Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen Photo: Axios screenshot
The shift to online shopping during the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated beyond most analysts' predictions, Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen said on Wednesday at an Axios event.
The big picture: McMullen said the industry had expected the shift to online to take about 3 years. Instead, it took place in only two weeks.
- Rapid change is the norm in the industry, McMullen said. “If you look at the changes 10 years ago, it was faster than the 10 years before that, and today it's faster than it was two or three years ago.”
- "I guarantee you what will be successful in the future will be different from what has been successful in the past."
Yes, but: The Kroger CEO said the company's data indicates that online shopping won't remain at its current levels when the pandemic subsides.
- "Customers that use us online also like to come into our stores, and it's one of the reasons it's so important to have a totally seamless experience where customers can do what is easier for them at that particular time."