Kroger announced it plans to lay off 3,000 corporate employees over the next three years as it expands its use of artificial intelligence.
In a memo to staff, CEO Greg Foran wrote that “technology is reshaping what’s possible.”
Possible for who? Not for the people who work there, it seems.
Kroger’s own values promise to treat everyone “with dignity.” Yet Foran has told investors that Kroger’s savings come partly from cutting headcount. While cutting jobs, Kroger has spent $1.2 billion buying back its own stock this year and plans to spend $800 million more.
This fits a long pattern in how Kroger treats its employees.
Workers there describe low pay, cut hours, and chronic understaffing. When a 2022 payroll-system switch left thousands with late, wrong or missing paychecks, Kroger paid a $20.8 million settlement. In 2024, the typical Kroger worker made $34,213. The CEO made over $15 million.
Kroger staff have been writing to us directly, too. We’ve heard from more than 100 current and former Kroger employees. Employees have described doing the work of three people and even being written up for drinking water. “The full staffed department should’ve been 12 people,” one former employee told us. “We only have 3.”
Shoppers should be paying attention too.
Kroger already builds secret profiles on its shoppers, including income estimates. And it’s installing digital price tags that can change a price in seconds.
Kroger still hasn’t promised that it will never set a price based on what it knows about you.
Read the full story on ABC6.
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