Hello Omni Talk Fans! I told Wayfair’s CEO back in 2017 he should build large format IKEA stores.
At the time, he laughed in my face. Who’s laughing now?
Likely still him. Dude has done alright for himself.
In today’s Retail Daily Minute:
- Kroger posted soft Q1 comp sales of just 1%, but turned an e-commerce profit for the first time ever, and CEO Greg Foran admitted 60% of stores need to step up their game.
- Ahold Delhaize nominated Claire Peters, Amazon’s VP of worldwide fresh, as the next CEO of Ahold Delhaize USA, marking the company’s second straight outsider leadership hire this year.
- Wayfair is expanding its physical footprint with a 135,000-square-foot store coming to Princeton, New Jersey in 2027, joining a fast-growing roster of large-format locations nationwide.
Plus, my favorite headline discussion from last week’s Fast Five podcast with Ben Miller, and a quote from a movie about wayfarers.
👇 Listen now
Today’s Top Headlines
1. Kroger Q1 Sales Rise 2% With E-Commerce Turning Profitable
Kroger Q1 fiscal 2026 sales rose ~2% to $46.1B, with digital sales up 19% and e-commerce turning profitable for the very first time. CEO Greg Foran flagged that approximately 60% of stores need improvement and said Kroger must grow faster, compete harder, and simplify its value proposition for shoppers. (Read More)
2. Ahold Delhaize Taps Amazon Exec Claire Peters as ADUSA CEO
Ahold Delhaize has officially nominated Claire Peters as the new CEO of ADUSA, effective Sept. 8, pending shareholder approval. Peters joins from Amazon, where she led worldwide fresh operations across six countries. She succeeds JJ Fleeman, who exits this month to become Dollar General’s CEO in early 2027. (Read More)
3. Wayfair to Open Large-Format Store in Princeton, NJ in 2027
Wayfair will open a 135,000-sq.-ft. store at Nassau Park Pavilion in Princeton, NJ, in 2027, serving customers across NJ, NY, and PA. The location adds to Wayfair’s growing brick-and-mortar footprint, which includes stores in Illinois, Atlanta, and Ohio, plus upcoming openings in Denver, Westchester, Fort Lauderdale, and Cincinnati. (Read More)
4. Allbirds Rebrands as Smartbird, Names New CEO for AI Push
Allbirds, which rebranded to NewBird AI in April after pivoting from footwear to AI infrastructure, is now renaming itself Smartbird and appointing Nadia Carlsten as CEO. Carlsten previously led AWS’s quantum computing center and most recently headed DCAI, an AI infrastructure firm partnered with Nvidia. Shares jumped 39%. (Read More)
5. P&G and Albertsons Team Up to Launch In-Store Scripted Series
P&G and Albertsons have teamed up to produce “Rico’s Tacos,” a short-form scripted series featuring P&G products, airing via in-store screens and the Albertsons app. The initiative blends branded content with retail media, as Albertsons looks to move beyond standard digital ads and help brands drive shoppers directly to purchase. (Read More)
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— Chris and the entire Omni Talk team
Omni Talk® is the retail blog for retailers, written by retailers. Chris Walton founded Omni Talk® in 2017 and have quickly turned it into one of the fastest growing blogs in retail.