Hello Omni Talk Fans! I have interviewed Ocado CEO Tim Steiner twice over the past year, and every time he teaches me something new about how the future of grocery will play out.
In today’s Retail Daily Minute:
- Ocado announces CEO Tim Steiner will step down in 2028 following a boardroom tussle, as shares slide amid a stalled automated-warehouse strategy.
- Klarna applies for a U.S. bank charter, pushing further beyond buy now, pay later and toward becoming a full-fledged consumer bank.
- Kroger names Emilee De Martino as its new Chief People Officer, marking the first C-suite change under CEO Greg Foran.
Plus, our latest Confessions Of Supply Chain Executives podcast, featuring insights from Wiliot and AT&T on inventory visibility, and a quote from another famous Tim.
👇 Listen now
Today’s Top Headlines
1. Ocado CEO Tim Steiner to Step Down in 2027 After Board Clash
Ocado co-founder and CEO Tim Steiner will step down in December 2027, staying on for another year as a founder adviser to the board through to 2029. The move follows reported boardroom tension over a share price slump, North American warehouse closures, and 1,000 job cuts, as the firm seeks a successor and new partners. (Read More)
2. Klarna Applies for a US Banking Charter to Expand Beyond BNPL
Klarna has applied for a U.S. banking charter, filing with Utah regulators and the FDIC to form Klarna Bank USA, an FDIC-insured industrial bank. Led by former Milestone Bank CEO Gary Harding, the venture would bring Klarna’s U.S. operations in-house, moving the fintech beyond buy now, pay later into broader consumer banking. (Read More)
3. Kroger Names Emilee De Martino as Its New Chief People Officer
Kroger named Emilee De Martino, a former McDonald’s people-strategy executive, as its new chief people officer, succeeding retiring veteran Tim Massa. It’s the first C-suite change under CEO Greg Foran, who praised her record building large people organizations. Kroger has seen other executive departures since Foran arrived.y (Read More)
4. New Jersey Limits Surveillance Pricing, Freezes ESLs Statewide
New Jersey’s Fair Price Protection Act (S-3612/S-3717) bans grocery stores from using AI and surveillance data for personalized pricing, plus a moratorium on electronic shelf labels. Passed with bipartisan support, it awaits Gov. Sherrill’s signature. Unions praised it; NJ joins 12 states banning surveillance pricing. (Read More)
5. Albertsons Builds Databricks-Powered Merchandising Intelligence
Albertsons is building a merchandising intelligence platform on Databricks to give merchants a single space for product, pricing, promotion and placement decisions. Led by Karthik Iyer, group VP of merchandising transformation and AI, the grocer aims to scale the platform to all merchants, targeting full rollout by end of 2026. (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.