I’ll just leave this here for all who doubted what was coming…
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/bill-comes-due-inside-krogers-global-capability-center-brittain-ladd-0xehc?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&utm_campaign=share_via
40 replies (most recent on top)
@m4 Kroger has pi---d off so many people in the past couple years. It's most certainly just a bunch of trolls here being a-s hats.
Just ignore it.
@m4 This is an open forum that allows anonymous contribution. You don’t have to work for anyone to post here, so it could be literally anyone posting. I wouldn’t allow anything here to have much value, including the original thread, but that’s just me.
This thread is a prime example how racist this company is and why it needs not only digital transformation but also a healthy dose of professionalism.
@kx They are just trolling, it's not real
Is that the real name? That sounds super racist
KCC is just a distraction…the real undercutting is going to happen when Kroger announces Brown Kobra. If you don’t know about BK, it’s a consulting firm thats going to pay even less and will take less qualified candidates than the KCC. They plan to replace all the KCC support with the secret BK support team they are training to pay half the money. This goes deep and BK is expected to be announced in 2028 and replace all KCC employees by 2030. You were warned…
@h2 you mean VRO
@h6 they can start by getting rid of the entire product team vertical. The engineering teams used to do their job. Now we're stuck in admin nightmare trying to manage jira to make some report look good.
There are a lot of assumptions about tech people being replaced but I think many of the lost jobs will be at downtown SSC. Foran said it himself that he asks people what their job title is and claims under his breath “that’s not a real job”. He’s coming for the “bullsh-t” jobs at Kroger that are glorified spreadsheet managers, professional emailers, and Teams chatters. Many more important roles will also be lost in the process and metrics will slip but be hard to trace to eliminating roles. We lost several great people due to RTO and job security fears that lead to several months of issues because of the lack of talent. I think putting the focus on people needing jobs to live is not the right message for these people. They couldn’t care less about that. The bigger message is that there is a difference between the people who wait around being told what to do and people that see things that need to be done and go for it. KCC employees aren’t going to have that. So for 35k you get worker bees that do subpar or worse work. You lose those creative self starters and the people that keep the business afloat. Good luck KR. You can’t train ownership and it is a rare skill that helps businesses stand out.
@gq yeah I think they hired him briefly when Amazon bought Whole Foods which turned into a nothingburger. We did RTO and doubled on tech, came out on top. Then covid printed billions which they wasted on poorly placed Ocado sheds. Poor leadership, not engineering
@gr why are all conservatives re--rded?
I can't wait to tell my nearshore contractors they're getting fired because they're too expensive. You know, the ones that replaced all of my actual FTE coworkers.
Also here's another article about it.
https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2026/07/23/kroger-shift-jobs-overseas-india-center-it-data.html
@gq say what you want but he has been right on several occasions. Outsourcing American jobs to oversea workers is immoral and Im a conservative. Maybe the news will get to Trump. All it would take is one truth social post and kroger would have to shut it down.
This guy seems bitter from his short stint as a consultant. He says this is a 'good' move?? but should have happened sooner if they had only just listened to him? And he thinks Cincinnati has no appeal for talent so Kroger should move to... Arkansas??? Not sure how much stock I put into this guy's insight...
Also, remember to account for shuttle time to 84.51 when arriving at the office.
@f4 brown cobra make bad code…white mongoose make good code. Worth money to pay more moneys. Do not need to pay more monkeys.
@f7 Saar! Do not the bloody Redeem the job Saar! So needful and delete immediately Saar
@f4 Do Not Redeem!!!!!
Ha Ha Ha. The Kroger Employee Can Not Compete With The India.
Ha Ha Ha Ha.
@ez that’s why you need 4 offshore resources for every associate
@eg
Yes, and each person is doing the work of half a US person...it is hilarious how little they do.
Keep in mind they've already piloted this structure with Supply Chain, using India and an MSP. They started well over two years ago and the entire solution is only servicing 19 locations. It will take a decade to implement that alone
It's just another failure
@dn the email that came out earlier this week said “hiring - summer 26” and “first launch - fall 26”… Yale said they are hiring the first associates right now. If Kroger thinks this makes us better, give an offshore team to each executive and let them experience it in real time...the only thing it does is test your patience while you explain the same thing 20xs, if it’s not on script then they can’t figure anything out. Def get what you pay for..low pay button pushers, no thought leadership, no ability to grow, not an even trade for a Kroger associate.
Does anyone have an actual start date for KCC, or are we just working off a 'coming soon' vibe? Trying to mark on my calendar when I need to start holding my breath over job security
Sc--w it. If I have to work with KCC I will just ignore them. Let them figure it out if KR just wants us gone. I have worked 80 hour weeks quite often supporting their bullsh-t for 8 years. They dont care about me, then I dont care about them. Good work KR. I wonder how many execs would even visit india, what a shithole. Half of the IBM offshore teams we have dont even understand the basics when the whole fu--ing solution is outlined for them.
@bj should go without saying but whenever anyone gets paired with offshore ppl, no one should help them.
What are they gonna do? Fire everyone? Gonna do that anyways
Layoffs are going to come in waves. First a general headcount reduction and a focus on simplifying systems and documentation as we go, then more and more layoffs as they bring on more and more Indians to hopefully maintain what shell is left hoping the company doesn't go under.
And of course by the time Kroger realizes their mistake and the future of work is going towards AI with competent leadership both in the business and in tech guiding it, not hordes of offshore Indians who couldn't manage a childrens soccer tournament, it will already be too late.
@az odd, they're some of the d-mbest folks I've ever met
@at now see this is just not true. Every offshore person I talk to has a masters in computer science… yeah they dont know the basics of git, or able to read code… or good practices… and also talk down… but hey they got a masters degree
There is also a travel freeze unless approved by higher ups
@as I don't even shop Kroger anymore. Combination of Costco, Walmart, Amazon and Aldi. Kroger prices are almost as bad as Publix or Whole Foods
@ac I doubt giant eagle is the first domino. We have to get them onto our systems first. Training poorly educated outsourced resources on kroger technology and integration will be an impossible task. They'll make the experienced onshore folks deal with that
I’ll say the only reason we shop at Kroger is the discount. It’s insane how much more expensive everything is at Kroger compared to Walmart, Meijer, or even Target. Why are brand name dry goods and cosmetics a dollar or more expensive at Kroger compared to competitors? If I’m laid off/fired, my loyalty is gone and I’m doing my shopping elsewhere, it just isn’t worth it for average people. I understand Walmart but I don’t understand why they can’t lower prices further to compete with Target or Meijer.
Exactly, that would leave zero people at GO....depending on how Giant Eagle goes I would expect that to be the first domino.
I also expect to see more standardization across the enterprise and Division consolidation....we are very top heavy at the director and above level IMO.
@a5 he’s just doing basic math on an average salary divided by the intended savings target…however that maths, the point is the scope impacted is significant
Im sure this wont result in a absolute nose dive in quality. Tbh wish they would hurry up, just give severance and bounce. This is one of the worst managed companies ive been at.
I always joke that kroger has been targeted by the cia haha, look up the cia 1944 Simple Sabotage Field Manual. Literally what I see
Brittain is a blow hard, often wrong. However the writing is on the wall folks. It won't happen overnight, it will happen at Kroger pace. They'll keep hammering on us and things will continue to get worse. Wait for the severance or don't, that's up to you.
Use those AI tokens to update your resumes.
Cool. Lay us off so we can’t afford the groceries they are trying to sell us.
We don't even have 6,000 corporate employees.
For those who can’t get to the link..snippet of the article:
In plain English, Kroger is in the planning stages for how they can offshore work to the KCC, and terminate 5,700 employees. The bulk of the terminations will be centered around Kroger's Cincinnati headquarters, with additional reductions spread across divisions.
None of this is public. Kroger's own disclosures have been intentionally thin: the company has said only that the Global Capability Center will "streamline decision-making, improve productivity and increase the speed at which we execute,"