at Walmart provides some clues. Walmart, of course, has been famous since the Sam Walton days for its relentless focus on keeping costs low — and Foran inherited that mission when he took over as head of Walmart U.S. in 2014.
In addition, when Foran took over as CEO of Kroger earlier this year, he wasted no time declaring that under his leadership, the supermarket chain would make holding down prices a top priority. Foran reiterated that point during the company’s latest earnings call last week, telling analysts that Kroger intended to set a high bar for vendors seeking to raise prices.
Foran clearly needs to reinvigorate the company’s connections with shoppers. Could Red Bull provide the jolt the company needs to accomplish that goal?
In case you missed it
Sprouts hits 500-store milestone
Sprouts Farmers Market’s fleet has reached 500 locations, with the opening of its Spring, Texas, store on Sept. 12. Sprouts is continuing to keep its momentum going, opening two more stores in Mesa, Arizona, and Carson, California, on Friday.
“Opening one store takes extraordinary teamwork. Opening 500 requires years of vision, commitment, collaboration, and execution across thousands of people who share a common goal,” David McGlinchey, the grocer’s chief development officer, shared on LinkedIn.
Hy-Vee begins offering wellness days for older shoppers
The Midwest grocer has announced a monthly Senior Wellness Day on the third Wednesday of every month. The inaugural event took place this week.
During these events, Hy-Vee’s health and wellness experts will provide information on health topics, such as vaccinations, staying healthy during flu season and enrolling in health insurance. Attendees age 60 or older can get perks like a $5 Balanced Plate breakfast, free coffee and 10% off vitamins.
Weis Markets makes a top promotion
The regional grocer announced Wednesday it promoted James Godfrey to vice president of operational efficiency. In the role, Godfrey will continue to head up the development and implementation of store-level programs focused on financial performance, labor productivity, shrink reduction and the customer experience.
Impulse find
It’s fall, y’all
With the return of pumpkin spice latte season, several grocers are rolling out limited-edition products featuring fall flavors like pumpkin and apple.
H-E-B said it is “bringing the autumn vibes” with hundreds of seasonal name brand items, including medium roast pumpkin spice coffee blend flavors, maple breakfast sausage rolls and caramel apple sherbet. The Texas grocer also noted that its cornbread stuffing potato chips “have the flavors of Thanksgiving stuffing in a fun, crunchy snack.”
Meanwhile, Kroger’s seasonal assortment features “pumpkin across beverages, snacks, bakery favorites and more” with items like pumpkin popcorn, pumpkin spice shortbread cookies and pumpkin spice cashews under its Private Selection brand.
