*By Alisha Haridasani*
One of the country's largest supermarket chains is investing in technology and talent to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive grocery business that has been upended by e-commerce.
The grocery chain Kroger is seeking to “create shareholder value over the next three years,” said Jessica Adelman, the retailer’s Chief Communications Officer. The plan, called "Restock Kroger," includes initiatives to improve the grocery shopping experience online and offline.
“We know people want to shop for anything, anytime, anywhere,” said Adelman in an interview Monday with Cheddar's CEO Jon Steinberg.
Earlier this year, Kroger expanded its [‘Scan, Bag, Go’](http://ir.kroger.com/file/Index?KeyFile=391984350) pilot program across more stores, allowing users to scan their grocery items on their phone as they shop and pay at a self-service checkout. Kroger also started carrying the increasingly popular [meal kits](http://ir.kroger.com/file/Index?KeyFile=391474108) to cater to time-pressed customers who still want freshly cooked meals.
The company also announced this month that it would aim to hire 11,000 employees by the end of this year, including 2,000 in management roles.
“A lot of the jobs that we’re adding are in the technology space, in the areas that are complementary to helping us achieve ‘Restock Kroger,’” said Adelman. “We’re taking labor out of areas of the store where people don’t seem to miss it that much and we can help move our associates up the ladder into more meaningful work.”
In a bid to attract and retain top talent, Kroger will provide a new education benefit for full and part-time associates who will $3,500 a year for new training, capped at $21,000 total. Adelman said the plan will be paid for in part with savings from the new tax plan passed by Congress.
Though the company’s fourth quarter earnings were in line with expectations, competition from Amazon and Walmart continues to weigh down Kroger’s stock. The company’s shares were down more than 13 percent since a year ago.
Last week, Kroger completed the $2.15 billion sale of its convenience stores to the EG Group in Britain and will use those proceeds to buy back shares.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/jessica-adelman-on-how-kroger-uses-technology-to-compete-with-amazon).
Sinead O’Sullivan breaks down Taylor Swift’s genius marketing for The Life of a Showgirl, which just set the record for most albums sold in a single week.
Markets are emerging from a turbulent Q3. Horizon’s Mike Dickson shares insights on interest rates, small caps, and where investors should look in Q4 and beyond
Bambu Ventures's Kyle Pretsch dives into Lemonaid’s $10M buyout, down from 23andMe’s $400M price tag, and what’s next after Chrome Co.’s dramatic pivot.
Former Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers learned all about technology’s volatile highs and lows as a veteran of the internet’s early boom days during the late 1990s and the ensuing meltdown that followed the mania. And now he is seeing potential signs of the cycle repeating with another transformative technology in artificial intelligence. Chambers is trying take some of the lessons he learned while riding a wave that turned Cisco into the world's most valuable company in 2000 before a crash hammered its stock price and apply them as an investor in AI startups. He recently discussed AI's promise and perils during an interview with The Associated Press.
Grove Collaborative’s CEO shares how the company is reinventing everyday goods with sustainability at the core and working toward a plastic-free future.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens shares plans for affordable housing, community-led growth, and why private and public grocery stores could be key to food equity.
Tesla reported a surprise increase in sales in the third quarter as the electric car maker likely benefited from a rush by consumers to take advantage of a $7,500 credit before it expired on Sept. 30. The company reported Thursday that sales in the three months through September rose 7% compared to the same period a year ago. The gain follows two quarters of steep declines as people turned off by CEO Elon Musk’s foray into right-wing politics avoided buying his company’s cars and even protested at some dealerships. Sales rose to 497,099 vehicles, compared with 462,890 in the same period last year.
