TECH NEWS | ANALYSIS
proprietary AI-powered tool that boosts inventory efficiency and replenishment for promotional center-store SKUs. “All of these initiatives are building the modern, technology-enabled Albertsons that will define our competitiveness in fiscal 2026 and beyond,” Morris said. Digital penetration for e-commerce sur- passed 10% in the fourth quarter, marking a milestone for the grocer. Albertsons’ first- party business continues to scale rapidly and contributed nearly 90% of the compa- ny’s 16% digital growth in the quarter. Its AI-enabled shopping assistant is increasing basket size and enhancing personalization. Albertsons fulfills more than half of digital orders in less than three hours, and most delivery households are eligible for 30-minute flash delivery, the company’s fastest-growing segment. Personalized ad pilots delivered a 90% lift in conversion and click-through rates in the fourth quarter. “This approach is translating into a structurally attractive profit stream that amplifies and fuels our core retail business,” Morris said. On Thursday, the Boise, Idaho-based retailer introduced a capability aimed at helping advertisers better understand the impact of their retail media investments. The new onsite incrementality measure- ment tool is designed to provide insight into how onsite display media drives new sales, addressing advertisers’ growing focus on incrementality as a key performance indicator. The onsite incrementality measure- ment methodology uses test-and-control frameworks to isolate the effects of media exposure and provide a transparent view of incremental lift. This approach allows advertisers to compare campaigns, opti- mize media spend, refine creative strategies and improve audience targeting based on actionable insights. —Bill Wilson
Albertsons CEO Susan Morris said AI-driven capabilities are modernizing how customers shop, delivering personalization that drives higher conversion, larger baskets and greater loyalty.
Albertsons is the new Walmart when it comes to tech dominance The grocer continues to gain momentum through AI and other technology
THIS YEAR, Albertsons is placing bets on a series of tech and AI initiatives. The retailer’s tech agenda is already producing strong results, and the momen- tum is expected to continue this year and beyond, driving capital gains. During the grocer’s fourth-quarter earn- ings call in April, CEO Susan Morris said the company’s digital strategy is where it needs to be and that it expects more from its tech investments. Morris said AI-driven capabilities are modernizing how customers shop, deliv- ering personalization that drives higher conversion, larger baskets and greater loy- alty. Merchandising intelligence, automated insights and pricing tools are improving category decision-making and supporting structurally stronger margins, she said, citing a transcript from AlphaSense. “We are in flight with tools that are reimagining price and promotional strategy,
as well as category management and assortment decisions,” Morris said during the earnings call. The tech extends beyond the grocery aisle. Generative AI scheduling tools are expected to improve forecast accuracy, reduce complexity for workers and drive labor efficiency. AI-powered demand fore - casting and computer vision in the supply chain are improving availability, quality and freshness while lowering inventory and fulfillment costs, Morris said. Albertsons has launched Gateway, a
“All of these initiatives are building the modern, technology-enabled Albertsons that will define our competitiveness in fiscal 2026 and beyond.” –Susan Morris, CEO
12 SUPERMARKETNEWS.COM SPRING 2026
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