Former Air NZ boss Greg Foran slashes jobs at US grocer Kroger in new head role

Jaewon Kang

Washington Post·

13 Oct, 2026 02:42 AM2 mins to read

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Former Air New Zealand boss Greg Foran has returned to retail. Photo / NZME and Getty Images

Kroger plans to cut more than one-third of its corporate headcount as the grocer seeks to simplify operations and compete more effectively under new chief executive Greg Foran.

The company will eliminate about 3000 roles across various functions over the next three years, according to a memo viewed by Bloomberg
News. Kroger has about 8200 corporate employees, making the cuts among the biggest in the company’s 143-year history.

Layoffs are among the latest changes at Kroger as Foran – a former Walmart executive who started as the top boss in February – carries out big moves amid slowing growth, heightened competition and persistent inflation concerns.

“Simplifying means making faster decisions and deploying more resources where they matter most,” Foran wrote in the memo to staff after a companywide call on Monday, adding that the largest traditional US supermarket operator has more layers and overhead than needed.

Kroger should reduce duplicative work and adapt as technology evolves, he noted. This includes the rise of artificial intelligence, which the company is increasingly using to make its workflow more efficient.