#kroger-10-for-10

#kroger-10-for-10

Kroger paid $883 million in dividends against $1.78 billion in free cash flow in FY2025, a coverage ratio of roughly 2x. On an adjusted basis, full-year adjusted EPS was $4.85, putting the payout ratio at approximately 29%. The GAAP alarm is real but misleading.

The Cincinnati-based supermarket company has been shuttering locations since June of last year, when it announced a footprint optimization plan that would result in the closure of about 60 stores. According to a Fast Company review of local media reports and online review platforms like Yelp, Kroger could be more than halfway through that process.

Perusing the grocery aisle in the Westside Market on 23rd Street in Manhattan, you might not even notice the screens. They look just like paper price labels and, alongside a bar code, use a handwriting-style font we've come to associate with a certain merchant folksiness. They're not particularly bright or showy. The only clues that they're not ordinary sticky shelf labels are a barely distinguishable light bulb and, on some, a small QR code.

Retail media is evolving from clicks and carts to conversations and context. As generative and conversational AI reshape how people discover products across the answer ecosystem, retail media leaders are facing new challenges - and new opportunities. They sit at a rare intersection. They have first-party data, frequent customer relationships, and real-world transactions. The question isn't whether retail media will keep growing. It's how it evolves without losing performance, trust, or relevance.

To prepare, I spent a lot of time meal planning, before combing through Aldi's website to compile my shopping list and get a price ballpark for everything. I made swaps to keep costs down - IE buying uncooked beans, or white bread instead of whole wheat - and was able to stay under budget. Still, these meals are pretty limited when based purely on the serving size on the nutrition label.

Trader Joe's differentiates itself from the competition in plenty of ways, but it may particularly surprise TJ's newbies to learn that the store never discounts its products. The reason is simple: Trader Joe's already offers stellar prices on its myriad of offerings. As a long-time Trader Joe's shopper, there are some products I'll never buy anywhere else because TJ's has such excellent deals. Here are some of my favorite bargain buys at the fan-favorite grocer.