Heather Haddon reporter at the Wall Street Journal interviews Yael Cossett Chief Digital Officer at Kroger

ALast week at the Groceryshop 2022 convening in Las Vegas, Kroger Co. Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President Yael Cosset shared the grocer’s seamless strategy and changes in shopping trends.

“We know our customers have different needs based on their daily lives and the question becomes: What, when and how? Our seamless ecosystem brings all of these factors together, without asking the customer to compromise on quality, value or convenience,” said Yael Cosset, SVP & Chief Information Officer for Kroger. “Whether our customer shop for a last-minute dinner, their weekly shop, freshest ingredients at the right price, we provide relevant and personalized experience.”

Cosset revealed a shift in customer behavior as they move away from shopping habits established during the pandemic. Data shows customers navigating comfortably among delivery and pickup to in-store trips, shopping to meet the needs of their day.

He explained America’s largest grocer seeks to make the transition from each option as seamless as possible, ensuring convenience of choice and relevance along with Kroger’s promise of the freshest products and incredible value. In that context, Cosset further highlighted the importance to not pass on the complexity of building a sustainable model to the customer. Kroger is optimizing its seamless ecosystem, with stores and dedicated fulfillment facilities, bringing value without asking customers to compromise on the experience or shareholders on the economic model.

Cosset views the seamless digital ecosystem as critical to customer satisfaction, combining the proximity of their stores for immediate delivery in as little as 30 minutes and the reliability and efficiency of its dedicated facilities, each contributing to the Kroger seamless experience. Customer reaction to Boost by Kroger, the latest addition to Kroger loyalty platform has been overwhelmingly positive. This paid membership program can save customers more than $1,000 per year on fuel and grocery delivery. The one-of-a-kind membership and the expansion of the Kroger Delivery Network contributed to growing digital sales in the second quarter.

Private Brands

He also sees the food-at-home trend persisting with the continued desire to share cooking skills learned during the pandemic and make meals at home during the inflationary environment. Customers are making memorable meal experiences engaging with Kroger’s Retail Brand (private brand) products, choosing to make a Murray’s Cheese board and have a nice bottle of wine as a special treat whether they shop in our stores, with pickup or delivery and taking advantage of personalized experience and digital offers.